Company name

Roberto Industria Alimentare

Area

Food manufacturing

Country

Italy

Technologies involved

silwa WMS, silwa MES, Automation module, Mobile Warehouse Management, ERP data interface integration, Lot traceability management, Multi-site management, Intercompany electronic logistics data exchange (EDI), Production line automation, Manufacturing equipment integration

Challenges

Digitalizing logistics and manufacturing operations, Ensuring end-to-end lot traceability, Integrating ERP, MES and WMS systems, Managing multi-shift production environments, Improving inventory accuracy and reliability, Reducing manual and discretionary activities,

Results

End-to-end traceability from raw materials to finished goods, Accurate and continuously updated inventory records, Reduced operational errors, Integration with large-scale retail distribution networks, Availability of logistics and production KPIs, Greater efficiency in production planning and execution

FAQ

Roberto case study: logistics and production digitalization in the food industry

Roberto Industria Alimentare, a Morato Group company specializing in food manufacturing, launched a long-term supply chain digitalization program with Stesi to improve traceability, increase operational efficiency and integrate logistics and production processes within a single digital ecosystem.

The relationship between Stesi and Roberto Industria Alimentare goes far beyond a single project. It is a strategic partnership that began in the early 2000s and remains active today, focusing on the continuous digitalization of the company’s logistics and manufacturing operations. The collaboration initially started in the production environment, specifically with the digitalization of product traceability, before gradually expanding upstream to encompass the company’s entire end-to-end supply chain management.

In 2011, Roberto Industria Alimentare’s management team decided to implement a digital logistics system. The company’s growth and increasing efficiency requirements had made the previous process management approach, which relied almost entirely on Excel spreadsheets, inadequate for supporting new operational needs. As a trusted technology partner, Stesi implemented silwa WMS to redesign and optimize logistics workflows and product traceability, from raw materials to finished goods, while also enabling integration with large-scale retail distribution networks.

The solution: ERP, MES, WMS and automation integration

The project developed by Stesi resulted in a fully integrated ecosystem where ERP, MES, WMS and automated systems communicate in real time. The software infrastructure automatically coordinates:

production planning
raw material procurement
production line replenishment
material consumption tracking
production progress monitoring
finished goods registration
warehouse storage and shipping operations

Thanks to this integration, data and material flows are automatically shared across all connected systems, reducing manual activities and minimizing operational errors.

End-to-end food traceability from raw materials to finished goods

One of the most important aspects of the project is lot traceability, a critical requirement in the food industry where regulatory compliance, food safety and transparency are essential. Through the silwa Tracer module, Roberto Industria Alimentare can reconstruct the complete production history of any product at any time, identifying:

raw materials used
suppliers involved
production lots utilized
manufacturing stages completed
final product destination

Production optimization through the MES system

Stesi’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES) supports the management of a continuous production environment operating across three shifts. Production equipment is directly integrated with the MES platform to automate:

production reporting
raw material consumption collection
processing time acquisition
alarm and event logging
production performance monitoring

MES dashboards also provide real-time visibility into production orders, work-in-progress status and operational KPIs.

Smart inventory management and recipe execution

Stesi’s MES software, integrated with the Warehouse Management System (WMS), coordinates the management of multiple material categories across Roberto Industria Alimentare’s operations, including:

bulk inventory stored in tanks and silos
dedicated loading units for micro-ingredients
packaging materials
semi-finished products
finished goods

Production recipes are automatically configured based on the item being manufactured, while production line automation systems receive all the information required to execute operations correctly. At the same time, the system continuously updates inventory records and captures all traceability-related information.

As a result, Roberto Industria Alimentare has transitioned from discretionary, experience-based processes to a fully data-driven operating model, where every activity and piece of information can be monitored, managed and verified. Today, all logistics and production workflows rely on reliable data, are optimized through an advanced supervisory system and generate detailed reports that support continuous improvement initiatives. The immediate benefits included significant time savings, reduced operational effort, improved process visibility and greater efficiency across logistics and manufacturing operations. Beyond designing, integrating and implementing the technology solution, Stesi also supported Roberto Industria Alimentare in adapting the platform to existing business processes and organizational culture. The next challenge is to further increase efficiency and productivity through the full adoption of Industry 4.0 principles.