The world runs on connections. Even the most humble tasks—say, ordering some chicken nuggets—are enabled by a vast network connections from farm to plate. In this article, we explore why connectivity is essential for food processors, and how connections are driving success in poultry processing.
We need connections to enable almost every aspect of our lives. In order to survive and pursue our goals, we must connect with people, connect with nature and connect with technology in countless different ways.
Everything starts with connections. From atoms connecting to form molecules, to people connecting to form societies, to simple circuits connecting to form advanced computers—nothing would be possible without connections.
Connectivity—the ability to form connections—is therefore vital to succeed at just about any objective. It creates synergies, where connections produce an effect greater than the sum of individual parts. And the more connected a system is, the more intelligently it can manage complex tasks.
At Marel, this principle—that connectivity is the foundation of smart and successful ways of working—is a common thread that inspires all our operations and innovations. Our vision is to transform food processing, and we achieve this through connectivity. We connect people, technology, expertise, industries, communities, data and so much more to secure maximum utilization and food safety around the globe.
Connectivity is also the cornerstone of our digital journey. In partnership with our customers, we are transforming the poultry processing industry as it moves toward enhanced software applications.
But what does connectivity really mean in practice? And what are the tangible benefits for processors in the poultry industry and beyond? Let’s take a closer look.
Within the digital journey, connectivity means developing a digital ecosystem for successful food processing. It involves connecting processing data—in a seamless fashion—throughout all levels of production.
The result is a steadily growing digital ecosystem that actively organizes, sorts, and presents valuable data via user-friendly dashboards. Processors gain actionable insights that empower optimization.
Digital connectivity is not a single technology or product. Instead, it encompasses a variety of digital offerings and practices, including:
A good example of how to combine these components is SmartBase, Marel's new application for monitoring machine health. SmartBase utilizes the connectivity infrastructure to proactively identify machine statuses for improvement and pinpoint issues before they happen.
By deploying cutting-edge digital solutions, poultry processors can interconnect factory equipment, making it effortless to configure, easy to control and fully manageable.
There is a lot to unpack, so let’s focus on three examples.
Performance management
By utilizing real-time and historic data on how equipment is working, digital solutions provide valuable insights into machine performance. This enables managers and operators to take proactive measures to increase productivity, plan preventive maintenance and reduce downtime.
Improved remote support
Having access to data means that remote service becomes more convenient and effective than ever. Processors and Marel technicians can get together and find the source of any issues, and service the equipment without fly-in, fly-out. This provides processors with faster response times while eliminating the carbon footprint of travel.
Food safety management
Digital connectivity makes it much easier for processors to integrate traceability and quality assurance into factory floor processes. Marel offers a number of traceability software solutions that integrate complementarily within the ecosystem, and talk to each other across all factory floor processes.
In these ways and more, processing solutions that can communicate and interact with each other deliver powerful benefits.
Marel Poultry is on a quest to connect for success. Today, every single new Marel poultry processing solution brought to the market is a digital solution. The wells of data coming from these machines allow processors to apply game-changing improvements that help them succeed.
Poultry processors can benefit from Marel's unique connections to achieve real-time insights into the plant’s productivity. Informed by these insights, industry-leading solutions can address key concerns such as traceability, sustainability, equipment maintenance and scarcity of labor, to name just a few.
Innova IMPAQT and ProFlow Breast Meat are two software solutions that enable data-gathering and analysis. They allow communication across the processing line for seamless connectivity upstream and downstream. SmartBase is also set to be a game-changer. SensorX Poultry and Nuova-i are the very first solutions to be SmartBase enabled, and additional machines will feature SmartBase in the near future.
Connectivity lies at the heart of Marel. By connecting people through digitalization, collaboration, knowledge and technology, we can provide poultry processors with the right solutions and connect the ecosystem across the value chain—connecting for success.
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