A forward position
Although Pakistan as a nation ranks as a modest No. 159 on the global soccer association FIFA’s ranking list, a Pakistani company is No. 1 when it comes to producing balls for the world’s biggest soccer leagues and cups.
Data-driven efficiency
June 30, 2023
What about a creative software using artificial intelligence to reduce production planning time from hours to seconds? This is exactly what Bart Vercammen, Team Leader Manufacturing Systems & Processes; Rik Van De Velde, VP Manufacturing; and Veerle Van Den Bossche, Program & Team Leader in the Portable Air division developed a few years ago, and for that they were awarded the 2020 Giulio Mazzalupi Operational Excellence Award.
“By allocating the data available in our different systems and then adding a layer of artificial intelligence, this software helps our production staff make much faster and more accurate decisions for the benefit of our customers. Rescheduling a production line can for example be done in minutes, or even seconds, instead of hours,” says Bart Vercammen, Team Leader Manufacturing Systems & Processes
The first module was initiated to automate the phase out of a significant product part across multiple lines. Since then, new modules have been added, focusing on supply chain transparency, production planning, workforce planning, inventory management, supply chain simulation, and more.
“We are constantly adding new features in close collaboration with the final users. If you see something that could be improved and have an idea about how to do it, don’t overthink it. Just try it out and if it doesn’t work, fix it and try again,” says Bart.
Giulio Mazzalupi Award 2020
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