Optimizing Sustainability Efforts with Microsoft Power BI: Case Studies from Beiersdorf, Grupo Bimbo, and Ardent Mills

Summary

Probably one of the most important topics in manufacturing right now is maintaining a steady level of sustainability and a low carbon footprint. 

Companies are turning to technology, especially Microsoft Power BI, to help them meet their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Power BI, along with other Microsoft technologies like Azure and Power Platform, enables these companies to monitor their progress, track their carbon footprints, and improve overall efficiency. 

This article explores how Beiersdorf, Grupo Bimbo, and Ardent Mills are using Power BI to advance their sustainability efforts. Through these case studies, we will see how technology can drive meaningful change and contribute to a greener future.

Beiersdorf Strives to Reduce Carbon Footprint by 30% as Part of Sustainability Agenda

Beiersdorf, a global leader in skincare, launched its Sustainability Digitalization Program to address growing demands for eco-friendly products and comply with new regulations like the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. 

As part of its CARE BEYOND SKIN Sustainability Agenda, Beiersdorf uses a data platform built on Microsoft Azure and Power Platform. 

This platform provides real-time dashboards and tools to improve transparency and guide decisions on emissions reduction and sustainable packaging goals for 2025.

Challenge

Beiersdorf needed to make its sustainability progress measurable and achievable through effective data analysis. Consumer demand for eco-friendly products and new regulations, such as the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, required detailed emissions data.

"Creating real change and being able to assess the influence of a variety of factors calls for maximum transparency," says Dorothee Kässner, Business Program Lead Sustainability Digitalization at Beiersdorf.

Beiersdorf categorizes emissions into Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Manually compiling CO2 reports was both time-consuming and inefficient.

“We wanted to expand our digital setup to improve data quality and gain a complete overview of our sustainability activities that we can access at the push of a button. That’s why we launched our Sustainability Digitalization Program with a cross-functional project team,” explains Paco Nuguid, IT Program Lead Sustainability Digitalization at Beiersdorf.

This need for real-time, comprehensive data led to the launch of their Sustainability Digitalization Program, with Azure cloud as a central component​. 

Solution

To address its sustainability challenges, Beiersdorf implemented a comprehensive data management solution using Microsoft Azure and Power BI, forming the foundation of its Sustainability Digitalization Program.

Key aspects of the solution include:

• One Data Platform: Integrates data from various business divisions using Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Azure Databricks.
• Real-Time Dashboards: Provides transparency on scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, enabling monitoring of sustainability progress at any time.
• Simulation Tool: Developed in Azure, this tool models the scope 3 emissions from the entire value chain, allowing comparison of carbon emissions from different product formulas.
• Power BI: Visualizes and analyzes the consolidated data, offering actionable insights and enhancing decision-making.

“In the past, the effect that new formulas have on overall emissions was estimated by collating raw material data in Excel spreadsheets. Going forward, our colleagues can now compare the carbon emissions of the old and the new formulas and see how a product’s overall footprint has changed. This process is not only entirely automated, but it also creates the transparency we need to identify levers for reduction.” - Sebastian Pinzke, IT Program Lead Sustainability Digitalization at Beiersdorf.

Impact

Beiersdorf's implementation of Microsoft Azure and Power BI has significantly advanced its sustainability efforts. 

Key impacts include:

• Packaging Simulator: Assesses how changes in packaging materials affect the product's carbon footprint, identifying high-leverage materials and sustainable alternatives.
• Enhanced Data Quality: Provides better, faster, and more detailed answers to sustainability questions.
• Comprehensive Dashboards: Power BI dashboards offer a detailed overview of sustainability progress, allowing for monthly updates of the CO2 report instead of annually.
• Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions: Includes direct emissions data and supplier data on raw and packaging materials, covering all factors.
• Simulation and Forecasting: Simulates the impact of planned projects on the carbon footprint, ensuring actions align with sustainability targets.
• Real-Time Updates: Integration of operational systems with dashboards ensures seamless data flow and real-time updates.
• Transparency and Optimization: Maximizes transparency across all systems, optimizing products and processes in line with Beiersdorf’s CARE BEYOND SKIN Sustainability Agenda.

“With the help of our solution based on Microsoft Azure, we’re able to simulate how planned projects will affect our overall carbon footprint in the future, and whether the actions we take keep us on track to achieve our ambitious sustainability targets. We can also detect deviations early and take appropriate measures.“ -  Birte Paustian-Blömer: Business Program Lead Sustainability Digitalization.

Lessons Learned 

Beiersdorf's journey towards enhanced sustainability through the use of Microsoft Azure and Power BI has provided several valuable lessons:

• Centralized Data Management: Integrating data from various divisions into a single platform is crucial for comprehensive analysis and transparency.
• Automation Improves Efficiency: Automating data compilation processes, such as CO2 reporting, saves time and reduces errors, enabling more frequent updates.
• Real-Time Data is Essential: Real-time data integration allows for timely decision-making and adjustments, ensuring sustainability goals remain on track.
• Visual Tools Enhance Understanding: Power BI dashboards offer clear, actionable insights, making complex data more accessible and understandable for various stakeholders.
• Simulation Tools Aid Decision-Making: Tools like the packaging simulator help predict the impact of changes, supporting informed decisions that align with sustainability targets.
• Transparency Drives Progress: Maximizing transparency across all systems helps identify key areas for emissions reduction and drives continuous improvement.
• Cross-functional collaboration is Key: Successful sustainability initiatives require collaboration across different business functions and the integration of various operational systems.

