The Challenge
Criollos Foods, a leading producer of premium bagged and canned food products, faced critical visibility challenges on their bagging lines. With multiple product SKUs running on the same equipment throughout the day, they struggled to understand where inefficiencies existed and why production targets weren't being consistently met.
Key challenges included:
- Unclear operator performance visibility with no data on how different operators affected bagging line speeds
- Unknown downtime causes - difficulty identifying whether delays were due to equipment issues, product changeovers, or other factors
- Inconsistent production rates - some operators achieving 20 bags/minute while the target was 30 bags/minute with no clear insight into why
- Long setup times between product changeovers with no tracking or optimization capability
- Training gaps - inability to quickly identify which operators needed additional coaching to maximize machine performance
- No data-driven insights into production efficiency and operator capability gaps
The Solution
Criollos Foods implemented IoTFlows BeamTracker across their bagging line operations, complemented by SenseAi sensors, to transform production visibility and enable data-driven optimization.
BeamTracker: Precision Production Rate Tracking and Downtime Intelligence
BeamTracker deployed on bagging lines provides the precision and analytical depth Criollos needed to understand exactly how their lines were performing and what was holding them back.
The Production Visibility Gap:
Before BeamTracker, Criollos had no precise way to measure whether their bagging lines were actually hitting target production rates. Were they achieving 30 bags per minute as planned, or falling short? When downtime occurred, they couldn't identify patterns across weeks and months to understand which issues were chronic problems versus one-off events.
The BeamTracker Solution:
BeamTracker provides extremely precise production tracking and downtime intelligence:
- Real-time production rate monitoring - tracks actual bags per minute against target rates (e.g., 30 bags/min goal)
- Automatic downtime categorization - every stoppage is logged and categorized by cause
- Week-over-week and month-over-month trend analysis - identifies which downtime causes are recurring and costing the most production time
- Operator performance correlation - links production rates to individual operators to identify training needs
- Product changeover tracking - measures setup times between different SKUs
Precision That Drives Action: BeamTracker transformed production management from guesswork to data-driven decisions. Every production rate, every downtime event, every trend—tracked automatically with the precision needed to identify real improvement opportunities.
Phase 1: Production Line Instrumentation
Deployed IoTFlows BeamTracker on bagging lines to capture real-time production rates, downtime events, and product changeover times with precision tracking.
Phase 2: Production Rate Monitoring Dashboard
Created dashboards displaying actual production rates vs. target rates (30 bags/min) for each product SKU, with operator identification to correlate performance to individual team members.
Phase 3: Downtime Trend Analysis
Implemented week-over-week and month-over-month downtime tracking to identify chronic issues causing the most production loss, enabling targeted improvement initiatives.
Phase 4: Operator Performance Program
Launched an operator performance tracking system that identified training gaps, allowing management to provide targeted coaching to newer operators running at slower rates to help them reach the 30 bags/min target production rate.
SenseAi Integration:
SenseAi sensors complement BeamTracker by providing additional real-time machine status visibility, enabling team leaders to instantly see which lines are running and which need attention.
The Results
Within the first three months of implementation, Criollos Foods achieved measurable improvements across production efficiency, operator performance, and downtime reduction:
Key Performance Improvements
Production Rate Precision (BeamTracker)
- 35% productivity increase through identifying and training operators running below the 30 bags/min target rate
- 92% of production lines now consistently hitting target production rates, up from sporadic achievement
- Real-time visibility into actual bags per minute vs. target for every line and operator
- Clear operator performance correlation enabling targeted training and skill development
Downtime Intelligence (BeamTracker)
- 45% reduction in unplanned downtime through trend analysis identifying chronic issues
- Week-over-week and month-over-month tracking revealing which downtime causes cost the most production time
- Data-driven prioritization of improvement initiatives based on actual impact
- Automatic downtime categorization replacing guesswork with precise root cause data
Process Optimization (BeamTracker + SenseAi)
- 20-minute reduction in average product setup/changeover time through data-driven process optimization
- Instant line status visibility enabling faster response when production rates drop
- Performance-based training programs targeting operators who need support to reach target speeds
"The visibility into operator performance was eye-opening. We could immediately see which team members needed additional training to reach target speeds. Within weeks of targeted coaching based on the IoTFlows data, our newer operators were hitting 30 bags per minute. The downtime tracking also revealed setup procedures we could streamline. This platform has transformed how we manage our bagging operations."
Juan Perez, Warehouse Operations Manager, Criollos Foods
Implementation Highlights
Precision Production Rate Tracking (BeamTracker)
BeamTracker displays live production rates for each bagging line down to bags per minute, with clear target rate benchmarks (e.g., 30 bags/min). Supervisors instantly see which lines are hitting targets and which are underperforming, with the ability to correlate performance to specific operators, shifts, and product SKUs.
Downtime Trend Analysis (BeamTracker)
Every downtime event is automatically categorized and tracked over time. BeamTracker's trend analysis reveals which issues cause the most production loss across weeks and months—transforming scattered incidents into actionable patterns. Management can now prioritize improvement initiatives based on actual data showing which problems cost the most production time.
Operator Performance Correlation (BeamTracker)
Each operator's production rates are tracked across different products and shifts, creating a clear picture of capability gaps. Operators running at slower rates (e.g., 20 bags/min vs. 30 bags/min target) are immediately identified, enabling management to provide focused training and support. The data shows exactly which team members need coaching to reach target speeds.
Week/Month Comparison Analytics (BeamTracker)
BeamTracker enables week-over-week and month-over-month performance comparisons, revealing trends that would be invisible with daily or shift-level views alone. This longitudinal analysis identifies chronic issues (e.g., "equipment failure causes 15% of downtime every month") versus one-time events, ensuring improvement efforts target the right problems.
Target vs. Actual Performance Monitoring (BeamTracker)
The system continuously compares actual production rates to target rates, highlighting performance gaps by operator, shift, and product. Real-time alerts notify supervisors when production drops below targets, enabling immediate intervention before significant production is lost.
Real-Time Line Status Visibility (SenseAi)
While BeamTracker provides deep production analytics on the bagging lines, SenseAi extends visibility to machines where BeamTracker couldn't be deployed. SenseAi sensors installed on auxiliary equipment and supporting machinery provide instant status awareness—allowing team leaders to see at a glance which machines are running, idle, or experiencing issues across the entire facility. This ensures no blind spots remain in production monitoring.
Looking Forward
Building on the foundation of precision production tracking (BeamTracker) and real-time visibility (SenseAi), Criollos Foods is expanding their IoTFlows implementation:
- Expanded BeamTracker deployment - rolling out to additional bagging lines and production areas to achieve complete facility coverage
- Advanced scheduling optimization - leveraging historical production rate data to optimize line assignments, product sequencing, and shift planning
- Predictive downtime analytics - using trend data to anticipate and prevent recurring issues before they cause production loss
- Real-time alerting - automatic notifications when production rates drop below targets, enabling immediate corrective action
- WorkFlows integration - connecting maintenance requests directly to downtime events detected by BeamTracker, closing the loop between problem identification and resolution
The vision is clear: a food manufacturing operation where every operator performs at peak efficiency, every downtime pattern is visible, and continuous improvement is driven by precise data rather than guesswork.
