Customer Success Story – Press release
Automated Bakery Equipment Solutions
AMF’s Success with Bluestar PLM
Automated Bakery Equipment Solutions (AMF), headquartered in Richmond, United States, is a global leader in providing complete bakery systems, offering a diverse range of bakery machines from single units to comprehensive production lines. With multiple locations across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, AMF operates as an engineer-to-order business, customizing solutions to meet specific customer requirements.
As part of their commitment to operational excellence, AMF has embarked on a journey to implement Bluestar PLM alongside with their ERP implementation with Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365).
Before they chose to implement new PLM, they didn’t have any system to manage their data. All processes were mostly managed through spreadsheets, which had a high risk of causing errors. At the same time, the company was using four different CAD-system, and it was essential to find a solution that could integrate with the existing systems and support the CAD tools.
All sites now work efficiently
The selection of Bluestar PLM was the result of a rigorous evaluation process. AMF was looking for a solution that could seamlessly integrate with D365. After a thorough review, Bluestar PLM emerged as the preferred choice due to its unique capability of being embedded into D365:
“We chose Bluestar PLM because it was the only solution embedded into D365. This integration was crucial as it allowed us to streamline our processes and ensured that all our sites could work efficiently. The fact that Bluestar worked well across all our locations confirmed that we made the right choice” explains Viswanath Ponraj, Director of IT at AMF.
Bluestar PLM was acquired to manage AMF’s PLM and PDM processes, providing a unified platform to handle the complex engineering and manufacturing data. The integration ensures that processes across AMF’s sites are consistent and streamlined, which has been a significant factor in improving overall efficiency.
“The fact that Bluestar is so tightly integrated with D365 has been a game-changer for us. It has helped us streamline our processes and maintain a high level of consistency across all our operations,” says Ponraj.
Seamless global collaboration
AMF’s operations span multiple manufacturing sites, each producing different product lines. Bluestar PLM has significantly enhanced their ability to coordinate globally. The system allows for easy transfer of files and drawings between sites, facilitating seamless collaboration and workload management.
Ponraj notes, “If one of our sites is overloaded with a huge backlog, we can transfer tasks to another site without any hassle. All files and drawings can be transferred, and team members from the other site can check out from the vault and continue the work. This flexibility we get from Bluestar PLM is invaluable for maintaining efficiency.”
Meeting Change Management and Quality Requirements
AMF uses several key modules within Bluestar PLM to enhance their operations and improve work processes. Engineering Change Management and Engineering Quality Management play a critical role in managing engineering changes and ensuring quality. The Corrective Action Request (CAR) function, in particular, allows users to report issues, track findings, and ensure that problems are effectively addressed and documented.
Using a process-based workflow in the CAR, the team can manage every step of the process, resulting in greater efficiency and consistency. This approach ensures a strong level of visibility and control, ultimately leading to higher customer satisfaction.
“When you are constantly making new parts and revisions, there is a risk that manufacturing parts may not match what was done in the engineering process. Bluestar PLM helps us go through the quality process and easily update BOMs and items as changes are made,” Ponraj adds.
Significant revenue growth
The implementation of D365 and Bluestar PLM has led to remarkable improvements at AMF, particularly in terms of revenue growth and operational efficiency.
Since implementing Bluestar PLM and D365, AMF has seen significant revenue growth. “When we started this journey, our revenue was around $130 million. Now, we are close to $250 million. Our employee count has only increased by 10-20%, but our revenue has almost doubled. This growth is directly connected to the streamlined processes enabled by D365 and Bluestar PLM,” says Ponraj. The increase in revenue by 150% highlights the direct impact of these systems on AMF’s business performance.
In addition, the integration of Bluestar PLM with D365 has resulted in more structured processes and better data management. This has led to increased efficiency and productivity across AMF’s operations.
“The structured processes and data management capabilities of Bluestar PLM have been instrumental in our success. We can now manage our operations more effectively and ensure that we meet our customer requirements consistently,” Ponraj explains.
Productive cooperation with Bluestar
AMF has found collaboration with Bluestar to be highly beneficial, particularly in terms of responsiveness and support during critical phases. The Bluestar team has been proactive in addressing challenges and ensuring a smooth implementation process.
“With Bluestar, you don’t have to go through a lot of bureaucratic processes to get things done. Their team is very responsive and has been a great support for us, especially during the migration phases across multiple sites,” Ponraj highlights.
The ability to rely on Bluestar’s support has been crucial for AMF, enabling them to overcome challenges efficiently and continue their operations without disruption.
“Bluestar PLM has been a key factor in our success. It has helped us streamline our processes, improve our efficiency, and achieve significant growth. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Bluestar and leveraging their solutions to further enhance our operations,” concludes Ponraj.
