From operator to functional application manager at Kornelis

Jeroen Frederiks started working at Kornelis Caps & Closures in 2012 as a production operator, thanks to a friend who brought him in. After completing his graduation internship at Kornelis, he joined the company as an assistant project manager and later moved into the role of functional application manager. Diving into data, analyzing it and creating reports are things he truly enjoys.

Tight-knit team of flex workers
Jeroen has good memories of the weekend shifts. “We had a close group of flexible workers back then. It was a fun and social time. We really had each other's backs. If things got busy, you stepped in. And if someone came in a little late after a night out, you'd just work a bit longer,” he laughs.

Developing and maintaining the MES system
Now, after more than 12,5 years at Kornelis, Jeroen works full-time with data. “After my internship, there was a need to collect detailed information to help develop the MES (Manufacturing Execution System). I helped document everything, which was easy since I already had a lot of hands-on knowledge from the production hall. Within two years, we launched the first phase of the system,” he explains.

New software and continuous improvement
“After going live, we had to fix a lot of early issues. I spent a lot of time troubleshooting. These days, I focus more on improving the system and making it work as efficiently as possible."

He works closely with Hellebrekers. “We provide the functional requirements and they handle the programming. Together, we go from development and testing to final implementation on the production floor.” Jeroen still enjoys being close to operations. “I like walking through the production hall to check in with operators and see how everything is running.”

Valuable data
The past few years have brought plenty of challenges, especially while setting up the MES. “Fixing bugs, building reports — I know the system inside and out now. I’m proud of what we’ve built and the valuable data we’re now getting from it,” Jeroen concludes.