These lessons underscore the importance of leveraging advanced data management and analytics tools, particularly Power BI, to drive sustainability initiatives effectively.

Grupo Bimbo accelerates its sustainability journey with Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability

Grupo Bimbo, the world's largest baking company, faced challenges in managing its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across a global operational footprint. To address this, the company adopted Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, leveraging Azure, Power BI, and other Microsoft tools to automate data management, integrate systems, and improve sustainability monitoring.

Challenge

Grupo Bimbo's extensive operational footprint poses significant challenges in tracking and analyzing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and even more so for managing Scope 3 emissions across the entire value chain.

“It’s a very complex task to gather and measure all the inputs and monitor all the different variables. We need to connect many data sources, make sure we’re measuring the right things, and create appropriate key performance indicators. This requires close collaboration with all our suppliers, including our technology vendors.” - Irene Espinola, Net Zero Carbon Global Director at Grupo Bimbo

Traditionally, Grupo Bimbo used various internal systems, like the Bimbo Environmental Sustainability Tool (BEST), to track environmental performance. While these systems facilitated progress toward sustainability goals, they were labor-intensive, involving significant manual data collection and input, which increased the risk of human error. 

To gain a comprehensive view of its sustainability efforts and reduce manual processes, Grupo Bimbo sought an integrated solution​.

Solution

Grupo Bimbo turned to Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability to streamline its sustainability management. This solution leverages trusted Microsoft technologies, including Azure, Dataverse, Power BI, and Microsoft Power Platform, to provide an integrated view of the company's sustainability progress.

Key aspects of the solution include:

• Automated Data Management: Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability automates data collection, integration, analysis, and reporting, providing a unified view of sustainability metrics.
• Secure Data Environment: The secure Microsoft ecosystem aligns with Grupo Bimbo's cybersecurity strategy, ensuring data protection.
• Microsoft Sustainability Manager: This tool gathers data from internal systems, external sources, and IoT sensors into a common data model for easy monitoring.
• Pilot Deployment: Grupo Bimbo piloted the solution in Latin America, focusing on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, to ensure it met expectations before wider rollout.
• Scope 3 Emissions: The company plans to automate data input and expand the solution to include Scope 3 emissions across its supply chain.
• Collaborative Effort: By collecting and assessing Scope 3 emissions data, Grupo Bimbo aims to help its suppliers progress toward their sustainability goals.

“Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability could be a great solution for achieving our sustainability goals.” - Juan Pajón: Business Technology Global Senior Vice President, Grupo Bimbo

Impact

Grupo Bimbo's adoption of Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability has significantly enhanced its sustainability efforts. 

Key impacts include:

• User-Friendly Experience -  “The user experience is one of the best parts of Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability. Even team members without extensive technology experience understand it quickly.” - Guadalupe Bravo, Business Architecture Director at Grupo Bimbo
• Insightful Data - The pilot deployment provided valuable insights into environmental performance, helping shape business decisions.
• Automation of Data Collection - By connecting more data sources directly into Sustainability Manager, Grupo Bimbo is automating previously manual data collection processes, thanks to much of its data already being in Azure.
• Focus on Actionable Data - With automated data collection, the company spends less time managing data and more time understanding its environmental footprint and making decisions to meet or exceed sustainability goals.
• Centralized Data Location - “For the first time, we have a single location for all of our sustainability data,” says Miguel Ángel Espinola, Net Zero Carbon Global Director at Grupo Bimbo. This includes data on water, waste, social sustainability programs, and nutritional profiles.
• Broad Impact - “The impact is going to be huge,” adds Irene Espinola. It benefits not just Grupo Bimbo, but also its suppliers, investors, and customers who value robust sustainability initiatives.
• Strategic Enablement - Reflecting on the success, Jorge Pajón, Sustainability Manager at Grupo Bimbo, emphasizes the importance of having a clear sustainability strategy. The trick is to not let the tools dictate your strategy—the tools should enable the strategy you’ve already established. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability could be a great solution for achieving our sustainability goals,” he says.

Lessons Learned 

Grupo Bimbo's experience with Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability highlights several important lessons:

• Ease of Use: User-friendly tools like Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability enable quick adoption by team members, enhancing participation.
• Data Integration: Centralizing data into a single platform, such as Azure, provides a comprehensive view and reduces manual data management efforts.
• Automation: Automating data collection and reporting saves time and reduces errors, allowing more focus on analysis.
• Actionable Insights: Real-time dashboards and analytics from Power BI help monitor sustainability metrics and make informed decisions.
• Centralized Data: Having all sustainability data in one location improves transparency and decision-making.
• Collaboration: Working closely with suppliers and Microsoft Azure Gold Partners ensures accurate data measurement and effective key performance indicators.

