DIOSNA uses its pharma expertise to stay ahead of new trends in bakery, while also taking advantage of the latest digital tools in all aspects of their work, from training, everyday operations, and customer interface, to cloud-based workspace management, as explained by Henrik Oevermann, DIOSNA Managing Director.
Henrik Oevermann
Mihu: What changes have you brought to DIOSNA’s business strategy since 2018?
Henrik Oevermann: First of all, I aimed to bring a clear focus on technology to DIOSNA’s agenda, which is emphasized by the motto we adopted a few years ago, ‘The Dough Experts’. We invested heavily in technology and highly specialized solutions, which from our perspective moved beyond classical mechanical engineering to encompass a focus on the technology, the process itself and its implementation. With our starter cultures for fermentation processes under the DIOStart brand, we even supply many demanding customers in the field of biotechnology.
Service and after-sales are also very much in focus, which, for us, means being close to our customers. To do this, we have built up loads of subsidiaries and decentralized structures in our organization: for example, we have daughter companies in Russia, India, and one in the Americas – which is jointly shared with Shick Esteve, our Linxis Group partner. We also have a subsidiary in the Czech Republic as well as local teams in the UK, South-East Asia, China, Latin America and other parts of the world. We aim to be physically present, close to our customers to provide good service and after-sales. We have established this way of sharing our knowledge and solutions to build customer intimacy. This is particularly important to us at DIOSNA and as a member of the Linxis Group.
In bakery, we are observing a growing trend towards quality standards, which have been established for many years in the pharma industry. Internally, we have also reshaped our business by merging several previously disconnected departments in Pharma and Bakery. The knowledge and the technology we already have in Pharma is a valuable asset for Bakery, where we have become a leading provider of hygienic solutions, with extensive knowledge in everything related to hygienic design and production. In the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA regulation and the GMP standard are acquired practice, which are increasingly being transferred to the food industry. Of course, Pharma standards are not replicated in their entirety in the bakery industry, but we do see a tendency in this direction that can only benefit our customers, particularly with our Pharma background.
Mihu: How does being a part of the Linxis Group help DIOSNA’s R&D work in providing technology and services?
Oevermann: In many cases, we can deliver complete solutions from raw materials up to the finished dough; we have integrated track-and-trace systems, so that we cover all processes – from raw material handling to conveying, fermentation, mixing and proofing, including the complete interface management. On the one hand, this reduces complexity for our clients, but, on the other hand, it also makes it easier for us as specialty companies, as we work with established project teams where everyone knows each other and there is full trust. We also benefit from the respective strong presence in the home market of our companies. This creates trust and makes it easier for customers to decide to invest in our products.
Mihu: What direction will planning take after a year like 2020? Which priorities have changed and which have remained the same?
Oevermann: We took advantage of the level of digitization in our company. We had already been working with decentralized software before pandemic measures brought changes in workflows everywhere. We have cloud-based workspace management in place, with all our employees around the world working via their own accounts. It was very easy for us to mirror the office desktop in private at-home computers in this way, and the transition was made without any interruptions.
We also made use of new software capabilities. We created complete Digital Twins of our industrial systems, for example, to allow customers to train and familiarize themselves with the machines remotely, even before they arrived at the production facilities.
Mihu: In bakery, DIOSNA presents itself as ‘The Dough Experts’. What does innovation mean to the company in this respect?
Oevermann: At the very beginning of a new project, we ask for the pain points. In many cases, they are known to the customer; but, sometimes, the pain points or their root causes are not understood. This is where we step in, for a thorough analysis of the entire process and facility. When a customer is planning a new product or production line, they require not only product trials but also support with product development. In this case, we provide consultancy as well. For bigger projects, we always start by analyzing the flour and the other raw materials used, once the recipe is defined. If it isn’t, the project begins before this step. We then design the process that best fits the particular needs we have identified. Customer trials are performed after that, which can imply huge product variety. In some cases, the customer may want to rebuild their marketing campaign and market a new product with a 30-hour production time (slow baking, long dough resting and proofing). This is a different story to just removing additives (Clean Label) or increasing product shelf-life (BBD).
Once the customer has a clear image of the process, it is only then that we start designing the best match for the production line. A lot of work precedes the actual technology design, in order to produce the optimum version that will fit both into the customer’s budget and into their facility.
In addition, we know the current requirements and the pressure that our customers are subject to, with regard to hygienic manufacturing practice, for example. That is why we have developed a hygienic design line alongside our hygienic concepts, which is constantly expanding. In the area of our pre-dough technologies, we are developing starter cultures (DIOStart) to satisfy today’s consumer trends.
It is particularly exciting for us and also for our customers when we can offer cross-divisional solutions. For example, our universal mixer is used for the production of protein powder because the mixing results are extremely homogeneous. However, it is more important to customers that these can be achieved in 3-5 minutes. Our advantage here is that DIOSNA can produce not only the protein powder but also the bar mass. This means we can offer everything from one source. However, many other granulates are also used in the food industry, such as solid flavourings, spices, enzymes…etc. Alternatively, our spiral kneaders, are used in the food supplement industry, where producers are often pharmaceutical companies – to name just a few examples.
Mihu: How can big companies stay at the top, once they have established themselves?
