Applied Practice in Real Production Environments

Context

Main Production Workshop at SAFILAIT — a central production area supplying multiple downstream workshops with processed milk and dairy bases.

Responsibility

Daily management of workshop operations covering approximately 30,600 L/day of reconstituted milk, alongside fermented milk and dairy-based beverages.

Process

Milk powder handling and storage, milk powder reconstitution, standardization of fat and total solids, process parameter monitoring, transfer to downstream workshops, CIP of tanks and lines, hygiene and sanitation routines.

Challenge

Maintaining production continuity and process compliance across a high daily volume while supplying several downstream workshops with different requirements and schedules.

Action

Coordinated workforce allocation and daily task planning, monitored key process parameters and production progress, kept close communication with downstream workshops and the quality function, and supported troubleshooting of process deviations on the floor.

Operational Impact

Production continuity was maintained across the workshop's daily operations, with process parameters monitored against procedures and deviations addressed with the team as they appeared.

Lessons Learned

In a central workshop, coordination and communication are as decisive as the process itself: the flow of information between areas determines whether volume can be sustained without disruption.

Context

Soft Cheese and Mozzarella workshops at SAFILAIT, processing cow's milk dedicated to cheese manufacturing.

Responsibility

Supervision of up to 5,000 L/day of cow's milk for cheese production, coordinating a team of up to 12 operators across both workshops.

Process

Milk preparation, standardization checks, coagulation and curd handling, moulding, stretching for Mozzarella, ripening conditions for soft cheese, packaging, plus workshop hygiene and CIP.

Challenge

Running two workshops with distinct process rhythms in parallel while holding product specifications, hygiene and food safety standards constant.

Action

Allocated operators per workshop and shift, monitored critical production stages and process parameters, verified compliance with specifications and hygiene requirements, and worked with the team on deviations and equipment readiness.

Operational Impact

Both workshops operated with the planned daily workflow, with production stages monitored against product specifications and food safety requirements throughout.

Lessons Learned

Cheese manufacturing rewards discipline at each stage; a stable team routine and clear stage-by-stage checks matter more than reacting late to a finished-product defect.

Context

The Main Production Workshop supplies Mozzarella, Camembert and cheese preparation areas in addition to producing dairy products directly.

Responsibility

Coordination of production flow between the main workshop and downstream production areas, with responsibility for workforce allocation and process flow. Team coordination reached up to 24 operators during peak Ramadan shift operations under a 3×8 schedule.

Process

Sequencing of production batches, transfers to downstream workshops, monitoring of process parameters, hygiene and CIP scheduling around production windows.

Challenge

Aligning one upstream workshop's schedule with the different needs of several downstream workshops without interrupting either side.

Action

Planned daily sequencing with downstream workshops, adjusted workforce allocation to production priorities, tracked production progress and parameters, and supported troubleshooting where transfers or equipment created delays.

Operational Impact

Downstream workshops were supplied according to the daily production plan, and operational deviations were handled directly on the production floor with the teams concerned.

Lessons Learned

Cross-workshop manufacturing is a scheduling problem as much as a technical one; anticipating the next workshop's needs prevents most stoppages.