Algist Bruggeman – Getting integration right in the yeast industry with Opcenter
In the highly regulated world of food and beverage production, precision isn’t just a goal—it’s a necessity. Scaling up wasn’t the hard part for Algist Bruggeman, a leading yeast producer—keeping hygiene standards intact, tracking products end-to-end, and staying flexible for customers was. Their solution? A transformative partnership with Actemium that leveraged Siemens Opcenter as the digital backbone connecting their entire operation.
Quality, speed, and visibility all at once
Algist Bruggeman specializes in producing high quality yeast, primarily serving the baking industry with fresh, liquid, and instant yeast products. As a member of the Lesaffre group they also produce active dry yeasts for brewing, winemaking, distilling, and cider making. Products commercialized via the Business Unit Fermentis.
This diverse fermentation portfolio requires complete visibility and traceability throughout production and distribution chain.
The company operates in Belgium and serves customers globally, making them a key player in the yeast production sector. However, like many specialized manufacturers, they faced mounting pressures to innovate and scale efficiently.
- Hygiene and quality control: Yeast production demands pharmaceutical-grade standards at every step—from filling to packaging—to prevent contamination and ensure product integrity.
- Parcel-level traceability: Customers needed to know exactly where their product came from, when it was produced, and how it was handled—essential for regulatory compliance and confidence.
- Logistical flexibility: With varying order sizes and global customers, they needed a system that could adapt without sacrificing efficiency or accuracy.
- System integration: Their ERP, warehouse management systems (WMS), and production equipment operated in silos, creating blind spots and inefficiencies.
- Operator consistency: Ensuring standardized procedures across shifts and production lines was critical for maintaining quality and traceability.
Actemium’s turnkey approach
Algist Bruggeman partnered with Actemium, a Siemens-affiliated systems integrator specializing in industrial automation and manufacturing solutions. Rather than implementing point solutions, Actemium took a comprehensive, turnkey approach that addressed the entire value chain.
Actemium designed and built a dedicated filling facility engineered for optimal hygiene and efficiency. This wasn’t just a production line—it was a carefully orchestrated system where every element served a purpose. To ensure a fully automated packaging and quality control, they provided a system incorporating buffering stations for quality control processes, leak testing to ensure package integrity, individual QR code tracking for each package, automated storage and retrieval for efficient inventory management, and camera-based verification to ensure label accuracy and data integrity
Siemens Opcenter as the digital backbone
Siemens Opcenter served as the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) layer, connecting ERP systems, warehouse control systems, production equipment, and a blockchain platform for immutable traceability records.
Why Opcenter was the perfect fit
Task-oriented approach: Rather than overwhelming operators with complex screens, Opcenter guides them through production tasks step-by-step, ensuring consistency, compliance, and reduced errors.
Seamless integration: Opcenter bridges business systems and production floor equipment, converting high-level plans into actionable tasks while feeding real-time data back to management.
Scalability and flexibility: As production needs evolved, Opcenter adapted without requiring complete system overhauls.
Data integrity and traceability: Every production event was recorded accurately and linked to specific operators, equipment, and timestamps—essential for regulatory compliance and blockchain integration.
Transformation in action
The implementation delivered tangible benefits:
- Enhanced quality assurance: Automated leak testing and camera verification caught quality issues immediately.
- Complete traceability: Every package had a unique QR code linked to immutable blockchain records, providing unprecedented visibility.
- Improved efficiency: Automated systems and optimized workflows reduced handling time and improved throughput without compromising quality.
- Operational excellence: Task-oriented guidance ensured consistent execution, reduced training time, and minimized human error.
- Regulatory compliance: Comprehensive data recording made compliance audits straightforward and defensible.
- Competitive advantage: Superior quality, complete traceability, and logistical flexibility positioned Algist Bruggeman as a premium supplier.
Key takeaways
- Integration is key: Siloed systems create inefficiencies. A unified MES provides visibility and control.
- Task-oriented guidance matters: Operators perform better with clear, step-by-step processes.
- Invest in traceability: Complete traceability is now a competitive advantage, not just compliance.
- Choose the right partner: Complex automation requires expertise across multiple disciplines.
- Technology serves business goals: The best solutions directly address business challenges and deliver measurable results.
Ready to transform your production floor into a competitive advantage?
Explore Opcenter for your operations
Discover how Siemens Opcenter can connect your entire operation—from ERP to equipment—with task-oriented guidance that ensures consistency, compliance, and measurable results. Like Algist Bruggeman, manufacturers worldwide are using Opcenter to achieve complete visibility, reduce errors, and scale efficiently.
Don’t let siloed systems hold back your growth.
Actemium brings together design, implementation, and integration expertise to deliver turnkey automation solutions that work. Learn more about Actemium.
