Digitization at the three Féron plants

Aluminum Féron GmbH & Co. KG

• Family business with a history dating back to the 1930s.
• The three plants in Düren produce coatings for the Print, Protect, Decor and Solar sectors at world market leader level.
• The broad product portfolio ranges from coatings on various materials for coffee capsules to labels for baggage handling at airports.
• With 250 employees, Féron generates sales in the high double-digit millions.

Results

• Conceptualization of the future Féron IT system landscape across all functional areas
• Structured recording of Ferron’s requirements for the future MES and mapping of all relevant core processes.
• Definition of important use cases and contacting potential MES providers.
• Creation of a detailed business case as a basis for the evaluation and final selection of a provider.
• Support in the development of the proof of concept.

Procedure

To begin with, Rothbaum analyzed the existing IT system landscape and developed a vision for the future together with managers from production, logistics, IT, R&D, controlling and other areas. The focus was then placed on the IT systems in production: detailed process recordings were carried out and interviews were held. Based on the catalog of requirements and the use cases, the tender was issued, followed by the creation of a business case for the final selection of providers. Finally, Rothbaum supported the process of developing the proof of concept with the system integrator.

Results

Thanks to the trusting and pragmatic collaboration with Rothbaum’s experts, Féron was able to clearly structure and strategically align its IT architecture.

By systematically recording all relevant requirements, we quickly drew up a shortlist of promising MES providers and quickly selected the ideal partner for Féron. This partner covers all important functions as standard – with minimal additional programming effort. It also offers essential sub-modules such as production data acquisition, scheduling and warehouse management from a single source. The corporate culture and cooperation on an equal footing were also a perfect match for the company’s values.

The restructuring of IT, which was accompanied by Rothbaum, enabled considerable potential savings to be made in direct and indirect areas, an essential basis for the company’s future growth and sustainable profitability.