Burg Azijn standardizes its work process for all European locations with ELICIT

The refined production process of natural vinegar at Burg Azijn (part of Burg Group) was held within the minds of a small group of master brewers. With the help of ELICIT, they are reducing their dependence on specialists and creating stable, top-quality results through a standardized working method.

© Header photo: Niels Brokaar

The unique vinegar process at Burg Azijn

Burg Azijn produces natural vinegar through a natural process, where alcohol is converted into natural vinegar by the acetic acid bacterium acetobacter in a fermenter. This is a refined process where precise control of temperature and concentrations is essential. “A temperature that is too high can kill the bacteria,” says Technology Manager Inge Mewe. “It is therefore important that the settings are adjusted exactly right. This prevents downtime as well as unnecessarily long lead times.”

A small group of specialists responsible

However, the settings for this ‘perfect process’ were largely stored in the minds of a small group of experienced vinegar brewers. “We have a few master brewers who know the installations inside and out,” says Production Manager Viljo Pos.

Brewer Willem Wit is the prime example of this. Viljo: “He even appears in a photo on our own vinegar brand Tromp Rueb; that says enough. Master brewers like Willem are a source of information for others 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are available by phone and can monitor malfunctions from home. This makes the process dependent on a small group of people. Now that this group is also approaching retirement age, we want to prevent that knowledge from being lost.”

Knowledge preservation through ELICIT

Technology Manager Inge Mewe had positive experiences with ELICIT and contacted them again. “ELICIT helps to extract implicit knowledge from the minds of experts and subsequently make it accessible to other operators.”

In this case, knowledge analyst Milou interviewed brewer Willem Wit and other experienced employees about the brewing process. “Milou dissected Willem’s working method step by step. She did so with great respect for his expertise, and we saw that Willem took great pleasure in sharing his knowledge. It was wonderful to see.”

A structured working method for everyone

The interviews led to a knowledge file that made the expertise from the minds of experienced specialists accessible to other colleagues. Through ELICIT’s user-friendly software, they can now see the possible causes, what they need to check, and which settings can resolve the problem in just a few clicks during deviations or malfunctions. “What was previously intuitive has now been given a logical structure. Complex relationships within the process are suddenly understandable. It provided insight into which aspects were obvious to experienced operators but unclear to others,” says Viljo Pos. “We gained insight into the underlying logic of their decisions.”

The first results

What did it deliver for Burg Azijn? “ELICIT’s software records the optimal brewing processes, incorporating the experience of our most seasoned experts,” says Inge. “Additionally, the software provides the best approach for malfunctions or deviations. In this way, we create a standardized working method that allows every brewer to work independently, ensuring we all operate consistently at the highest level.”

What does that mean in concrete terms? Inge: “For example, our factory Burg Vinegar Belgium noticed that a setting in the fermenters at Burg Azijn was different, which led to more efficient use. They adjusted it immediately.” Viljo adds: “We see faster response times to process deviations, and operators have more tools to handle malfunctions. Additionally, it provides peace of mind and a clear overview for operators.”

Furthermore, Burg Azijn can continuously add new knowledge to the software. Viljo: “It functions as a living document in which operators share experiences and improve procedures. This ensures continuous development and up-to-date information.”

The next steps

The success of the initial ELICIT experiences has already led to expansion into other production departments at Burg Azijn. A similar project is starting in the blow molding department for knowledge preservation regarding optimal bottle production. “We now have a proven method for knowledge preservation,” states Inge. “This is valuable for our complex processes and when onboarding new people.”

But also for creating knowledge sharing with other locations.
Because in addition to the Netherlands and Belgium, Burg Group also has vinegar factories in France, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the USA. By using uniform knowledge files for similar processes, the ultimate dream—a standardized work process across all locations—can increasingly become a reality.

Inge: “We have laid a foundation for preservation, future growth, and knowledge transfer. Now it is important to add knowledge internationally and see where we can learn from each other. This allows us to work as efficiently as possible at all our locations and produce continuously at a high level with a stable process.”

• Food Beverage
• Production
• Technology
• Imminent loss of knowledge due to turnover
• Insufficient employees with the right knowledge experience