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Scottish Sea Farms are pioneers in the farming of superior quality Scottish salmon, having earned the reputation as one of the world’s healthiest and tastiest foods. They operate out of six facilities, which are all subject to regular audits.
6 years
of passing food audits
85%
maintenance completion rate
Ewen Leslie is the Freshwater Engineering Manager at Scottish Sea Farms. In 2012, Ewen and his team were facing periodic visits from external industry and government auditors to ensure compliance with food safety guidelines. At the time, the organization didn’t have a system in place to keep track of machinery and stay accountable, but not wanting to risk failing an audit, Ewen knew he needed a system to help his team get better control over maintenance. Additionally, being a growing company, he was aware that they would eventually be dealing with aging equipment that would need to be maintained and repaired.
The cost of downtime for Scottish Sea Farms is about £7,000 (about $9,200) per hour, so the looming threat of a possible breakdown added urgency to their requirements.
Ewen knew that a CMMS was the tool they needed: Something that would record assets, KPIs, and maintenance performed, as well as a solution that would give him the ability to manage weekly and monthly checks, and then provide sound data to auditors.
Rather than source and rank a number of different solutions, Ewen chose an evaluation-by-trial method. He and his team downloaded a free version of Fiix and used it for a month. Once they realized that they could work easily with the system to solve the problems they were facing prior to implementing the system, they contacted the Fiix team to deploy a subscription-based version of the software. “It was no effort at all,” says Ewen when reflecting on the purchasing process. “The timing was excellent: from the initial contact to going live on the system, it took less than a week.”
We get external auditors coming in on a periodic basis… We decided we needed better control over the maintenance of our machinery. – Ewen Leslie, Freshwater Engineering Manager
Once the system was in place, Ewen got to work making sure he had the full support of the organization in making it a part of their day-to-day operations. “I just said, ‘If you don’t put in the system, the work doesn’t get done.’ Once the technicians started [using it], they all found it very easy.”
From there, it was easy to start making improvements. KPIs are now used where before there were none. “We like [our completion rate] to be 85% or above,” says Ewen. They’ve also gotten to a point where Ewen no longer has to issue work orders. “I just see them online each morning. It frees up a lot of my time.”
I don’t have to issue work orders anymore. I see them online each morning. It frees up more of my time. – Ewen Leslie, Freshwater Engineering Manager
For Ewen, implementing Fiix was the missing piece his team needed. Since implementing the system six years ago, all six Scottish Sea Farms facilities are now using Fiix, and there has not been a single audit failure. Additionally, Ewen is impressed with the adaptability and flexibility Fiix has demonstrated as a solution. “We have multiple sites. What I like is that I can move assets from site to site and easily bring the workers on board. I’m also impressed at how the system has grown since 2012. They modify the system according to our needs.” In terms of what he wants to see in the future, Ewen is hoping for more of the same. “I have recommended it to a number of people. They should just keep doing what they’re doing.”
I’m impressed at how the system has grown since 2012. They modify the system according to our needs. – Ewen Leslie, Freshwater Engineering Manager
The best way to get to know Fiix maintenance management software is to get your hands on the actual product. Go ahead. Take it for a spin.