Tracking & tracing systems are replacing paper in the food industry
EU food law states that production procedures must be preserved for years, which is impossible with a manual system.
Professional tracking & tracing tools are able to track ingredients, materials and products in a factory or in a network of manufacturing sites, opening up a variety of possibilities.
Automated systems provide food industry producers with real-time data collection and information to estimate product locations. This technology not only ensures that manufacturers comply with regulatory requirements, but also allows them to respond faster, more efficiently to recalls. This provides significant cost savings and a measurable return on investment.
Improved data and reporting
EU food law states that production procedures must be preserved for years, which is impossible with a manual system. An automatic system saves data without loss.
At the same time, the collected data can be integrated into supply chain management, enabling manufacturers to:
- Get a detailed overview of all production stages;
- Intervene during production when the collected data exceeds certain alarm values;
- Follow all ingredients, regardless of the product in which they are incorporated;
- Identify any store where products have been delivered;
- Label their products more easily;
- Submit tracing information to authorities when needed;
As the quality of the collected data improves, the quality of the goods produced improves and the total production costs decrease.
In addition, tracking & tracing systems make it a lot easier to remove affected batches from production or from the shelves. With a paper system, a recall would be a financial and time consuming nightmare.
Reinforced supply chain
A well-implemented tracking & tracing system gives manufacturers insights into all key elements and details of their production, throughout the entire supply chain. This allows them to respond better to the varying customer demand at the end of the supply chain.
To schedule production and deliver the goods on time, a good digital system ensures that the product can be tracked through every step of the production process, making key data available to decision-makers more quickly.
More efficient stock management
Efficient stock management is an ongoing process that involves weighing up the quantities of ingredients while maintaining control over the finished products. Tracking & tracing systems offer more precise control than manual systems, because they can follow the movements of products in real-time.
An additional advantage is that the automatic systems measure the quantities of used material per production phase, and subtract this from the current stock level and save the cost of additional stock.
Cost saving
The collected data from the tracking tool also provides a broader overview of the actual cost per product throughout production, step by step. The implementation of a tracking & tracing system in the food industry not only helps entrepreneurs to comply with the increasingly strict legislation regarding food safety, but also increases their revenues, controls their production and lowers production costs.
Source: www.foodqualityandsafety.com
