agribusinessreview.comAUGUST 20258 opinionIN MYBy Arysson Souza Pires, Operations Director, Sooro RennerSince I started my career in the dairy industry, I have always had the vision of knowing all the sectors that make up an industry. This curiosity expanded my knowledge and insight into all the businesses that keep a dairy industry running and growing.I had great opportunities throughout my career, including managing production and quality areas, later coordinating engineering sectors and even building new factories. I also had the opportunity to manage several industrial plants. Managing new factories gave me a broad vision but also details that are important for a factory and a business.All projects have their level of complexity and require good teamwork. I remember the first Greenfield in southern Brazil. It was my first big project; I had theoretical and little practical knowledge. We had a formidable team, and this team encouraged us to seek the best process technologies, best practices in many areas for this plant. I also had an excellent manager who guided me in many technical details that I still use today.Then came other factory optimization projects, technological updates, new equipment, increased performance, cost reduction, always learning and understanding the environment of the different companies I had the opportunity to work for.The key is to find the right balance between these techniques. In Brazil, there are still factory operations without automation. For these processes it is important to combine people, processes and machines. In this way, operational knowledge and automation come together to obtain the desired results.Therefore, study what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. This preliminary assessment is particularly important ­ although sometimes forgotten.During this initial assessment, it is vital to define the desired quality standards and expected efficiency levels at the end of the project. Studying the equipment involved, automation and the maturity of the operational team are key factors for success, regardless of whether the project involves large investments or not.BALANCING TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN DAIRY PLANT MANAGEMENT
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