The management team at a food processing operation is required to impact the daily business. In the food industry this is commonly achieved by investing in equipment and/or manpower for increased output. However the investment in infrastructure for management is often a secondary consideration. The infrastructure that built the company is the railway that helped guide it to its current success. Without investment to keep this as functional as the process will minimize the return on investment in manpower, equipment and training.

Impact is a very interesting word. As defined in a standard dictionary, it means:

• The striking of one body against another.
• The force or impetus transmitted by a collision.
• The effect or impression of one thing on another.
• The power of making a strong, immediate impression.

The impact of a dynamic FoodHorizon system for the data management from the procurement of an ingredient to the delivery to a customer fits each of these somewhat diverse definitions.

The first definition of "striking one body against another" refers to a collision of sorts. A collision that could be a manufacturer with a customer, or a manufacturer with a regulatory agency that results in a product withdrawal or worse, a product recall. Precise data management can prevent collisions, or provide access to data that will minimize the damage.

The second definition "force or impetus transmitted by that collision" is the fallout that occurs because of the "collision" that results in loss of customers, loss of credibility and loss of revenue. Continuous review by the customer of digitized process results eliminates surprises.

The third definition "effect or impression of one thing on another" is quite appropriate for the Foodhorizon systems. The centralizing of data with the removal of paper forms and automating data collection will have an effect and leave an impression on the processes to which it is directed.

The fourth definition just reiterates the third in that "the power of making a strong, immediate impression" is recognized at the first steps that FoodHorizon data management systems perform at all phases of food production. The systems can be designed to work from farm to fork with many diverse applications within a process, and are designed for large, multi-plant operations to the smallest, corner store operation.

There is a Sentry9000 system that can be configured for the large plant and multi-plant operation. A Centurion system is designed for the smaller manufacturing operation, and a Sentinel system for the foodservice industry. In addition, FoodHorizon utilizes wireless technology for an automated temperature monitoring system, Cold Steel, to provide data collection for HACCP as well as out-of-limits alerts for malfunction of equipment. The newest addition to the FoodHorizon arsenal is the Equipment PM and Maintenance Module.

The FoodHorizon systems collect data from the process. Data can be collected automatically with sensors or from existing machinery, semi-automatically with the push of a button or may require a manual entry into a PDA, laptop of Sentry kiosk. These systems are designed to be stand-alone systems or to interact with ERP, MRP and accounting systems to transmit data in both directions.

Efficiency - It is quite a contrast when a piece of production machinery is spitting out dollars and an employee is standing at each end of it with a clipboard recording all different kinds of measurements for ingredient inventory, lot tracking, line rate, quantity produced, finished product inventory and shipping.

That inefficiency is glaring when you compare the time that the employee utilizes to prepare and maintain the record keeping equipment of paper and clipboard.

A production schedule is prepared, specifications are secured, forms for data are gathered or a trip to the copy machine is required, a pen is retrieved, and the hunt for the elusive clipboard begins. This approach sounds rather dramatic, but consider if that employee only had to flip a switch, and did not need to do the legwork nor have an administrative person do the legwork.

Return on Investment - How long does it take to make the amount of money spent? A simple, but direct question, and a key for almost every purchase. In manpower heavy plants, the return is dramatic. An actual case showed a 90 day ROI on a Sentry9000 system.

The savings for elimination of paperwork and the time spent preparing for, recording, reviewing, filing, packing in white storage boxes, cost of storage of white storage boxes and cost of retrieval when that one sheet of paper is needed. The most dramatic effect is that it takes a lot less time to flip a switch, check a box on a computer screen, let a sensor do the work, review only by exception and never have to worry about that one piece of paper with that one line of information needed not being in that white storage box.

Reduction in waste. Waste comes from errors. Errors are eliminated. An employee has to totally disregard the cues and the alerts to make an error which then is a totally different situation.

Dynamics of Processing - First the employee responsible for a control point, has their digital signature, a time stamp and a date stamp that marks their responsibility. Anonymity is gone. An employee will be a more responsible employee when the accountability is increased.

Employees are engaged in producing product. Sometimes it is forgotten that the reason there are maintenance, sanitation, QA, laboratory, warehousing and administrative employees is to make product.

Their roles are different than the employee feeding a hopper, but their goal is to make product. They are not needed if product is not being made. Less are needed as efficiencies improve.

Paperwork is cumbersome and routine is boring. Hourly checks are taken when it is convenient. No one misses breaks and lunch. A FoodHorizon system is time sensitive because time is a control factor. Hourly checks are taken hourly by sensor or manually and an alert occurs if it is missed. Item checks are control points. If an item is missed, an alert occurs. Limits are control points. If an out-of-limit situation exists, an alert occurs.

Everyone in the management team, control point operators, quality control technicians and designated others are aware of how the process is operating in Real-Time.

Return on Intervention - A different kind of ROI. Errors result in waste product and also in recalls or product withdrawals. If errors are eliminated, the Return on Intervention can be enormous. The cost for a simple intervention with a customer can be devastating in future sales. A recall can be disastrous.

FoodHorizon systems are designed to eliminate errors. A Sentry9000 is a dynamic system that creates a Virtual Manager on the floor. It is not just a data storage unit, it analyzes incoming data and makes decisions based on pre-set limits. It can create a simple corrective action form or it can stop a line when the data does not meet the standards set for that control point.

A Main page for the Centurion system can be viewed at http://www.foodhorizon.com/amazon_crocodile_nuggets. This shows automated data for temperatures using Cold Steel as well as manual entries for forms. Sentry9000 is designed for more automation than Centurion. The username for the page is guest and the password is 1234 .

More detailed information about Sentinel will be in a subsequent newsletter. A current overview is available at http://www.foodhorizon.com/info.html.

April 30, 2004