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🎥 Videocast DataTalks | Episode 1 with José Miguel Rivero (Industrial Director of Iberconsa)
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In this first episode of DataTalks, Muutech’s video podcast, we chat with José Miguel Rivero, Industrial Director of the Iberconsa Group, about how to manage industrial operations in the food industry based on objective, real-time data, and what this sector can learn from more mature sectors such as the automotive industry.
Throughout the conversation, we discuss key topics for any industrial director or plant manager: Industry 4.0 in food plants, data capture and analysis in plants, the limitations of ERP and Excel, real-time monitoring, the return on digitization, and the role of the operator in continuous improvement.
Why is this relevant for an Industrial Director?
During the talk, many of the real questions that industrial managers and production managers in food industry plants are asking themselves come up:
- How can continuous improvement be based on objective data rather than perceptions?
- What information is worth measuring and what is not?
- Why does being late with data penalize decision-making?
- How can the return on an industrial digitization project be justified?
- What role do ERP, MES, and other tools really play?
José Miguel answers from his direct experience:
- More than 20 years in industrial operations
- 15 years in the automotive industry, working with very demanding standards
- More than 6 years in the food industry, managing plants and improvement projects
🔍 Episode highlights - Key ideas
1️ Automotive and food industries: more similarities than meets the eye
Although the final product may be very different, the management of an industrial plant is surprisingly similar across sectors, and the automotive industry’s experience is clearly applicable to the food industry.
Processes, people, machines and objectives such as competitiveness, safety and continuous improvement are common. The main difference lies in the maturity of data use, which has historically been greater in the automotive industry.
2️ Data as the basis for continuous improvement
There can be no improvement without objective data. José Miguel sums up this idea very clearly:
No activity without data, no data without analysis, no analysis without action, and no action without follow-up.
Thousands of pieces of data are generated every day in any food industry plant. The challenge is not to produce more information, but to convert it into actionable knowledge, prioritizing what to improve and where to act.
3️ ERP and Excel are not enough for daily operations
ERP and Excel are useful tools, but they are designed for historical and business analysis, not for operational decision-making on the shop floor.
Industry 4.0 requires more visual, accessible, and real-time data, especially for team leaders and operators.
The key is not to replace these tools, but to complement them with systems that bring the data closer to the plant and to the moment when things happen.
4️ Industrial monitoring and data capture on the shop floor
Many machines already generate data automatically (statuses, alarms, causes of stoppages).
The challenge is not to measure everything, as measuring for the sake of measuring adds no value.
We must decide what data adds value, what questions we want to answer, and how to use that information to improve productivity, maintenance, and efficiency.
5️ The real return on industrial digitization in the food industry
Digitization is not an expense, but an investment with a return.
Improving plant control and visibility can lead to improvements of 10–15% in different areas of the income statement.
Furthermore, not having data also has a cost: problems that exist but are not seen.
6️ Key challenges for an Industrial Director when digitizing
The main challenge is not technological, but organizational and strategic.
Digitization should be understood as a means for continuous improvement, aligned with business objectives and well-planned resources.
When approached as an investment rather than an expense, even the implementation process itself generates value by improving the understanding and management of industrial processes.
7️ Bringing data closer to the operator: a competitive advantage
Data should not be confined to the office. Making data visible on the shop floor improves communication, prioritization, and decision-making.
Real-time alerts allow for earlier reactions, prevent losses, and focus efforts where they will have the greatest impact.
Final advice for Industrial Directors with doubts
The final message is clear and very much in line with a realistic adoption of Industry 4.0:
Start with a small, well-thought-out project in a specific area. Measure the impact, learn, and let the results drive the next step.
Continuous improvement is not optional: it is part of the job of any industrial manager.
📺 More episodes of DataTalks
At DataTalks, we talk to industrial, operations, and innovation directors about: Industrial digitization, Industry 4.0 in the plant, practical use of data, and, above all, real experiences without unnecessary theory.
👉 Discover more episodes and continue learning how to get the most out of your data.
Do you have questions about how to approach digitalization in your plant? 
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