Learn how a leading beverage manufacturer overcame operational challenges, streamlined processes and enhanced user experience using Power Platform and automation.
Executive Summary
A leading beverage manufacturer sought to optimize its operations and improve user experience through the implementation of Microsoft Power Platform. This case study examines how Withum’s Digital and Technology Transformation Team and the client worked together to overcome challenges and leverage the capabilities of the Power Platform to streamline processes and enhance efficiency company-wide.
The Client
A California-based family-owned beverage manufacturer with 7,000+ employees in business since the 1960s. With nearly 20 plants, many of which were added recently, the company had a great need to manage its large workforce plus keep up with major contracts and commitments nationwide.
Background and Challenge
The client sought to gain a comprehensive understanding of the capabilities of the Microsoft Power Platform. While they had basic knowledge, they required deeper insights and best practices derived from Withum’s experience in implementing the Power Platform
across various organizations.
The company had developed an in-house “course list” application for internal staff education and development, but it suffered from slow performance and unresponsiveness, causing frustration and lack of use among users attempting to access and sign up for courses.
Additionally, the client had an existing “plant management application” that relied on manual updates to maintain accurate information about active users within their organization.
They needed to streamline this process, ensure data accuracy and ensure valuable institutional data and knowledge would be available.
The Approach and Solution
Withum conducted the Microsoft Collaborative Apps Workshop, analyzing the client’s existing applications. With this workshop, clients and consultants can discover how Microsoft’s tools can enhance current company offerings and expand what can be managed by digital transformation.
Collaboratively with the client, they identified and prioritized the application issues using SMART criteria and success criteria definitions. Power Platform, specifically utilizing Dataverse, emerged as the solution to address data integrity, governance and performance challenges.
To improve the performance of the course list application, data was streamlined and normalized, enhancing its responsiveness. For the plant management application, Withum leveraged Microsoft Graph API calls to Azure Active Directory, automating the filtering of relevant plant managers and populating the application without the need for weekly manual intervention.
The Results, ROI
Following the Microsoft Collaborative Apps Workshop, Withum’s client implemented the Microsoft Power Platform COE Starter Kit, establishing standards and governance for current and future initiatives within the organization. Further, the workshop facilitated the creation of a prioritized list of scenarios, implementation approaches and timelines as a joint effort between the client and Withum.
The improvements made to the course list application resulted in increased user satisfaction and reduced load times by 25-50%. For the plant management application, Withum’s implementation of automated workflows saved hundreds of hours of manual labor annually by eliminating the need for manual identification of plant managers based on their organizational status.
Through the collaboration with Withum, the company’s citizen developers gained valuable knowledge and best practices in Power Platform development, enabling them to drive innovation and create solutions within the organization. By partnering with Withum and leveraging the capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform, the client successfully addressed operational challenges, streamlined processes and enhanced user experience.
The implementation of Power Platform not only improved efficiency but also empowered citizen developers within the organization to drive innovation and create value-added solutions. Withum’s beverage manufacturing client now stands as a prime example of how technology-driven transformations can deliver significant benefits in the competitive beverage industry.
