Kopparbergs Brewery

Kopparbergs Brewery meets increased global demand by reducing quality deviations by 68%

"Our collaboration with Good Solutions is one of the most profitable investments we have made in production. By being able to minimize deviations and maximize our quality, we can meet the extreme demands of global exports"

Fredrik Karlsson, Production Manager at Kopparbergs Brewery

Kopparbergs Brewery is a brand known as far away as Thailand and Australia. Growth for the Brewery has been steady since its inception, and sales continue to increase. Quality has always been one of Kopparberg’s Breweries’ keywords. Therefore, cider and beer are also made for export at the Brewery in Kopparberg. Continuously meeting increased global demand with quality and profitability places high demands on processes, employees, and work tools.

      Problem

      Swedish food production has among the highest quality standards in the world. But global exports make entirely different demands. The existing production processes were no longer sufficient to meet the challenges of delivering cider, beer, and soft drinks worldwide.

      Longer shipments place extreme demands on both packaging and manufacturing processes. A single small scratch in an aluminum can destroy an entire container load. Something that is not only expensive. It also impacts the environment, creates waste, and the customer does not get the products on time.

      Kopparberg’s Brewery conducted a comprehensive root cause analysis and risk assessment based on both known and possible production errors. The aim was to avoid complaints, reduce production losses and, above all, ensure that the consumer always gets a perfect product – no matter where in the world they are. The work showed that the production processes needed more standardization and that collaboration with suppliers needed to be deepened. The analysis also demonstrated the importance of being able to handle deviations quickly and work them out efficiently. The requirement for full traceability throughout the value chain was clear.

          Production data is compiled and presented in interactive and easily understood reports that are used both for daily decisions in production and for strategic decisions at the management level.

            Operators now have easy-to-use, guided instructions for quality control and production monitoring.

              Solution

              The high production rate of 78,000 cans per hour means that traditional camera-based individual tracking systems do not work. Based on statistical models, risk, and root cause analysis, ISO standardization and data from the business were combined into extended quality controls. To introduce the new way of working traditionally with paper and pencil would have been impossible. The solution lay in extensive digitization.

              In order to help Kopparberg’s Brewery meet its strategic goals, the collaboration with Good Solutions was deepened. In addition to meeting the technical requirements, Kopparberg Bryggeri saw a major advantage in RS Production’s ease of use and scalability.

              Through RS Production, operators now have easy-to-use, guided instructions for quality control and production monitoring. Production data is compiled and presented in interactive and easily understood reports that are used both for daily decisions in production and for strategic decisions at the management level.

                  Results

                  In just a few months, Kopparberg’s Brewery has, in principle, eliminated costs related to quality deviations. From an already low level, quality deviations got reduced by 68%. The combination of easy-to-use software and easy access to the right information has made it possible to control every step of the process. The staff can safely decide whether the product is approved or not. The change has significantly reduced the risk for Kopparberg’s Brewery to produce products beyond specification by carrying out the extended quality controls, digitally signed and documented in RS Production.

                  With quality assured at a very high level, Kopparbergs Brewery can continue its global growth journey. RS Production gives Kopparbergs full control and even better profitability, and contributes to cider, beer, and soft drinks tasting Kopparbergs. No matter where in the world you enjoy them.

                      RS Production gives Kopparbergs full control and even better profitability.