How did AVEVA MES raise New Belgium's OEE from 45% to 65%?
AVEVA Manufacturing Execution System enabled New Belgium Brewing Co. to gain 20 OEE points in two years (from 45% to 65%). The solution replaces paper-based processes with real-time management of bottling lines, immediately identifies the causes of unplanned downtime and structures corrective actions. For a brewery that went from 150,000 to 200,000 cases per week against a theoretical capacity of 294,000, this OEE improvement represents millions of dollars in additional revenue and a much better return on industrial capital.
How can unplanned downtime in an industrial brewery be cut by 50%?
AVEVA MES, combined with InTouch HMI and System Platform, enabled New Belgium to cut unplanned downtime by more than 50%. Real-time industrial monitoring detects anomalies at their earliest signs (abnormal speeds, out-of-range temperatures, sensor alarms), while downtime tracking reveals recurring patterns to eliminate. For a brewery producing 1.3 million barrels a year, every hour of downtime avoided translates directly into additional cases and meeting distribution commitments to customers.
How can 100% identical quality be guaranteed across several acquired breweries?
New Belgium had to guarantee that a beer brewed in one of its breweries was indistinguishable from the same beer brewed in another, even though the sites were at different stages of digital transformation. AVEVA System Platform standardizes production processes, MES harmonizes quality procedures and InTouch HMI gives operators the same interfaces. This multi-site harmonization turns an acquisition constraint into a competitive advantage: the brand keeps its consistent taste while industrial capacity grows, a major challenge for a growing craft brewer.
How can a brewery save $400,000 a year in labor?
The automation and modern industrial monitoring deployed at New Belgium with AVEVA save more than $400,000 a year in labor. Freed from manual readings, paper data entry and reporting, operators focus on value-added work: recipe optimization, expert intervention and continuous improvement. For a craft brewer that must balance quality and competitiveness, reallocating skills to higher-value activities is as important an organizational transformation as it is a technological one.
What concrete benefits does industrial monitoring bring to a growing brewery?
For New Belgium Brewing, the benefits of AVEVA MES, Operations Control, InTouch HMI and System Platform are concrete: 65% OEE, capacity expanded to 1.3 million barrels a year, record weeks of 200,000 cases, production efficiency up 25–30%, beers 100% consistent across breweries and $400,000 in annual savings. This digital transformation supports the ambitions of a craft brewer that must compete with the major brewers while preserving its quality identity and community roots.
