Lotte Visualizes Factory Operations: Achieving
Real-Time Insights via PLC Data To Cloud Integration
Date Published：02 JULY 2025
- Full-scale production line transparency was critical for enabling rapid, data-informed decisions
- Paper forms created aggregation burdens and increased the risk of data entry omissions
- Rapid feedback mechanism was required to integrate field-level requirements into system functionality
- Centralized equipment data integration enabled full production line visibility
- Approximately 50% of paper forms were digitized, reducing manual workload for staff and managers
- In-house development expertise was acquired through the successful implementation of Agile Scrum methodology
Lotte’s Urawa Factory, the flagship facility for the company’s chocolate and ice cream production, has implemented Classmethod’s PLC Data To Cloud solution to achieve comprehensive production line visibility. By migrating PLC data to the cloud for real-time visualization and digitizing manual paper-based workflows, the factory has significantly modernized its operational efficiency. This project served as a strategic initiative to build in-house development expertise through an Agile Scrum approach. We spoke with Mr. Takenaka, Mr. Toge, Mr. Ben, and Mr. Nagai about the challenges and successes of securing these internal development capabilities.
Driving Manufacturing Excellence with Data Visualization
Lotte’s Urawa Factory in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, manufactures a diverse range of chocolate confections including Ghana Chocolate, Pie no Mi, Koala’s March, and Crunky, as well as ice cream products like Coolish, Mona Oh, and Yukimi Daifuku. In 2024, the collaboration product Mona Oh Crunky became a major hit, adding to the long history of popular products launched from this flagship facility.
Multiple production lines operate at the Urawa Factory for each distinct product category. For Ghana Chocolate, a single production line encompasses more than ten specialized processes, ranging from raw material intake to roasting and grinding. Since each stage utilizes dedicated machinery, maintaining high product quality while driving productivity requires accurate, real-time control over every piece of equipment. Although critical data such as temperature, humidity, and motor current values are collected via PLCs, this information was historically trapped at the physical installation site. Because data was siloed at each machine, management couldn’t analyze the production line as a whole.
“For example, in the filling and molding processes, we could only view data obtained from the equipment on individual terminals installed at the local operating site,” says Mr. Ben. “From the management building where the line production managers and equipment personnel were stationed, we could not grasp the overall production status or identify equipment failures in real-time due to server and network limitations, leading to critical response lags.”
Mr. Takenaka explains: “Precise temperature control is vital in chocolate manufacturing, as even minor fluctuations directly impact product quality. Previously, line personnel performed manual patrols to record temperature values on paper. However, adjustments relied on individual intuition and know-how, making objective judgments difficult. This lack of continuous monitoring made it difficult to pinpoint exactly when a deviation occurred, risking potential product defects.”
To modernize these operations, the Facilities Department prioritized visualizing the Ghana Chocolate production line and digitizing all line documentation.
“Ghana Chocolate is produced across several specialized lines, including bar-type, individually wrapped, and whipped types,” says Mr. Toge. “We targeted one of the individually wrapped lines first to establish a model before scaling the solution horizontally. Simultaneously, we prioritized digitizing paper forms to eliminate entry errors and reduce the administrative load on our line workers.”
Strategic Partner Selection: The Shift to In-House Agility
Lotte issued an RFP for a cloud-native system with the intent to digitize its paper forms and receive technical support for data visualization via the PLC Data To Cloud solution. Classmethod was selected for its unique proposal to integrate Agile methodologies, which allowed Lotte to develop in-house expertise as part of the project.
“The Agile development approach allowed us to release critical functions in short cycles while continuously improving the platform,” says Mr. Toge. “Classmethod’s support ensured that our team gained the necessary skills to maintain and evolve the system independently after the project’s conclusion, achieving our goal of self-sustained development.”
User-Centric Refinement: Integrating Line Feedback into Real-Time Dashboards
The project launched in August 2024, leading to a “soft launch” for equipment data visualization and form digitization by January 2025. Following this launch, the team worked continuously with Classmethod to implement iterative improvements until the contract concluded at the end of May.
To facilitate data collection, a gateway server was first installed in the on-premises environment before a visualization data warehouse was deployed within Lotte’s AWS environment. Using the BI tool Grafana, the team developed dozens of dashboards at a rapid pace within just six months.
“We prioritized collecting data first to sequentially create dashboards that allowed us to view data for each piece of equipment,” says Mr. Ben. “These displays were created with the end-user in mind, providing specific views for both line workers on the floor and managers in the management building.”
Mr. Takenaka, from the Second Production Section of the Production Department, communicated requested system requirements to development leads Mr. Toge and Mr. Ben based on direct feedback from the line.
“Because an alerting mechanism was essential on-site, I requested features to sound alarms when production preparations were incomplete and to automate on-calls during equipment failures,” Mr. Takenaka explains. “We added these functions specifically to ensure that decision-making on the production floor could be conducted quickly.”
Design-Driven Experience: Creating “Timeline Forms” Aligned with Field Operations
The team overhauled their paper-based workflows in parallel with the visualization project by developing a custom management web application. This initiative marked the first time the Urawa Factory members had ever engaged in professional web development.
