RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIF. — As the technology in commercial bakeries grows more automated and complex, digital dashboards are becoming essential for bakers to effectively manage operations. 

These dashboards allow bakers to make real-time decisions on their lines, adjust parameters at the touch of a button, run what-if scenarios to plan out operations, and collect data that drives efficiency and predicts issues on the line. 

“Now you can predict if a bearing is going to fail, or if is a motor is about to fail, simply because of prior data that is being collected,” said Binil Starly, professor of manufacturing systems and networks at Arizona State University. 

During BEMA Convention 2024's Workforce Edition, Starly discussed the the types of dashboards at bakers’ disposals and the benefits and requirements of each.

Grafana

Grafana dashboards are common throughout all types of industries, Starly said. These dashboards provide 2D data visualization, including interactive dashboards and charts. These dashboards can collect data from a variety of sources in a facility, which bakers can then analyze for potential outliers that might represent problems on a line. 

Common use cases include optimizing KPIs, OEEs and downtime, smart inventory management and analyzing key financial metrics, Starly said.

Azure Digital Twin

Azure Digital Twin is a cloud-based dashboard integrated with the Internet of Things, allowing it to handle more complex scenarios on a line. Different bakery personnel are granted remote access to the same models with varying levels of permission, and Azure Digital Twin offers 3D plant visualization capabilities. 

“This is more for the managerial level factor managers or even the C suite, looking at operational statuses for global factories,” Starly noted.

FlexSim

Flexsim dashboards offer near realistic 3D models of bakery lines and environments and can identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies throughout production. Use cases for the dashboard include Amazon distribution center optimization and Fedex logistics and distribution simulations.

The dashboard allows bakers to run what/if scenarios to experiment with different parameters, like equipment locations, though Starly noted bakers must be accurate with this for the simulations to be successful.

“If you have a robot, then the distance from the robot to your material handling line needs to be a little bit more accurate, because that's what you're trying to analyze, you can't just drop in whatever you feel like,” he said.

“If you're trying to introduce technology, or a new machine asset, or you're trying to relay out your facility, then these sort [of dashboards] make sense, especially in a high throughput operation,” he continued.

Nvidia Omniverse

On the cutting-edge of digital dashboards is Nvidia Omniverse, which offers 3D plant visualizations with photorealistic textures, colors and shading. The dashboard can run what/if scenarios as well as real time visualizations and management. 

“This is cloud-based, meaning anyone anywhere in the world can peek into the factory without physically being present at the factory.”

There are many digital dashboard systems at bakers’ disposal today, and choosing the right one will come down to their specific production needs and the level of data they require.