3M's viewpoint is that the packaging information management system should provide time-stamped audit trails, record retrieval, system security and electronic signatures. The firm claims that the new version of the 3M Integrated Packaging Tool is a significant upgrade to the company's centralised, data-enabled, web-based application, with the capabilities needed to meet current legislative requirements.
Key additions to the software's functionality include field level controls, such as drop-down menus, masked data and concatenated fields; event-driven workflow, web-based drag and drop, additional standard reports, an enhanced user interface and the complete integration of 3M's patent-pending Smart Device Manager component.
The Smart Device Manager extends printing capabilities to the manufacturing or distribution floor, while still enabling centralised management of packaging data and artwork. Smart Device Manager supports bi-directional communication with a variety of devices, enables simultaneous printing to multiple printers and gives users a single console view of all device activity within a workgroup, facility or enterprise.
The food manufacturing sector is changing at breakneck speed, and technological innovations, such as 3M's new software, is playing a crucial role. Historically there has been a lack of investment in this sector; technical upgrades have tended to be carried out on a one-off basis and there has not been a strategic approach to complete automisation of records as yet.
But forthcoming EU legislation on traceability has added to the pressure on manufacturers to get their house in order and be able to trace products right through the chain.
"The big issues now are GM foods, obesity, food scares, and over the next few years we will see tighter control over processing and packaging," said Matthew Holland, MES product manager for Siemens UK. "And in turn, customers are happy to pay extra for guarantees of food safety."
It is therefore in both the manufacturer's and the retailer's long-term interest to work together and invest in a system that can trace products from start to finish. The cost of compensation or a product recall means that the cost of installing integrated computerised systems is less of a factor than it ever was.
"All these drivers mean that if you can put a system in place that will enable you to act react better to demands, make your manufacturing process more agile and make you better suited to retailers and consumers, then you will," said Holland. "A good example is Coca-Cola - a few years back the company was forced to issue a recall after wood preserve seeped into a vending machine. This cost them over $100 million, because the system was not in place then that could trace the product back quick enough."
Meanwhile in the US, the new 3M software will help food manufacturers comply with the FDA's CFR Part 11 regulation.
"The intent of CFR Part 11 is to ensure data integrity by setting minimum standards for accuracy, trustworthiness and reliability of records,"said Nancy Alcorn, 3M business process consultant, industrial services and solutions division.
"Computerised systems should provide the same degree of confidence as paper systems. The ability to store and retrieve ever-growing quantities of e-data is a challenge for most companies and should be an integral component of any comprehensive CFR Part 11 compliance plan."