“The hands-on technical mentorship helped us overcome what initially felt like a high barrier,” Mr. Ben notes. “I was surprised to learn that it typically takes five years to become a proficient web developer, yet we reached our goal quickly because of the dedicated support we received.”
The team utilized a design-driven methodology to build “Timeline Forms” as a solution purpose-built for the unique demands of 24-hour factory operations. These forms use a chronological format on a single scroll screen, ensuring that workers can access documents instantly during their shifts.
“By adopting the Timeline Forms concept, we were able to create an application tailored to our specific factory needs that off-the-shelf tools simply could not address,” Mr. Ben explains.
This strategic approach has paid off, as half of the factory’s forms are now digital, including nearly all documents where electronic management offers the greatest impact. This transition has led to a smooth adoption process and active use across the production floor.
“As our line workers use smartphones for their daily reporting, I provided input on the user interface to ensure the new experience was seamless for both the floor staff and management,” says Mr. Takenaka. “Our younger staff members transitioned away from paper voluntarily and required no formal training to get started.”
The project also involved establishing a robust operational framework to ensure the platform runs effectively within Lotte’s AWS environment. System operations are overseen by the Production Section of the ICT Strategy Department at the Tokyo headquarters.
“The ICT Strategy Department collaborated with Classmethod on the operational architecture and system health monitoring to prepare for full-scale production,” Mr. Nagai says. “This phase allowed us to anticipate potential issues, and I worked alongside a new graduate to refine our troubleshooting protocols through hands-on testing.”
The Power of Decisive Prioritization in Agile Scrum Development
In their first venture into Scrum development, the ability to pivot and prioritize became the project’s defining factor, with Mr. Toge emphasizing that rapid decision-making was the primary driver of their success within such a tight timeframe.
“While we faced a mountain of requirements, we had to establish clear priorities and a unified direction to meet our ambitious launch schedule,” Mr. Toge explains. “A one-week sprint is impossible to sustain if you are constantly pausing to double-check every detail with the floor, so I learned to make instant go or no-go decisions to maintain our momentum. I led by making judgment calls and then refined the solution through iterative corrections once the team had the chance to review the actual results on-site. Despite the initial apprehension in our first Agile project, Classmethod encouraged us to “just give it a try” and I was struck by their ability to maintain project velocity while navigating the unpredictable nature of the process.”
The team also attributed their success to Classmethod’s deep technical expertise in in-house development and AWS operational architecture, noting that the partnership provided a foundation of extensive real-world insights.
“This was our first time building dashboards and form applications, yet our partners were remarkably transparent in sharing their technical know-how,” says Mr. Ben. “The instruction was consistently clear and accessible, which fostered my own personal growth as a developer.”
“During the operational design for our AWS environment, they suggested that instead of manual documentation, we should convert our technical text into an AI-ready format,” Mr. Nagai adds. “They proposed a system where a simple natural language query could instantly surface the relevant page, which was a highly innovative approach that we had never even considered.”
Accelerating Operational Efficiency Through Data on the Production Floor
Through this collaboration, Lotte achieved full visualization for a key production line, allowing the entire operation to be monitored from the management building through a unified dashboard. While the factory is just beginning to explore the full potential of this data, the transition to real-time visualization and digital forms has already triggered a significant cultural shift on the floor.
“Previously, we evaluated productivity based on final output, but with this new visibility, we can now assess the performance of each individual piece of equipment,” says Mr. Takenaka. “For example, we can use graphs to identify which specific wrapping machine is delivering the highest output. Because the impact of our improvements is now immediately visible, it has significantly boosted morale across the team. For chocolate manufacturing, where temperature control is critical, alarms now sound instantly at the first sign of an anomaly. Because we can now analyze these trends retrospectively, our team has more opportunities to brainstorm ways to stabilize the production environment. Furthermore, the synergy between data visualization and digital reporting means staff no longer need to visit each machine to record values manually. As a result, our line workers have gained the flexibility to step away from the line to manage multiple machines or focus on higher-value tasks.”
A primary goal of the in-house development was to empower the internal team to handle minor system adjustments independently, and that objective has been successfully realized. Moving forward, the Facilities Department will take the lead in responding to feedback from the floor as operations continue to evolve.
“When our team requests changes, such as modifying text or adjusting the layout of dashboards and forms, we can now address those needs without relying on an external vendor,” says Mr. Ben. “We expect this self-sufficiency to accelerate our response times and drive long-term cost efficiencies.”
Driving Scalable Innovation: Expanding In-House Development Across Production Lines
Lotte is now focused on validating the results of this initial model before scaling the solution to additional production lines. With a long-term vision of reaching higher levels of digital maturity, the team is exploring advanced data strategies and looks forward to deepening its technical collaboration with Classmethod.
“Our ultimate goal is to evolve our data utilization through automation and predictive analytics,” Mr. Toge explains. “We value Classmethod’s role as a strategic partner and look forward to their continued delivery of insightful, high-impact proposals as we move into this next phase.”
By prioritizing in-house development, the Lotte Urawa Factory has empowered its own team to lead the ongoing functional enhancement of its production lines. Classmethod remains committed to supporting this journey, providing the technical foundation necessary to accelerate Lotte’s digital transformation.