As South Africa’s poultry industry continues to evolve in response to rising demand, cost pressures and stringent quality requirements, producers are increasingly turning to advanced automation systems to optimise operations. At Sovereign, one of the country’s leading poultry suppliers, a large-scale automation project has delivered significant gains in efficiency, traceability and operational control.
Working in partnership with Adroit Technologies, Sovereign implemented the Mitsubishi Adroit Process Suite (MAPS) across a key feed production facility, creating a scalable, integrated system capable of supporting both current operations and future expansion.
“The system is fully integrated, from materials and recipes through to batching and reporting,” explains Dominik Zabiegaj, MAPS project engineer. “Everything is built into the platform, which means you don’t need separate systems or add-ons.”
Integrated SCADA and PLC Layers
“From a project perspective, one of the biggest advantages is the reduction in engineering time,” says national sales manager, Bradley Campbell. “As the SCADA and PLC layers are integrated, you effectively halve the engineering effort, reduce complexity and improve the quality of the system. This translates directly into cost savings for the customer, along with the benefit of strong local support.”
The project, which began in 2019, was implemented in phases allowing Sovereign to align the system rollout with broader operational goals and capital planning. By the time senior production manager, Neil Hewitt joined the business in late 2020, the system had been installed, but was not yet fully operational. “I came on board to manage the mechanical and electrical aspects of the project. I was involved in the commissioning phase and understanding how the system interacts with the plant,” explains Hewitt. “From there, it was about refining the system to ensure it works optimally from an operator and maintenance perspective.”
Significant reduction in engineering complexity
Unlike traditional automation deployments, the integrated SCADA and PLC functionality on the MAPS platform in a single environment significantly reduces engineering complexity. A key requirement for Sovereign was to ensure that the system was intuitive and accessible for operators at all levels.
According to Hewitt, this has been one of the standout successes of the project. “From an end user point of view, the system is far more user-friendly than others I have worked with,” he says. “The graphics are clear, it is easy to see where faults are, and operators can quickly understand what is happening in the plant.”
This usability extends beyond operations into maintenance and troubleshooting. “It is not just about running the plant, it is also about maintaining it,” adds Hewitt. “The system makes fault-finding and troubleshooting very straightforward, which reduces downtime and keeps the plant running efficiently.”
Capturing and processing live operational data
One of the most powerful aspects of the MAPS implementation is its ability to capture and process live operational data. This provides Sovereign with deeper insight into performance, energy usage and production efficiency. “The system allows us to gather a significant amount of live data that we can use to continually improve our processes,” says Hewitt. “We can extract it into reports, track efficiencies and monitor electricity usage. We have only scratched the surface of what is possible.” This data-driven approach enables more informed decision making and supports continuous improvement across the operation.
In a highly regulated industry such as animal feed production, traceability is critical. The MAPS system provides full visibility across the production process, from raw material intake to final product delivery. “Traceability is one of the most important aspects for us,” says Hewitt.
Complete traceability for quality control
“We can track materials from the point they enter the plant, through batching and processing all the way to the final product delivered to farms,” he continues. “This level of detail supports both quality control and risk management. If there is ever an issue, we can trace exactly what was used, where it came from and where it went, down to within minutes. If something is out of specification, the system will stop the process immediately. This allows us to address issues in real time, rather than after the fact.”
From a technical perspective, the MAPS platform delivers a high degree of integration and standardisation, simplifying both initial deployment and future modifications. This standardisation also benefits long-term maintenance and scalability.
Easy fault-finding and operational consistency
“By standardising on MAPS, any contractor can come into the plant and quickly understand the system,” explains Zabiegaj. “It makes fault-finding easier and ensures consistency across the operation.”
The architecture further supports expansion without significant re-engineering. “It is based on a client-server model, so if the plant grows, you can simply upgrade licences and add more I/O or PLCs. You do not need to redesign the system,” says Zabiegaj.
Sovereign designed the system with future expansion in mind, ensuring that additional capacity and functionality could be added with minimal disruption. “We took a phased approach and built in the capability for expansion from the start,” says Hewitt. “That means, we can add new equipment and functionality without major changes to the infrastructure.” This flexibility has already been demonstrated with additional plant capacity introduced in 2023.
Advanced automation features
“It is largely a matter of programming and commissioning, rather than extensive new hardware,” says Hewitt. The system also offers advanced automation features that can further enhance efficiency over time. “There are capabilities around automated routing, prioritisation and production optimisation that we haven’t fully utilised yet,” notes Hewitt. “But the functionality is there and it gives us a clear path for future improvements.”
Beyond the technology itself, the success of the project has been underpinned by strong collaboration between Sovereign and Adroit Technologies. “There was a lot of communication throughout the process, especially during commissioning,” says Hewitt. “Any challenges were addressed quickly and the support has remained strong.”
A broader shift in delivering automation projects
For Campbell, this reflects a broader shift in how automation projects are delivered. “It is not just about supplying a product. It is about building a long-term partnership,” he says. “As the customer’s needs evolve, the system evolves with them.”
Today, the MAPS implementation is delivering tangible benefits across Sovereigns operations, including improved efficiency, reduced downtime and enhanced product quality. “From my perspective, the system is reliable, user-friendly and continues to improve as we build on it,” concludes Hewitt. “It has made a real difference to how we operate.”
As the poultry sector continues to face increasing pressure to optimise performance while maintaining strict quality standards, integrated automation solutions, such as MAPS, are set to play an increasingly important role in enabling sustainable and scalable growth.
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