Ardent Mills uses Microsoft Power Platform to enable a paperless state-of-the-art mill  

Ardent Mills, a leading flour-milling and ingredient company, transformed its quality management processes by adopting Microsoft Power Platform tools such as Power Apps, Power BI, and Dataverse. The Cross Check app, developed in-house, replaced manual data entry and Excel-based reporting, enabling over 70 users across 35 plants to perform 170 monthly quality checks with real-time insights

Challenge

Ardent Mills runs a companywide check sample program to ensure their equipment is calibrated to produce consistent, high-quality flour. Previously, quality managers typed data into Excel forms and emailed them to Deborah, who then compiled them into a master spreadsheet for calculations. This process was time-consuming and inefficient for team productivity.

Solution

Ardent Mills significantly improved their quality management processes by integrating Microsoft's Power Platform components, including Power Apps, Power BI, and Dataverse. The key aspects of their solution are:

• Development of Cross Check App:
  • Research and Creation: Deborah, a quality manager, identified Power Apps as a potential solution. After watching tutorials, she developed the Cross Check app.
  • Functionality: The app allows quality managers and lab technicians from 35 plants to enter data directly, eliminating paper-based processes.
  • Usage: Over 70 users perform approximately 170 quality checks monthly using the app.

• Data Storage and Management - Data collected through the app is stored in SharePoint Online lists, reducing the time spent on data review and ensuring accurate, up-to-date information.
• Integration with Power BI - Power BI reports provide detailed insights into the quality checks, with filters for sample type, month, and attributes like ash or moisture content. This transition from Excel to Power BI enabled real-time data analysis.
• Scalability and Adoption -  Deborah's presentation of the app's capabilities led to widespread adoption and further enhancement of the app to handle more tasks, demonstrating the solution's scalability.
• Unified Approach: The solution brought a unified approach to collecting data across plants, reducing time spent on data entry and follow-up, and providing insights into performance and quality.
• Solution Architecture - The common architecture across all apps developed includes Power Apps as the primary front-end interface, Power BI for reporting, and SharePoint Online as the original data source. With a new state-of-the-art mill underway, Ardent Mills is transitioning to Dataverse for long-term data storage and Power BI reporting.

Using this common architecture has resulted in solutions that enhance productivity and efficiency across over 35 facilities in North America.

Impact

The implementation of the Cross-Check app and other Power Apps at Ardent Mills has led to significant improvements across their operations:

• Time Efficiency: The Cross-Check app reduced the time spent on quality control, ensuring forms are filled out correctly before submission and eliminating manual data validation tasks.
• Automated Data Refresh: Power BI's automated data refresh feature eliminates the need for manual updates, providing real-time insights and reducing workload for the quality management team.
• Monthly Insights: Up-to-date Power BI reports deliver valuable monthly insights into testing results, aiding in long-term quality control analytics and decision-making.

Additional Apps:

• Van Trailer Inspection App: This app streamlines the inspection process for trailers, reducing the time needed for inspections and ensuring consistent data entry across all facilities.
• Lab Inventory App: Manages lab supplies and inventory, ensuring labs are well-stocked and reducing downtime due to missing materials.
• Safety Incident Reporting App: Facilitates the reporting and tracking of safety incidents, enhancing workplace safety and compliance.

Future Enhancements:

• Exploration of AI Tools: Deborah and her team are exploring Lobe and AI Builder to enhance automation in the baking lab. Lobe's image classification capabilities will allow them to build custom machine-learning models for bread and grain quality control.

These improvements have streamlined various processes, reduced manual labor, and opened new avenues for future enhancements using AI technologies, significantly impacting the overall efficiency and effectiveness of Ardent Mills' operations.

“You don’t have that stress anymore. The data should be correct the first time because it’s the way the form has been built. “ - Deborah Romero-Reinig: Business Architect, Ardent Mills

Lessons Learned 

Ardent Mills' integration of Microsoft's Power Platform has provided several key insights:

1. Technology Adoption: Leveraging modern tools like Power Apps and Power BI can significantly improve operational efficiency by automating manual processes and ensuring data accuracy.
2. Automated Data Management: Automation in data refresh and validation, as seen with Power BI, reduces manual workload and ensures real-time availability of insights.
3. Scalability and Flexibility: Developing a common architecture for multiple apps allows for scalable solutions that can be adapted to various needs, from quality control to inventory management.
4. Exploring AI Capabilities: Incorporating AI tools like Lobe and AI Builder presents opportunities for further automation and innovation in quality control processes.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the integration of Microsoft Power BI, Azure, and Power Platform has revolutionized sustainability efforts for companies like Beiersdorf, Grupo Bimbo, and Ardent Mills. These organizations have utilized data analytics, automation, and real-time monitoring to enhance transparency, improve efficiency, and achieve their environmental goals. 

The direction is clear, more and more manufacturing companies are opting for custom manufacturing software development for their digital transformation efforts.

For more information on how these technologies can enhance your sustainability efforts, contact us to learn how we can support your net zero journey as your Microsoft Gold consulting partner.