Introduction
Carlsberg used Projectplace’s cloud-based tools for its ZORBA project – one of Denmark's largest automation projects – resulting in a new software solution for managing 12,000 valves and pumps. “It exceeded all expectations. By using Projectplace we saved a full man-year on the project,” says Kim Christensen, Senior Project Manager at Carlsberg.
Carlsberg’s division in Fredericia is responsible for Denmark’s biggest production and bottling operation for beer and soft drinks. In summer 2011 the company faced a major challenge, as the control systems were to be replaced and the entire processing section re-automated.
Ten businesses from across Europe planned to work together to develop and implement a software solution to control 12,000 valves and pumps and to ensure that the production process was fully automated, 100% transparent and safe for people, products and facilities. This was an obvious challenge, and the aim was for the solution to be implemented and in full production by winter 2013 – a mere 18 months later.
Requirements
In order to optimise the process, a common platform was required that could manage complex collaboration across organisations, external suppliers, partners and national boundaries. The platform would encompass participants from Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Spain and the Czech Republic.
It was necessary to ensure the project launch was not protracted, and therefore important for all participants to come online at the same time. With a varying number of participants it was absolutely essential to have a flexible and intelligent system for managing documents.
“We needed a tool that could give the participants a good overview of the progress of the project, and with a deadline of less than two years we needed to be able to get started immediately,”
Kim Christensen, Senior Project Manager at Carlsberg