Pack Labs reduces downtime by 40% in just six months.
40% Reduction in ops-related downtime in six months
Industry: Food & Beverage
Locations: 2
“You don’t make money as a manufacturer unless your equipment is running." Mannie Ajayi, Managing Partner, Pacific Fin Capital (owner of Pack Labs)
Pacific Fin Capital invests in and operates companies building the future of food & beverage production. One of their portfolio companies, Pack Labs, co-manufactures beverages for emerging wellness brands in the US.
Pacific Fin helps its portfolio companies—including Pack Labs—adopt innovative technology, reduce inefficiencies like downtime, and stay focused on long-term growth.
THE CHALLENGE
Pack Labs lacked visibility into downtime reasons
Mannie Ajayi (Managing Partner, Pacific Fin Capital) and the Pack Labs leadership team knew reducing downtime was critical, but they lacked the insight into what was actually causing it. Without knowing whether downtime was due to maintenance, startups, shutdowns, or unexpected failures, making meaningful improvement was nearly impossible.
While many solutions offered basic machine visibility, they needed more– a solution that could deliver fast results and fit within the budget of this mid-size manufacturer.
THE SOLUTION
Factory-wide visibility helps reduce downtime
When Ajayi introduced Guidewheel to Pack Labs, the team immediately understood the potential. Installation took less than a day and the team instantly gained a shared, accurate view of machine activity. With real-time visibility, they could quickly identify and address downtime causes. Now, Pack Labs’ operations team uses Guidewheel as a central hub for all efficiency metrics, tracking downtime, yield loss, overall equipment efficiency (OEE), and throughput all in one place.
“Guidewheel allowed us to get visibility into what was driving downtime and what was affecting efficiency, almost overnight. With that we could start attacking the different downtime causes and really dial things in to improve our efficiencies.” - Ajayi
Empowering the entire team
Guidewheel acts as a critical data source for the entire Pack Labs team. Operators track performance in real-time and to easily log downtime events for accurate reporting. Supervisors and plant managers receive instant alerts to address issues on the floor before they escalate, while the management team uses Guidewheel to monitor trends, track progress against efficiency goals and share insights across the company– driving continuous improvement at every level.
Since implementing Guidewheel, Pack Labs has reduced downtime and increased production and profitability. Their team achieved a 20% reduction in ops-related downtime within weeks, and 40% within 6 months.
Data-driven insights help boost ROI
Beyond operational improvements, Guidewheel has helped Pack Labs make smarter CapEx decisions. By quantifying the true cost of downtime on critical machines, they could justify buying a new piece of equipment.
Guidewheel isn’t just a tool for the Pack Labs team, it’s also a key resource for Pacific Fin Capital. For Pack Labs, Guidewheel provides a centralized, accurate source of performance data that helps them continuously improve. For Pacific Fin Capital, Guidewheel offers real-time visibility into progress towards goals which makes it easier to celebrate wins and drive bottom-line growth.
“Guidewheel is such an important tool to have. Without it, you’re flying blind—you waste resources because you don't know what to focus on.” Ajayi
Three reasons by Private Equity firms choose Guidewheel
To other Private Equity firms looking to support their manufacturing portfolio companies, Ajayi offers three key ways they get advantages through Guidewheel:
Fastest path to ROI: Guidewheel is the most cost-effective way to get real-time visibility into factory operations.
Ease of implementation: While other solutions may require months-long IT projects, Guidewheel can be up and running in less than a day.
Valuable for every team member: Guidewheel provides real-time insights that help drive better decisions on the floor and at the management and board levels.