Real-Time Brews, Real-Time Gains: FIFCO’s Digital Leap with Opcenter and Insights Hub
In a small town in Costa Rica, FIFCO began with a simple ice manufacturing plant 115 years ago. Today, the company stands as one of Central America’s leading beverage makers, crafting popular beers like Imperial, Pilsen, and Bavaria. As PepsiCo’s official bottler in Costa Rica, FIFCO has grown beyond beer, adding water, soft drinks, and a range of non-alcoholic beverages to its lineup. Now, the company is writing its next chapter by bringing its production into the digital age.
Breaking free from analog limitations
As FIFCO grew, the traditional ways of running the plant started showing their age. Picture this: machine operators manually jotting down production data, then uploading it to Excel spreadsheets. Getting a clear picture of line efficiency was like solving a puzzle that took up to a day and a half to complete. Meanwhile, bottlenecks were forming in both the brewing and packaging lines, slowing everything down. The plant staff knew exactly what quality standards they needed to hit, but without real-time monitoring, staying on target was like trying to drive while only looking in the rearview mirror. Something had to change – the old analog approach simply couldn’t keep up with modern production demands.
Bringing the plant into the digital age
When FIFCO needed to modernize their operations, they didn’t just want a quick fix – they wanted a partner who could help them reimagine their entire production process. They found that partner in Siemens, a company with deep roots in industrial innovation and a global track record of success. Together with Siemens local partner Smart, they embarked on an ambitious journey to transform the plant from analog to digital.
Today, the facility hums with cutting-edge digital solutions powered by Siemens Opcenter and Insights Hub, creating a comprehensive digital ecosystem that transforms raw data into actionable intelligence. At its core, real-time monitoring systems keep a constant pulse on production lines, while advanced data capture and analytics capabilities process thousands of data points per minute from smart sensors throughout the facility. Siemens smart manufacturing technologies track everything from line efficiency to energy consumption, creating a digital thread that connects every aspect of production. The automated efficiency tracking system has revolutionized how performance is measured, while the digital production management system ensures that every process is optimized and every resource is utilized effectively.
The power of real-time: unlocking efficiency and quality
The results speak for themselves:
Production cycles that once took a day and a half to measure now provide instant feedback. The brewing process has become so efficient that daily cooking cycles have jumped from 8.5 to 9.5, with the potential to reach 11.5 – all while maintaining the highest quality standards.
The integrated solution provides real-time visibility into crucial physicochemical measurements, microbiological indicators, and sensory parameters – elements that are vital to maintaining the superior quality of their beverages. This comprehensive quality management system ensures that every batch meets exact specifications, from the initial mashing process through fermentation and final filtration.
The facility has achieved a significant 12-point improvement in line efficiency measurements. This digital transformation has been particularly impactful in the packaging operations, where advanced analytics and automated monitoring have substantially reduced losses in the can lines, addressing previous saturation challenges. One of the most notable achievements has been the establishment of a direct correlation between line performance and energy consumption, enabling the facility to optimize its energy usage in proportion to production efficiency.
Where the lines run better our energy consumption improves in a way almost proportional to that improvement in efficiency
The future is now: democratized data and proactive operations
The democratization of decision-making through digital transformation has fundamentally reshaped operational dynamics at every level of the organization. By providing real-time analytics and intelligent monitoring systems directly to front-line workers and supervisors, the company has created an agile, data-driven environment where decisions can be made instantly and improvements implemented without bureaucratic delays. This empowerment of the workforce, combined with state-of-the-art predictive capabilities, has not only accelerated operational efficiency but has also fostered a culture of proactive problem-solving and continuous improvement.
Watch the full video to discover how FIFCO transformed their operations
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