With a wealth of processing experience from many industries the MECRUS team brings a fresh strategic approach to processing in the Agribusiness industry.

The Mecrus team approaches each new situation without pre-conceived ideas, allowing them to make a clear and unbiased evaluation of existing practices and to come up with innovative solutions.

The two foundation principles of the Mecrus processing system are the introduction of a continuous improvement strategy and a preventative maintenance strategy.

Because Mecrus works with performance based contracts, it is in their interest (as well as their client's) to ensure the assets are operating to optimum efficiency. Using the key principles from their broad processing experience, the Mecrus team builds continuous improvement into their client's system. The program is reviewed regularly; existing tasks are revised, new tasks added and redundant tasks removed, in order to maintain efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The preventative maintenance strategy translates directly into higher unit throughput, reduced unit costs and increased profits through improved equipment reliability and availability.

When implementing a preventative maintenance program, Mecrus makes an assessment of the benefits to the business and what it will add to the bottom line. Every plan is tailored to individual business needs. By planning equipment repairs in advance the Mecrus program ensures there are fewer breakdowns.

The Mecrus life-cycle system brings together preventative maintenance and scheduled servicing and results in less unscheduled down-time. It has the additional benefit of forecasting and levelling out maintenance budgeting.

Burra Foods is a successful niche dairy manufacturer supplying international markets. The company is based in a rural area, an hours' drive from Melbourne. Until Mecrus implemented a preventative maintenance program, the company was at the mercy of local tradesmen who worked within narrowly defined disciplines, and whose time charging was a disincentive to setting up a proactive maintenance program at the plant.

Today Mecrus implements and monitors Burra Foods' preventative maintenance program under a performance based contract with a small multi-disciplinary team that also covers after hours call outs. Burra Foods has reaped the benefits in increased plant availability; greater unit throughput in shorter time frames and reduced maintenance costs. Further, by taking responsibility for the program, Mecrus has freed up company managers to focus on other areas of their growing business.

When Mecrus undertook direct operational responsibility for a boutique food packaging facility, the team gained direct experience in qualifying for Food Industry Health Standards Accreditation as well as developing an understanding of the intricacies of logistics scheduling for Just In Time, vertically integrated food supply chain economics.

In a three month period the team achieved HACCP accreditation, food safety standards accreditation and WQA accreditation and was then permitted to manufacture label products for two of the country's larger retailers. Nestle also audited the facility and no major issues or non-conformances were raised. This venture further supports Mecrus' understanding of the need for well developed maintenance strategies that support production optimisation.

The key to Mecrus' effectiveness is people working as a team. Any Mecrus project manager at any site can tap into the depth and breadth of experience of their colleagues, in order to solve problems quickly and cost effectively. If required, a specialist from the Mecrus team can go to the site to help solve the problem.

This collaborative process draws on the substantial knowledge of team members in order to come up with innovative ways of solving client problems. Client companies that engage Mecrus to operate or manage their facilities can benefit from drawing directly on these resources in dealing with their challenges.

High speed bottling

Practical application of Mecrus’ capabilities to Agribusiness processing.

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In Agribusiness MECRUS offers

a fresh strategic approach to processing
an unbiased evaluation of existing practices
innovative solutions
a preventative maintenance strategy

Mecrus brings a fresh strategic approach to processing in the Agribusiness industry.

Burra Foods has reaped the benefits in increased plant availability; greater unit throughput in shorter time frames and reduced maintenance costs.