Oevermann: I think they have to continue to change day by day; small steps that will amount to big changes in the long run. Willingness to change and invest is required, as well as the ability to fund and lead those changes. Small, fast-growing bakery businesses are showing accelerated innovation, by comparison. I believe big players stand to win from clean labels, for example, and investing in sustainability, innovation and marketing. There is always a risk when investing in change, but I believe the risk is higher if you don’t. At various large industrial bakeries, you can see how quickly profitability declines if you are too hesitant to invest. They will face fierce competition from dynamic newcomers who will make these investments.
Mihu: How can efficiency be taken to the next step in handling and mixing dough?
Oevermann: The next step will be towards an integrated approach, which is typically when we step in. We analyze the complete process and try to optimize it by adjusting and improving the dough production. For example, you can do proofing in the final proofer after post-mixing and post-makeup. This so-called piece fermentation is necessary, but experience has shown that it is the most expensive type of the dough development process. The fermentation of a pre-dough in a closed stainless steel container, as well as the so-called boiler fermentation in the bowl trolley directly after kneading are, in our experience, the more efficient way. With an investment in these technologies, the recipe can also be optimized by removing improvers (meaning that clean label can often be claimed), but savings can also be made on additional expensive equipment, which is otherwise needed after mixing. We are looking into this holistic approach.
In addition, our experts have managed to optimize our kneading efficiency to a maximum, keeping dough heating low and the process gentle at the same time. This enables our customers to produce a perfect dough containing either fruit or chocolate. The energy and water input is optimized. A dough of this quality not only makes a better end product, but also has its advantages on the line. This prevents dough sheet tears on the processing line, which ensures high productivity for industrial companies.
Mihu: Where could dough handling efficiency typically be improved, from your observations?
Oevermann: When one of our Master Bakers visits a customer’s site, they frequently find that the kneading parameters are not optimized, even when they are using DIOSNA equipment. There are ways of speeding up the mixing process for existing DIOSNA machines with frequency inverters to optimize the mixing curve. Both product and energy waste can be avoided in this way. Usually, the dough also has higher water absorption after optimization by our experts.
Mihu: How can waste be minimized? What role do solutions for scrap dough and leftover product play and how do you anticipate their use will evolve?
Oevermann: Avoiding waste has always been an important topic for us. For this, the solution we established and have used for more than 30 years comes from bread fermentation: when there is over-production, the dough can return to closed stainless steel vessels and restart a thermally controlled fermentation process with starter cultures. We have solutions in place for rye bread fermentation and we have recently started to commercialize a solution for the wheat bread fermentation process. Another solution is the liquefication of over-processed dough, which can typically be used for scrap dough resulting from sheeting and cutting dough. With or without fermentation, this process will always result in zero residual material and it will also increase the consistency of the product tremendously. We also offer an option for leftover bread recycling.
“I believe big players stand to win from clean labels, for example, and investing in sustainability,
innovation and marketing.”
Henrik Overmann
Mihu: Please highlight your thoughts on sustainability in bakery and DIOSNA’s efforts in this regard.
Oevermann: We have always invested in sustainability at DIOSNA; you cannot survive for 136 years otherwise. As it’s part of our DNA, it is also part of our machine design and process optimization. We equip solutions for pre-dough production or for mixing with frequency inverters, which helps save huge amounts of energy. In some cases, we are able to produce electricity and feed it back into the system. To illustrate, our machines have a motor driving the bowl and one for the mixing tool. There is a point in the mixing process when the bowl is driven by the tool – the motor that typically drives the mixing bowl is then used as a generator. It is a similar operating system to the braking of an electric car.
Mihu: What is the most challenging type of dough to control, and why? How are DIOSNA’s solutions designed with such challenges in mind?
Oevermann: An issue typically faced by our customers has to do with spontaneous and uncontrolled fermentation processes, which is a ground for the multiplication of unwanted micro-organisms, typically pathogens. Our solution for this is to regain control over the process, with our DIOStart starter cultures, which gives controlled, natural fermentation with organic-only micro-organisms. We also offer solutions for the production of gluten-free products.
In another example, the handling of cereal bars is notoriously difficult to process due to their sticky structure, and often, a lot of manual labor is involved, or extended downtimes are a common issue in automated production. We have developed a solution that can provide a very consistent transfer of the bar mass on conveyors. We have also redesigned our mixing tools and optimized the removal of the mass from the mixing bowl to feed it into the system with a consistent flow. To achieve this, the mass is gently broken down into pieces. This is a new, patented innovation that has not been shown at a trade show yet.
Mihu: And what specific, case-by-case problems are you encountering that require custom designs? Please illustrate with some examples from DIOSNA’s installations.
Oevermann: Examples are many and typically linked issues surround molding, shelf-life, and the proofing equipment. We also receive requests for softer products, fewer additives, and gluten-free dough. We have a dedicated solution in place in each case.
Mihu: What priorities are on the agenda of the R&D team for improving existing technology features?
Henrik Oevermann: IoT is one, as we are working with the DIOSNA app with our customers; it will be released by the end of this year. Another important R&D topic is our focus on hygienic design.
Mihu: What opportunities do you see for online work in previously in-person areas?
Oevermann: We are investing heavily in using all available online tools for training, seminars, or everyday work, from Digital Twins, to Google glasses – you could say many things are in use. There is no other way of getting around measures such as the travel bans, but we will be stronger after it and we will reach a more balanced level of in-person visits and travel. Also, as we will travel less, IoT solutions will be adopted more and more.
Mihu: Thank you for an illuminating interview.
