Fria Bröd’s management turned AM System into a strategic asset.

When the Nordic region's largest gluten-free bakery Fria Bröd was to implement AM System, the focus was on handling complaints. After that, the need grew and today AM System is a natural part of Fria Bröd's business. The key to success? A strong commitment from management.

Today, AM System is both a complete quality management system, an intranet and a support in everyday life for all employees at Fria Bröd. Here you can read about the journey there. Of lessons learned and experiences of implementing a new quality management system and letting it grow with the needs of the business.

A family business with ambitions

Fria Bröd was founded in 1996 and has grown into the largest gluten-free bakery in the Nordic region. The vision is to create the good gluten-free life, and the products are today available throughout the Nordic region as well as in Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria.

The contact with AM System came through a quality network with other companies. Feldt's Fisk, who already used AM System, shared their positive experiences and recommended Fria Bröd to get in touch.

- "We saw early on that AM System best matched our needs. For us, it was crucial to find a solution that is both flexible and easy to use - and that can grow with our business," says Patrik Hultman, CEO of Fria Bröd.

Management commitment from the start

Early in the project, Fria Bröd gathered a committed project group consisting of the CEO, production manager, production manager, quality manager and quality coordinator. Together they drove the work forward, to ensure that the implementation became a priority for the entire organization.

Patrik Hultman (CEO), Annie Berglind, (Quality Manager on maternity leave), Alexander Pettersson (Production Manager), Kenny Hedberg (Production Manager), Terese Stridsberg (Acting Quality Manager), and Tim Jakobsson (Quality Coordinator).

Implementation was prioritized at the highest level

Management was heavily involved in the project from the start and actively participated in the project team and onboarding. Implementation was prioritized at the highest level, with extra resources allocated to building the layout, transferring documents and training all employees.

"The fact that we in management were active made all the difference. If we hadn't prioritized and resourced it from the start, it would have taken much longer and not had the same impact"

The first few months were challenging. It takes time to build a new system from scratch. But thanks to the leadership showing the way, a sense of ownership and community was created.

Picture 1: Alexander Pettersson, Production Manager & Kenny Hedberg, Production Manager
Picture 2: Patrik Hultman, CEO

Needs grew and the system followed

The initial goal of AM System was simple and important - to digitize complaint management and avoid time-consuming and manual "cut-and-paste" in Excel.

- But the goal was expanded when we realized what AM System could contribute. For example, we also needed a visual and user-friendly system for all our routines and instructions in production," says Patrik Hultman, CEO.

- "Today, AM System's platform helps us with far more than we had originally imagined. And we continue to discover new areas of use, which is positive," continues Terese Stridsberg, Acting Quality Manager.

Fria Bröd has thus broadened the use of AM System. Today it is a platform for their entire management system, where they handle the following areas, among others:

• Supplier assessments: Digital forms are sent out to suppliers and then used as a basis for risk assessments.
• Keyword document management: During internal audits, relevant documents can be found with just a few clicks.
• Routines and instructions in production: Visualized in a more user-friendly way, facilitating daily work.
• Planning and follow-up of internal audits: Made clear and structured directly in the system.

Different layout documents in AM System

Employees praise the simple and clear

At Fria Bröd, it was the management's commitment that set the tone for how the system was received internally. And the first evaluation also showed that employees were satisfied and knew who they could turn to for support.

The difference before and after is clear. From a traditional file system, Fria Bröd has moved to a modern platform that is more like a smartphone - where the user can easily click through to the right information. What is most appreciated is the simplicity and clarity of the system:

"The system makes it easy to do the right thing. Our employees think the system is user-friendly, neat"

Final tips for others

1. Set aside time
   
   - Remember to set aside time - it takes longer than you think to build up. But when it starts to take shape, you realize how many opportunities there are and how much it makes everyday life easier, says Patrik.
   
   
2. Get management actively involved
   
   -In any change project, management involvement is crucial. For us, this has meant that AM System is not just a tool, but part of our culture and our way of working together," concludes Patrik Hultman.