From three vendors to one integrated solution: traceability, efficiency, and total control in an animal feed production plant.

The Challenge

One of Colombia’s leading animal feed production plants faced a challenge familiar to many industries:

• Three different vendors were responsible for control, automation, and production software.
  
  
• Communication between systems was limited, leading to data inconsistencies and downtime.
  
  
• Production and consumption reports did not match actual inventory levels.

The client needed to unify operations and ensure traceability, reliability, and continuity under international standards.

Ingelam’s Solution

Drawing on our expertise in electrical engineering and industrial automation, we took on the challenge of integrating the entire production process into a single platform—from field control to management software.

We designed and implemented:

• A Rockwell Automation Batch System certified under the ISA-88 standard, standardizing and documenting every stage of the batch process.
• Full integration of existing systems: legacy and modern controllers, instrumentation, networks, and custom-designed electrical panels.
  
  
• A complementary PMS (Production Management System) for managing production orders, inventories, and real-time reporting.
  
  
• A scalable architecture aligned with the ISA-95 standard, connecting plant-floor data with administrative and financial levels.

All under single technical direction, a unified support channel, and a methodology focused on continuous partnership.

The Results

The impact was immediate and measurable:

• 100% operational integration among production, control, and software departments.
  
  
• Complete elimination of reliance on third-party support for troubleshooting failures or shutdowns.
  
  
• Accurate inventory alignment: the production manager reported full reconciliation between material consumption and finished products.
  
  
• Automatic process restart after electrical failures, thanks to the redesigned control logic based on weighing systems.
  
  
• Enhanced operational reliability and safety, with 24/7 support and historical batch tracking.

The plant returned to stable, visible, and confident operations. Most importantly, the client now only needs to make one call to resolve any situation.

The Voice of the Project

“Today, the client has a single provider, a single point of contact, and a fully integrated plant. We are responsible for control, automation, and software—that is true integration.”

— Ricardo Escobar, General Manager, Ingelam.

Lessons Learned

This project marked a turning point for Ingelam:

• It confirmed our ability to develop and implement our own industrial software, meeting global standards.
  
  
• It spurred the creation of the Innovation and Development department, which now leads projects in analytics and continuous optimization.
  
  
• It demonstrated that smart automation does not replace people but empowers them: operators and technicians now have greater control, with less effort and higher precision.

Looking Ahead

The Batch + PMS integration is now the new operational standard for Ingelam’s clients. We have already replicated this solution in other plants across the agribusiness and food sectors, demonstrating that standardized automation can be adapted to any scale.

Final CTA

Is your plant still relying on multiple vendors and disconnected systems?
With Ingelam, you can integrate, standardize, and modernize your operations without halting production.

👉 Learn more at ingelam.com.co
Ingelam: Engineering that transforms, integrates, and drives growth.