Across all manufacturing industries, one stands out as an example of the “digital first” approach.  Because of the need for scale, compliance and cost controls, food manufacturers are the leaders in digitised production line monitoring and control.  Most high/mid volume manufacturers have implemented widespread automation of their production lines.

And yet, it’s ironic that many back-office processes have some way to go to match the level of automation.

There are three main areas where improvement can be made through automation:

1. Compliance – regulatory checks are no longer based on physical inspections. Today’s regulators want the evidence in terms of log files and reports. Whether it’s temperature settings, production volumes, cleaning and maintenance schedules, or compliance reports around contaminants and allergens, the regulator wants to know.  Capturing and normalising this data in a systematic way can really benefit from automation and that can only happen if an appropriate integration layer is in place.
2. Supplier checks and the issue of food fraud – To meet demand and contractual obligations, food manufacturers must manage multiple alternative raw materials suppliers to ensure there are no disruptions. Keeping a track of the source of raw materials and proof of their sourcing is critical to avoid the potentially disastrous scenario of inadvertently using below standard or incorrect ingredients.  Automating the process of capturing this information saves time and in extreme cases, saves reputations, and avoids prosecution and fines.
3. Cost Controls & Scalability – if your back-office team spends 20-30% of their time chasing information, consolidating paperwork and entering data into ERP systems, then costs can spiral out of control.  Automating the receipt (from email, portals or even paper), data extraction, matching and checking of data for Purchase Orders, Invoices, Goods Receive Note and Laboratory reports saves considerable time and effort. It means that all other dependent “downstream” processes such as production and dispatch can start sooner and the customer will receive their orders on time.  The ability to scale to meet seasonal demands is less likely to include the drama that accompany manual systems too.  Using contemporary Process Orchestration and Automation platforms and based on customer feedback, it’s reasonable to expect a reduction in the time keying data into back-end applications of around 80%.  That level of saving translates into more available bandwidth for added value tasks. In addition, tighter scrutiny (by people and software) means that more errors are picked up sooner.

In summary.  You’ve spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on a new state of the art production line with exceptional levels of digital controls and monitoring.   A fraction of that investment could deliver positive results that ultimately will ensure happier customers and more business.

#FoodManufacturing #Manufacturing #DigitalTransformation #BackOffice