The art of future-proofing
Sure, a crystal ball would come in handy when defining a system’s scope. But bakers can rely on real tools, such as a master plan that looks at the facility’s expansion strategy over a period of five to 10 years.
“When we are working with a customer, whether it’s for an expansion or a new facility, we sit down and discuss that master plan for what they envision down the road,” explained Jason Stricker, director of sales and marketing, Shick Solutions. “We ask customers what they envision not just now for this project but also what they see on the horizon. That way, we’re properly accounting for everything now to allow a simpler and less-expensive expansion project in the future.”
Putting an ingredient handling installation in the context of a bigger picture allows suppliers to think more strategically about the system’s design. If a bakery’s future plans call for another line, but the baker can’t say for sure what the line will be, it’s not the end of the road, according to Mr. Hunter. Considering which future line would use the most ingredients is a good start, he suggested. “Knowing this would allow us to future-proof the ingredient handling design … I can use the baker’s assumptions to design the system correctly,” he said.
Lacking knowledge of a future line’s needs, the supplier could potentially have to rip out the line when it comes time for the next installation. “If I design a pneumatic system to feed two lines, and at some point there will be four, then designing for only the first two will risk having to literally start again with a new pneumatic system later on,” Mr. Hunter cautioned.
Mr. Stricker also expressed the importance of, at the very least, brainstorming around what could be. “It allows us to make sure that what we design now will work properly in the future,” he said.
Sometimes designing for future upsizing or expansion is the right strategic move; then again, simply installing a system to meet immediate production needs could be the better investment. “A bakery has to weigh its percentages and likelihood of growth to determine whether it’s more feasible to build for expansion now or take the risk of future expense,” Mr. Stricker said.
“We run into situations where a customer is focused on the needs right now,” he added. “They intentionally leave space for future expansion, but inevitably, once the installation is complete, they start using the free space for something else, and when it comes time for the expansion, the space is gone.” And when that is gone, most likely so is the plan.
To avoid this, Mr. Stricker advised bakers to share the master plan with the entire company. This keeps everyone in the loop on the common vision for the facility and helps keep individual departments from operating in — pardon the pun — silos. “On the drawings for a facility, showing specific areas as occupied for future prospective equipment will allow people to use it for a short period of time, but specific departments won’t use it as a permanent location.”
Keeping the supplier in the loop helps avoid this kind of pitfall as well, according to Harold Schmelzle, director of sales-food industry for Horizon-PSI.
“If a master plan includes a plan to put two more silos outside, it would make sense to not locate right there the unloading equipment or blowers associated with the transfers,” Mr. Schmelzle said. “A master plan helps you avoid having to move equipment later on or change things to accommodate any additions.”
Learn how to answer your "what if" questions in the next segment.
