Optimizing Project Management & Enhancing Plant Operations in the Agribusiness Sector   

“We recently ran another plant ‘shutdown’ which went incredibly well thanks to the Cerri Project solution. The project ran smoothly, on time, and on budget. We improved plant capacity by 20%.”

OVERVIEW

Client
Nutra-Flo

Industry
Agribusiness

Type of Projects
NPD

Challenge
Nutra-Flo struggled to manage complex, continuous operations and costly periodic shutdowns efficiently, facing coordination issues and operational disruptions.

Solution
Cerri Project was implemented, providing a streamlined project management system that enhanced coordination and reduced disruptions in Nutra-Flo’s operations.

The CUSTOMER:

Nutra-Flo, a global leader in agribusiness, specializes in manufacturing and processing innovative, safe, and healthy products. With a commitment to excellence, Nutra-Flo supports farmers in achieving superior crop yields and aids feed vendors in delivering nutritious, cost-effective food options for both farm animals and pets. Under the stewardship of a president who has dedicated his career to the company, Nutra-Flo has navigated numerous industry changes and challenges. A pivotal focus for the organization has been enhancing business processes to manage and control both capital expenditures and operational costs effectively as it continues to expand its market reach.

The CHALLENGE:

Facing the challenge of scaling operations to meet rising demand, our facilities operate nearly continuously, necessitating periodic 90-hour “shutdowns” for essential maintenance and operational enhancements. These shutdowns are vital for ensuring safety and efficiency but historically have been managed with basic tools like Word documents, emails, and spreadsheets. This approach led to significant challenges in coordinating complex project tasks and resource allocations, resulting in costly delays—highlighted by a shutdown that incurred significant additional expenses. The need for a more sophisticated project management solution was clear, prompting the adoption of Cerri Project to streamline these critical processes.

The SOLUTION:

Cerri Project was selected for its ease of use and cost-effective deployment. The system was quickly configured on existing client interfaces without the need for IT support, showcasing its user-friendliness. It was then extended across all departmental teams, utilizing the existing mail servers, which eliminated the need for additional server investments. After evaluating several project management solutions over several months and conducting a controlled test of another web-based system – which required significant investments in dedicated servers – Cerri Project stood out. It proved to be an economical and straightforward solution, requiring no additional hardware or software, thereby streamlining the project management process efficiently. 

The RESULTS:

Cerri Project has revolutionized our project management by centralizing all related materials—plans, timelines, resource allocations, and risk assessments—in one platform, enhancing team collaboration and operational visibility. This has significantly reduced coordination issues, evidenced by a plant shutdown that increased capacity by 20%. Its adaptability extends to other departments, including marketing and safety auditing, improving remote work capabilities and compliance management. The expansion across the corporation, starting with the executive team, is planned by year-end, supported by Cerri’s responsive customer service, making it an invaluable tool for collaborative and efficient project management.