Make Better Business Decisions with Planning and Scheduling Software

Industry-leading optimization technology from ILOG is giving far-sighted food and beverage manufacturers a competitive edge in a challenging business environment. ILOG optimization technology helps you find the best possible solutions for your planning and scheduling problems. ILOG Plant PowerOps (PPO) helps reduce inventories and product waste, while improving operational efficiency, order fulfillment, the accommodation of special orders, and new product introductions. ILOG PPO provides a solution that handles the tough scheduling challenges associated with the coordination of intermediate products and finished goods and the management of cleaning procedures and shelf life.

ILOG optimization solutions plug into existing enterprise software
ILOG optimization technology makes the most of your company's existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) systems. Best-of-breed optimization solutions from ILOG help improve operational efficiency, reduce changeovers, inventory costs and waste, and lower the risk of stock-outs. The most challenging problems can be solved with ILOG optimization models that directly address the production scheduling needs of the food and beverage industry.

ILOG optimization solutions for the food and beverage industry include:

• ILOG Plant PowerOps—Companies making a variety of products—from yogurt to pet food to pasta—realize significant efficiency improvements while increasing agility and responsiveness.

  Danone, the world's leading fresh dairy products company, has standardized on ILOG Plant PowerOps to plan and schedule the production of intermediate products and finished goods, taking into account shelf life, cleaning requirements, alternative tanks, equipment connections and flow rates, etc. The company is optimizing its production plans, improving operational efficiency, resource utilization and customer service.

• ILOG Optimization Decision Management System (ODMS)—Food and beverage manufacturers can utilize the world’s only complete system for developing and deploying custom planning and scheduling application with ILOG ODMS.

  Custom applications make sense when an application is not available for the business process in question or when available applications do not capture the goals, costs or constraints of the problem at hand with sufficient precision; or provide the quality of what-if analysis, scenario comparison and schedule visualization needed.

  One example of a custom scheduling application for an unaddressed process comes from one of the world's largest beer makers. The company wanted to realize substantial operational improvements by increasing the percentage of production directly loaded on to over 150 trucks and railcars per day. ILOG ODMS has helped them cut handling and finished goods inventory costs, increase vehicle capacity utilization, reduce transportation costs and improve customer service. The company has also deferred the capital expense associated with building additional warehouse capacity at the plant.

  A good example of a custom planning application comes from a leading distiller. The company needed a custom production planning application that could evaluate the unique trade-offs in the ageing process. They also wanted state-of-the-art what-if analysis and scenario comparison. Their ILOG ODMS-based application is helping the company improve capacity planning, while fulfilling demand in order of brand priority and profit contribution.

Next steps
Get more information about how ILOG can help your company improve efficiency and service levels while successfully dealing with the unique challenges in the food and beverage industry.

• Read the Danone case study
• Download the Plant PowerOps white paper
• Download a datasheet about ILOG Plant PowerOps
• Download an ILOG ODMS presentation
• Contact an ILOG representative