In dairy and beverage manufacturing, even small inefficiencies can quickly translate into significant financial and environmental costs. Losses during changeovers, unnecessary dilution, inefficient clean-in-place (CIP) cycles, and undetected process deviations all lead to wasted raw materials, higher water consumption, and reduced operational efficiency. Across a facility running multiple lines and shifts, these losses add up fast.
Traditionally, many producers rely on periodic reporting or indirect measurements to understand where losses occur. While useful for identifying broad trends, this approach rarely pinpoints the exact moment a loss happens or the specific conditions that caused it. As a result, optimisation efforts are frequently based on assumptions rather than precise operational insight — and the same inefficiencies recur month after month.
Collo and IMD aim to change that by giving producers the tools to understand not just that losses are happening, but exactly where, when, and why.
IMD has built a strong reputation in the Benelux region as an expert in water and dairy process measurement and monitoring. With decades of industry experience, the company helps manufacturers identify where inefficiencies occur and how they can be systematically addressed. Through its Aquamoni platform, IMD provides continuous visibility into raw material losses and process performance, enabling facilities to benchmark operations, monitor production efficiency around the clock, and build a clear picture of where improvements will have the greatest impact.
Collo contributes advanced sensing technology capable of detecting changes in any liquid in real time — revealing exactly what is happening inside production lines during critical moments such as changeovers, CIP cycles, and product transitions. Where traditional measurement approaches capture snapshots, Collo's RF-based analysers provide a continuous, high-resolution view of liquid composition throughout the production process.
Together, the two companies deliver a unique end-to-end approach: moving producers from simply reporting losses to actively identifying and preventing them.
The partnership addresses several operational challenges that commonly affect dairy and beverage facilities:
Across all of these areas, the common thread is visibility. When production teams can see exactly what is happening inside their processes in real time, they are better positioned to make decisions that protect both product and performance.
Reducing losses and improving process efficiency also supports broader sustainability goals — something that is increasingly important to both producers and their customers.
When less product is wasted, fewer raw materials are required to achieve the same output. Optimised changeovers and CIP cycles reduce water consumption and chemical use. And more efficient production means lower energy inputs per unit of output. For manufacturers working toward ESG commitments or responding to customer expectations around sustainable sourcing, operational efficiency and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
By providing deeper insight into process performance, Collo and IMD help manufacturers identify concrete opportunities to reduce waste — not as a trade-off against productivity, but as a direct consequence of running processes better.
For dairy and beverage producers in the Benelux region, this partnership offers a practical, data-driven path to measurable operational improvement. Whether the priority is reducing product losses, optimising CIP, improving sustainability metrics, or simply gaining clearer visibility into day-to-day production performance, Collo and IMD provide the tools and expertise to make it happen.