Efficient food processing
a software system designed to optimise its production processes.
Food manufacturers are increasingly looking to IT as a means of
getting their products out of the factory and onto shelves quicker.
The manufacturer, Michael Angelo, believes that the adoption of Ross' iRenaissance ERP solution will help the company to decrease its time to market, allowing it to meet consumer-driven demands better. The firm is looking to increase production capabilities and add to product lines while maintaining its just-in-time methodology where products are cooked, packaged and shipped to customers.
"When consumers began to demand low-carb products, all food manufacturers kicked into high gear to develop something new," said Ron Cantrell, Michael Angelo's chief information officer. "The recipe management functionality in iRenaissance ERP enables us to develop and bring to market within three months, low-carb, soy-based products that incorporate the company's high standards of quality and taste."
The food industry has long embraced the concept of just-in-time manufacturing. Many ingredients have short shelf lives and consumer tastes are notoriously fickle. But increasingly, food companies are adopting IT solutions to achieve absolute optimum efficiency, to gain competitive advantage.
Before the installation of the Ross system, it took Michael Angelo six months to complete the process of moving a product from initial development and testing stages to distribution. The company claims that the recipe management functionality in iRenaissance ERP allows for quick and easy changes to recipes, ingredients and product lines within the system, ensuring that Michael Angelo's can quickly capitalise on consumer demand or market trends.
"iRenaissance provides the tools necessary for food processors to become more competitive in the current marketplace," said J. Patrick Tinley, chief executive officer of Ross Systems. "Our expertise in the food industries allows companies like Michael Angelo's to quickly adjust to current market trends and deliver new products to meet consumer demands in a timely manner. Doubling its business in just three years, Michael Angelo's success clearly demonstrates the benefits of an industry-tailored enterprise management system."
The food processing division of German-based Handtmann Group is another processor to have recently installed management efficiency software. Technology provider Agile developed a product lifecycle management (PLM) that is again designed to improve productivity and achieve just-in-time efficiency.
"Manufacturers worldwide are increasingly seeking a flexible, scalable way of managing their product record across their extended enterprise in order to control their increasingly complex business environment," said Gisela Wilson, director of Agile's product lifecycle management solutions. "Benefits from PLM solutions include improved innovation management, more efficient intra- and inter-company collaboration, faster time to market, cost reductions, and higher product quality."
PLM software is increasingly being used in the food processing industry. Another software company, Formation Systems, recently launched a best practice solution called Optiva that it claims can provide customers with a functional, value-added product development system. Again, the aim is to give food manufacturers the competitive edge by achieving optimum processing efficiency.
