Powering the World’s Food Supply
With 250 production sites, this powerhouse in the food industry supplies both raw materials and finished goods essential to the global food supply chain. With operations spanning the globe, from America to Europe, Africa, and Asia, the company’s network encompasses every corner of the global food supply chain. Success on this scale demands reliable assets, consistent practices and effective cost management
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“Our work elevated I-care from a wrench turner to a strategic partner, helping the customer see and act on issues that weren’t visible before. The result is not just reliable machines, but a reliable partnership that helps our customers grow stronger year after year.”
Wouter Bogaerts — Customer Care Manager | I-care
Challenges
- Reactive and inconsistent maintenance methods
- Lack of reliable data for decision-making
- High travel and contractor costs for remote sites
- Difficulty scaling best practices across regions
Fragmented Practices Across a Global Footprint
Prior to its engagement with I-care, the food manufacturer faced wide disparities in maintenance practices across its global sites. Some facilities relied on a “fix it when it breaks” strategy. Others lacked reliable data or standardized tools to guide decision-making. With each region working independently, corporate leaders had limited visibility into overall asset health.
The company also faced mounting expenses from outsourcing maintenance. Preferred suppliers often served sites remotely, flying in technicians and passing on steep travel and lodging expenses. This was particularly challenging in regions like West Africa and Asian-Pacific, where the lack of local resources made consistent support difficult.
At the corporate level, leadership struggled to compare performance across sites. Each location produced data in different formats, limiting the ability to benchmark performance, identify risks or prioritize investments. Without a consistent framework, the organization risked equipment failures, production delays and rising costs.
Solutions
- Framework agreement for vibration monitoring services
- Expansion into energy saving investigations
- Addition of reliability-centered lubrication programs
- Transition from offline to online wireless monitoring
A Predictive Maintenance Framework on a Global Scale
Progressing from vibration monitoring to lubrication programs
To overcome these challenges, the company needed a partner that could deliver standardized practices globally while still adapting to local realities. I-care provided that framework through its “think global, act local” model — hiring and training in-country teams rather than relying on fly-in experts. This approach reduced costs, built trust, and helped ensure cultural alignment at every site.
The relationship began in 2017 with a framework agreement covering vibration monitoring at a critical European site. Success at this pilot site led to expansion across France and Germany, and eventually to dozens of global locations. Over time, additional services were layered in, including energy saving investigations and reliability-centered lubrication programs to optimize performance and extend equipment life.
Transitioning to wireless monitoring
Following several successful projects in West Africa and Europe, I-care and the customer signed a framework agreement in 2024 to expand wireless monitoring. More than 15,000 sensors were deployed in 2025, with 25,000 targeted by late 2026. This transition allows local teams to collect high-quality data while reducing the need for costly travel.
Benefits
- 21,000 machines monitored globally
- In-country teams reduce costs and strengthen site relationships
- Benchmarking across sites generating €3.75 million in savings
- Less downtime and lower maintenance costs
Tangible Results in Reliability and Cost Savings
Driving financial impact and operational efficiency
This partnership has delivered measurable benefits. More than 21,000 machines are now monitored, reducing downtime and cutting maintenance costs. Wireless monitoring lowered travel and contractor expenses while maintaining high-quality data collection. I-care’s benchmarking tools enabled the client to compare performance across 59 sites, generating about €3.75 million in savings in 2024 and guiding smarter investment decisions.
Establishing trust through partnership
I-care’s reliability elevated the relationship from vendor to strategic partner. Corporate leaders can now benchmark performance across 59 sites, prioritize investments and guide regional leads with clear visibility into asset health. By placing skilled I-care staff directly at customer sites, the company avoided the expense and disruption of constant travel. Local experts, fluent in the culture and language, strengthened day-to-day collaboration while keeping reliability practices consistent worldwide.
