DEL20 in 2019: more exciting experiments that harness the power of innovation to boost business success

Optimizing workforce planning with machine learning at ESAS

Infrastructure services provider ESAS is always looking for ways to boost customer satisfaction, while maintaining operational efficiency. They believe that optimizing workforce planning can greatly help to improve the customer journey: if they’d be able to plan more accurately, they wouldn’t have to shift customer appointments between technicians at the last minute.

Together with delaware, ESAS experimented with machine learning to understand the drivers of absenteeism. By analyzing employee and absentee data, we were able to identify the drivers of absenteeism, such as overtime and travel distance. Based on these insights, Operations & HR can now address the issues in employees’ performance management talks, while schedulers can plan far more accurately.

Ensuring timely, accurate sales reports with speech2CRM at Roularta

How can we help our sales reps on the road easily file sales reports in the CRM system immediately after each customer visit – without losing too much precious time or omitting details? That was the challenge that multimedia group Roularta wanted to tackle with delaware. 

We are currently co-creating a speech-to-text app that will enable Roularta’s sales team to enter feedback on customer visits while in their car. When tested and approved, Roularta plans to deploy the solution across the entire company. 

Agristo experiments with blockchain to boost transparency in the food supply chain

As regulations get stricter and consumers ever more demanding, end-to-end traceability has become key in the agri-food industry. That’s why Agristo – a world leader in frozen potato products – dreams of tracing the lifecycle of the potatoes it uses, ensuring transparency across the supply chain and connecting all the players involved. 

Teaming up with potato machine manufacturer and harvester AVR and a farmer, Agristo and delaware explored the possibilities of blockchain, building a dashboard that collects data about the quality and size of the potatoes. 

Transforming operator training at Bekaert through augmented reality

After a successful DEL20 experiment with augmented reality (AR) in 2018, steel wire and coating technologies company Bekaert tested the use of AR in operator training in 2019. With the Microsoft HoloLens, trainees are able to virtually interact with the factory and learn how to operate the machinery for optimum safety and efficiency.

The benefits? AR-powered training helps Bekaert save time and cost (as no travel is required for trainers) and every operator gets the same high-quality training. More than that, working with AR inspires and motivates the operators. 

Alpro protects its ‘lone workers’ with AI technology

Plant-based food manufacturer Alpro is on a constant quest to increase worker safety and optimize the working conditions of its people. One of its concerns is to ensure lone worker safety. “We need to be able to react as quickly as possible when a lone worker has a medical emergency in our production environment,” explains CIO Stijn Raemdonck. 

Alpro and delaware turned to the Internet of Things and machine learning to build a solution. By responding to real-time sensor data and learn from the aggregated data, incidents and safety concerns can now be identified immediately.

Discover the Alpro case

Improving the quality of master data through AI at Ardo

Ardo, a processor of high-quality frozen vegetables, herbs and fruit, was looking for a solution to increase the efficiency of the master data creation process and at the same time, improve the product data quality. Together with delaware, they explored the possibilities of artificial intelligence in improving master data management.
 
Based on historical data, delaware experts built algorithms that determine how to fill out characteristics of new products, as fast as possible. The tool fills in product data fields automatically: when an employee fills in field A, the system suggests which field should be completed next – and takes over from the employee. The result is impressive: a reduction from 18 to 4 clicks to complete product data input. It’s still a proof of concept: Ardo currently uses it as an advanced search in its product database, but not yet for product creation.

BekaertDeslee wants to know what customers really want

BekaertDeslee wants the mattress fabrics and covers that they manufacture to perfectly meet their customers’ needs. They came up with the idea to let customers transmit their requirements in an easy standardized digital way, enabling their designers to understand exactly what each customer wants.

A flawless user experience – with a minimum number of navigation steps – was a must to make the requesting tool a success. In close collaboration with the BekaertDeslee team, our experts developed a basic prototype with low-code RAD that was tested at the Interzum Fair in May. Based on customer feedback, they adapted the concept and launched a new prototype that BekaertDeslee is currently trialing.

Inspired by these stories? delaware wants to innovate with you too! Share your ideas with your delaware account.