The Client
Nearly 100 years ago, in 1922, wine and spirits producer and distributor Maison des Futailles (MDF) was founded. Initially developed by the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), MDF provided vertical integration into its supply chain. In 2006, however, a new chapter began for Maison des Futailles.
Quebec-based Kruger seized the opportunity to expand its horizons in the consumer products industry by acquiring the company in partnership with the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ. Both saw great potential in its future. With more than 200 employees, MDF markets over 3.5 million cases across Canada and for contract service clients, in the form of wines, spirits, and ready-to-drink beverages from most major producing regions worldwide, meeting the needs of thousands of consumers.
Always aiming to deliver superior service to its clients and consumers, MDF's prolific partnership with Worximity began as the company started its move toward Industry 4.0 in 2017.
The Challenge
As innovation leaders, the Futailles team leveraged smart factory advances by adopting real-time data collection. Today, data collection is performed through four TileConnect sensors installed on four production lines. This installation has helped the company achieve several of its key objectives.
In the shorter term, one goal was to obtain higher-quality production data. Thanks to real-time information, the company gained better visibility into the state of its production, enabling better decisions and improved ability to seize new opportunities. In the longer term, the team aims to reduce manual intervention, particularly for product scans and automated reports, and to gain better insight into downtime causes. This will make it possible to precisely target where to focus attention. In addition, Worximity's smart sensors will help maximize the return on two newly installed production lines—one a replacement, the other entirely new. Aware of the substantial impact of innovative technologies, adopting such a solution was essential to make better production decisions and remain competitive. Yet such a move toward Industry 4.0 does not come without its hurdles.
The Solution
As anticipated when implementing such a change, some employee resistance emerged. Discomfort, dissatisfaction, and a feeling of being watched are common in this type of situation. Nevertheless, the Maison des Futailles team overcame these challenges by staying close to its employees, conducting multiple follow-ups, and making the necessary adjustments based on feedback received throughout the rollout. Several wins followed, such as installing screens near the production lines displaying the real-time performance of a given shift. As a result, employees can adjust their pace to the targeted objectives. Additionally, by appointing a digital champion in direct contact with Worximity, the company ensures accountability around the day-to-day reality of its employees and fluid communication of any needs, requests, or issues.
The Results
Following the conclusive results obtained with the TileBoard suite implementation, Maison des Futailles' leadership team sees Worximity as an integral part of its future. Adopting a real-time data collection system has standardized production reports, eliminating human bias and paper accumulation. Information availability and data accuracy have also enabled sharper decisions, allowing the team to move forward with new projects and initiatives. In the near future, the team aims to refine this data through quality control, since rejects are not currently tracked.
Maison des Futailles is highly enthusiastic about the future of its products, which keep innovating and for which demand continues to grow. For its part, Worximity is delighted to be part of this journey and to contribute to the company's progress and success.
