Applications for the Food Industry

Supply Chain Management

As industry supply chains become more complex, competent performance in supply chain execution is critical to corporate success. This requires not only the logistical and cost reducing considerations in typical SCM (Supply Chain Management) systems but also Supply Chain Quality Management (SCQM).  Many contracts now require that the vendor demonstrate stable and capable processes to win preferred supplier status and that individual lot quality deliverables are used to determine acceptance.

Individual processors face similar concerns with their supply chains. They need to know the suitability of ingredient suppliers and contract packers to protect their relationship with their final customer.

The food industry is beginning to adopt Vendor Certification and SCQM systems that are as sophisticated as those used in aerospace and electronics industries. An excellent example is the USDA Agricultural Marketing Services SCQM system that has been in place for three years for the purchase of ground beef for the Federal School Lunch Program.

The USDA School Lunch program demonstrates the combination of a food safety program coupled with SPC to meet vendor certification and contract requirements. Commercial contracts are following the same pattern.

• Article: Supply Chain Management in the Purchase of Ground Beef
• Webcast: Supply Chain Quality Management
• Video: Food Safety in the Food Supply Chain

Current food security concerns require ingredient and finished product genealogy and supply chain management systems. Integrating these with Manufacturing Analytics provides the statistical process control, quality analysis, and reporting tools needed to identify process problems or specific contaminants and is an important part of preventing food safety or security issues.

Additional Supply Chain Management Links

• Achieving Customer Specifications Through Process Improvement
  ConAgra uses SPC to develop process that is highly capable of meeting specifications, and establishes role as a dependable and profitable vendor.
• Delivering the "Stats" for National School Lunch Quality and Safety
  Silliker, Inc. provides the microbiological and food quality testing services which support ground beef supply chain quality in the National School Lunch (NSL) Program
• Connect the Plant Floor to the Supply Chain
  NWA and other manufacturing software vendors discuss how to integrate plant floor information with enterprise management systems to guarantee supply chain success.
• Iams Premium Pet Food Targets Package Fill Weights With NWA Quality Analyst Software
  Iams uses Quality Analyst to monitor everything from incoming raw materials to final package fill weight to deliver consistent product.
• Moving From Inspection to Statistical Process Control
  The food industry is moving from an inspection and audit based model to a process management model using SPC to satisfy both internal process management and customer reporting requirements.
• NWA Manufacturing Analytics
  Manufacturing Analytics is the aggregation, analysis, and role-based visualization and reporting of data representing the manufacturing process.  MA focuses the entire enterprise on the common goal of increasing efficiency and profitability.
• NWA Quality Analyst Keeps Willamette in Control
  Weyerhaeuser subsidiary Willamette Industries uses NWA data collection and SPC software to improve packaging and to satisfy customer requirements.

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