Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) combines software, systems and services to manage and control mission-critical equipment. At Frutura, this primarily relates to packaging, cooling and picking systems as well as emergency power generators, robots, lighting systems and ripening cells for exotic fruits. The EAM solution was introduced on site in 2023 by Axians Austria.
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Stefan Westermayr Senior Consultant SAP EAM, Axians NEO Solutions & Technology GmbH Contact us
Digital asset management in the fruit and vegetable trade. One process from notification to audit. With NEO Mobile and SAP EAM.
Fruit from domestic production, marketed locally and nationally – 25 years ago, this idea of three enthusiasts from the “orchard of Austria” sowed the seeds for a fruitful development in every respect. Together with farmers Johann Schwarzenhofer and Franz Städtler, Manfred Hohensinner founded “Dörrobstland Vertriebs GmbH” in Eastern Styria in 1999.
A first project, but already the nucleus for the success of Frutura. A company that already bears its claim in its name: Fruit and the future. With this in mind, Frutura has grown to become a nationally and internationally active producer and marketer of fruit and vegetables from Austria – with company headquarters in Hartl near Kaindorf and a state-of-the-art fresh produce hub in Vorchdorf.
Around 250,000 tons of fruit and vegetables. Plants have to be well maintained.
Behind Frutura’s offering is a sophisticated logistics system with impressive technology. In 2020, Axians Austria implemented the SAP ERP solution S/4HANA for Frutura to plan, control and handle all company processes. In 2023, the decision was made: an end-to-end standard process with SAP FIORI interfaces and a digital, networked and mobile solution for maintenance staff was needed! After examining several options, the best choice was finally: integrating the many advantages of NEO Mobile into the company-wide and cloud-based EAM.
Specific goals, specifically defined...
Frutura required an end-to-end standardized process for maintenance and troubleshooting of technical assets. With direct and dedicated order creation from the notification. In addition, secure use of the app in all areas of the company – and also by third parties such as external inspectors. Other important criteria for the customized design of the application were:
- the complete Excel replacement
- a connection to the QM Legal system (Quentic)
- Easy data maintenance in SAP (Fiori) throughout
- Quick & easy order creation
- 100% cost transparency for the management
- Uncomplicated but comprehensive traceability
- Automated procurement
- Cloud service
…and everything integrated on the smartphone.
So which end devices are used by the maintenance teams for all requirements?
Only smartphones – from different providers, depending on the user’s preferences. This is made possible by the open-platform architecture of the NEO mobile solution.
Maintenance without long waits: informed and instructed.
The maintenance teams at Frutura literally have a wide range of locations and types of applications to choose from. From picking robots to cooling systems. All in all, we are talking about around 700 systems, including around 50 maturing cells.
In addition, there are 57 technical locations with a total of 685 pieces of equipment. And everywhere, the new process standardization brings a noticeable increase in efficiency. The best example: the fault messages for automated guided vehicles via the EMS system. Automated forklift trucks at Frutura, which are controlled by SAP and move hundreds of pallets every day, send their “calls for help” directly to NEO Mobile – and thus also automatically deliver a detailed action briefing to the maintenance staff.
Everything at a glance: from system to instructions to audit.
NEO Mobile provides fitters with all the relevant information for their work on site – and delivers everything practically at their fingertips: clearly arranged on their smartphone. This includes maintenance plans, instruction templates, spare parts lists, order suggestions and much more. Another powerful special feature is the automated maintenance report “The Report” for audits.
This is an important feature for demonstrating the efficiency and quality of company processes. At Frutura, for example, this applies to customer audits, industry-specific audits (food audits) or special in-house audits for organic products such as Fairtrade, Global GAP, etc.
We produce and market fresh food. Regionally and internationally. Our equipment for storage, processing, transportation etc. is largely automated and requires a high level of availability. The requirements for our new Enterprise Asset Management were therefore clearly defined. And the focus was not just on increasing efficiency. We also wanted more sustainability in maintenance and documentation, assured quality throughout the entire process and high cost transparency. Thanks to our existing contact with Axians Austria, we were able to convince ourselves in detail of the individual possibilities of an integrated NEO Mobile Suite. For example, a digital checklist now defines exactly what needs to be maintained in a system. We also started setting up smart storage locations for maintenance. We are also planning to use the NEO application for the technology in greenhouses, for example in Bad Blumau. This is because the solution is not only user-friendly, but can also be expanded at will without major effort. In the first few months of 2024, we recorded over 1,070 completed orders with the system across the company. Of these, 815 were unplanned - but never unfinished.
Process Manager, Frutura Obst & Gemüse Kompetenzzentrum GmbH
Frutura: a clear philosophy bears fruit.
The common goal of the three founders has been the program since 1999: to supply people with fruit and vegetables while respecting the pillars of life and the earth. When you say Frutura today, you don’t just mean the producer and largest marketer of fruit and vegetables in Austria, but also a modern, sustainably oriented family business. And its success has many roots. Over 900 employees at five locations in Austria and Germany are now part of the Frutura family. Its partners include more than 1,000 producers from Austria and 40 other countries worldwide. Up to 1,000 different items are processed each year via the fresh produce hubs in Hartl and Vorchdorf. In total, the company handles over 250,000 tons of fruit and vegetables. Frutura Obst & Gemüse Kompetenzzentrum GmbH has thus continuously increased its turnover to currently over 600 million euros per year.
