Automating Food Manufacturing Best Practices

Automation is a crucial component of 21st-century food production as customer preferences change, and competitive forces create different expectations for businesses to decrease costs and produce more diverse products.

FREMONT, CA: Best practices reduce food safety issues and boost profits for manufacturers. Processors can follow best practices without automation. Food and beverage manufacturing methods vary greatly depending on firm size and production process, and a single best practice for all food and beverage facilities needs to be corrected. Best food business procedures start with a good Hazardous Area Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. Vision systems and barcode scanners help verify labeling and product placement. While not FDA-mandated, electronic signatures and record keeping make it easier to produce records promptly and limit recalls. Food and beverage companies that invest in technology that improve operational efficiency, quality, and safety enjoy substantial benefits.

Assess current processes: A sound automation plan begins with a comprehensive business process analysis. Examine labor-intensive processes and procedures, especially those with little added value. The tasks that require the most time and labor are the primary candidates for automation. Business management software automates operations related to finances, production, food safety, compliance, quality, and traceability, among others. It may be time to reevaluate present solutions and switch to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system tailored to the food industry.

Consider End-to-End integration: Numerous manufacturers have automated and integrated systems operating on a similar network or platform. Optimal integration occurs when all systems inside a company are interconnected, and data is exchanged across the whole enterprise. Accurate inventory management is crucial for food and beverage makers, but it can be time-consuming and prone to data mistakes if handled by a separate system. A technology that monitors expiration dates, manufacturing volume, and inventory valuation aids in reducing waste and ensuring that your entire business operates as efficiently as possible.

Establish and monitor performance metrics: Manufacturers must define measures, such as key performance indicators, that monitor the impact and effectiveness of adopted automation systems. Whether these indicators indicate faster lead times, less waste, shorter production cycles, less processing expenses, or lower human costs, they must be determined, tracked, and utilized when automating food manufacturing processes. These metrics can inform performance and the potential for future purchases and enhancements.

Search for systems with simple controls: Important is user-friendly automation solutions. Training expenses are expected to increase without them, especially given that the food and beverage industry traditionally relies on an older workforce. Automation should employ simple-to-learn, -use, and -master software to make adoption as frictionless as feasible.

Mobility is crucial: Employees, leaders, and important stakeholders can connect to systems from anywhere using various devices. The mobility of these devices is increasing, and automation solutions must support many devices and be accessible and operable across multiple platforms. The data must be freely accessible on mobile devices and should not require employees to be at their desks to access features.