FrieslandCampina is one of the largest dairy companies in the world, with a cooperative tradition dating back to 1871. The company processes milk from dairy farms into a wide range of dairy products and ingredients. Together with more than 15,000 member dairy farmers, FrieslandCampina manages the entire production chain from grass to glass. Growth through continuous innovation sits at the heart of the company.
Increase productivity
A key business objective is to maximize employee productivity and job satisfaction which the development of apps has helped them achieve. An app for saving production data and parameters when executing a recipe makes work easier and reduces unnecessary administration.
FrieslandCampina’s decision to switch to the Microsoft Power Platform required a partner capable of migrating existing apps and quickly building data-driven business solutions.
Macaw won the RFP to implement the power platform as a new service within FrieslandCampina. Product Owner and Service Manager of the Power Platform at FrieslandCampina, Joost van Schoot said, “Macaw has the level of knowledge and quality that allows us to get off the ground quickly.”
Macaw had already successfully completed a governance project for us. In addition, the constructive and goal-oriented collaboration was praised, as well as the flexibility offered, the understanding of the requirements and the pricing of the support.
The proposal was followed by a Proof of Concept (PoC) with licenses. “It was fantastic and Macaw passed with flying colors,” says Van Schoot.
Direction
After a successful proof of concept, Macaw migrated five low-code/no-code apps to the Microsoft Power Platform. Macaw has now been assigned twenty new projects across varying domains: auditing, finance, and project management.
Joost Van Schoot explains, “I share the value of the power platform and the capability of low-code/no-code with different stakeholders. The requests quickly follow after that.”
Macaw received a business requirement to guarantee the temperature stays within a specific range for a specific preparation method. The bandwidths are recorded and then maintained by an app. For every business case, the results are monitored, and the savings are validated.
A safe sandbox where you can build a castle
Apps are built on a self-service basis, or, for more complex requirements, the construction and management are outsourced. “We have made a safe sandbox where you can build a castle,” said Van Schoot.
He is currently working on adding a third, hybrid approach, “we will then see whether a citizen developer is available within a team who can create and manage more complex apps in consultation with them. The Power Platform has been running for 1 year now we are pleased that we can already work on this new offering.”
Savings
By the end of the year, FrieslandCampina expects to have saved 272,000 hours. “And I am strict”, laughs Van Schoot, “if the team says they have saved 10 hours, I account for half the amount. I expect good results for the Macaw-built laboratory app, we foresee a saving of 5,475 hours per year.”
Quality
Macaw works together with Software Improvement Group (SIG) to ensure the quality and security of software. Sigrid, the software guiding platform, helps us achieve this. FrieslandCampina’s apps received a four out of five stars build quality rating. VP of Strategic Partnerships at SIG, Michel van Dorp said, ‘if you get four stars you know that the app is well built in terms of architecture. Therefore, if there is a security issue you can quickly resolve it. SIG is delighted with the Macaw partnership and is proud to help FrieslandCampina achieve great results.”
Governance
FrieslandCampina is pleased with the step taken because it is cost-efficient and improves business agility. Strong governance and continuous verification contribute strongly to this success. Joost Van Schoot concludes: ‘We are pleased that the move to the Power Platform has enabled us to meet the needs of our employees and increase productivity.’
