A turnkey solution has various advantages for potato processors. The most important one is the complete support provided throughout the project, which makes the customer’s life easier. Installation, commissioning, and maintenance are simplified with turnkey solutions since they provide a single point of contact. By collaborating with a single supplier of equipment, the service-to-sales date can be accelerated and the project as a whole is made more manageable.

The capacity to hire qualified workers and the rise in product demand are straining customers’ resources to the breaking point. Processors are now searching for vendors who can offer turnkey solutions to lower project costs overall and project risks. It is more efficient to design, produce, install, and commission a turnkey solution. As a result, the customer can use the fewest resources possible to get the desired results quickly.

Once a potato processing plant reaches a certain scale and complexity, the advantages of turnkey suppliers and sole sourcing of components become apparent. Processors might consider purchasing all of their equipment from a single provider to guarantee trouble-free production and predictable downtime due to the industry’s intense competitiveness as well as their need to streamline production and lower production costs.

Tasks are simpler to organize and needless misunderstandings are avoided because all manufacturing steps are centralized under one organization. Typically, these systems combine equipment with risk mitigation, technical know-how, training, and project management.

There is also a prevalent worry that choosing a turnkey solution may result in beneficiaries receiving an “off-the-shelf” product that does not exactly fit their demands. This is far from the truth. Even though many solutions are promoted as “plug and play” systems, each turnkey piece of equipment will have undergone a significant degree of modification and fine-tuning before leaving the factory, to ensure the final configuration meets the exact requirements of the customer.

Turnkey for Total Control

Pre-testing and pre-building a system offsite, for example, significantly reduces the risk of unexpected problems and delays during installation, ensuring that manufacturers end up with a pre-configured, completely customized solution that only requires them to turn the key.

Using the very latest digital software, project managers can create 3D design layouts of equipment, facilitating the pre-building process and keeping downtime to an absolute minimum during installation. Furthermore, acting as business consultants, turnkey suppliers also help select several key objectives, such as project timelines, production improvement, and expected return on investment that will serve as a guide throughout the implementation of the project to ensure maximum return on investment.

As production lines become more and more automated to keep up with growing competition, it is increasingly important for potato processors to keep full control of all operations. According to tna’s experts, to accomplish this and ensure smooth and efficient operations, effective electrical controls integration and reporting technology are essential.

You can read the rest of this article in your complimentary e-copy of Issue 3 of Potato Business Dossier 2023, which you can access by clicking here.