San Antonio, TX — June 2, 2025 — Frost & Sullivan recently researched the Global Augmented Connected Worker Industry and, based on its findings, recognizes Parsable with the 2024 Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. Parsable is a pioneering provider of cutting-edge solutions designed to optimize manufacturing operations. It provides AI-powered analytics and highly flexible platforms that revolutionize how frontline workers, plant managers, and executives interact with their production environments.

Parsable, a CAI Software solution, has grown to become a key player in the global manufacturing space, with deployments in over 90 countries and 1,000 production sites. The company’s cutting-edge platform provides a single, integrated solution that empowers manufacturers to digitize workflows, increase operational visibility, and streamline processes for both frontline workers and decision-makers. Its groundbreaking approach leverages real-time data and AI to optimize workflows, providing managers and executives with unparalleled insights that enhance decision-making and drive productivity throughout the value chain.

Moreover, Parsable’s AI-driven platform offers unparalleled customization, enabling organizations to tailor workflows and capture highly detailed data specific to their needs. This innovative, mobile-first SaaS-based solution empowers global enterprises to digitize workflows, eliminate manual processes, and improve productivity.

“Parsable sets itself apart further by catering to supervisors, plant managers, and executives, offering beneficial features like AI-powered analytics and intelligent scheduling. Its unmatched customization and flexibility provide unparalleled granularity of data, allowing users to gain meaningful insights that impact their productivity,” said Agustín Fabris, research analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

Parsable’s platform stands out for its powerful combination of advanced capabilities and user-specific customization. By allowing stakeholders across all levels—from frontline workers to senior leadership—to tailor their experience, Parsable ensures that each user accesses the most relevant data and insights for their role. This personalized approach enhances visibility into operations, uncovers opportunities for efficiency, and supports better decision-making. As a result, manufacturers are empowered to improve productivity, reduce downtime, and drive continuous improvement across the organization. With customer value at the core of its strategy, Parsable delivers actionable intelligence that directly impacts performance and supports long-term operational excellence.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that develops a pioneering technology that enhances current products and enables new product and application development. The award recognizes the high market acceptance potential of the recipient’s technology.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Parsable and CAI Software

CAI Software, LLC is a leader in the delivery of mission-critical, production-oriented enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution systems (MES), warehouse management software (WMS), electronic data interchange (EDI), Connected Worker Digital Instructions, Inventory Management, and Material Traceability software and services to leading companies in targeted vertical markets, including building materials, food processing, precious metals, manufacturing, and distribution. Learn more at caisoft.com and parsable.com.

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LINCOLN, RI and SAN FRANCISCO, CA, September 25, 2024 – CAI Software, LLC, (“CAI” or “CAI Software”), a portfolio company of STG and a leader in industry-specific enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution and supply chain solutions to manufacturers and distributors, today announced that they have acquired Parsable, Inc., a leading cloud-native Connected WorkerTM platform used daily by global tier-1 manufacturers for production, maintenance, quality, safety and ESG.

Founded in San Francisco, Parsable has a blue-chip customer base in the food & beverage, oil & gas, chemical, and various process and discrete manufacturing industries across the globe, including such notable brands as Grupo Bimbo, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, and Holcim. Their leading SaaS-based platform has helped transform customers’ plant floors from paper-based to paperless with its powerful mobile solution and AI-powered analytics that improve mission-critical production and operational KPIs. Together, CAI Software and Parsable will focus on building solutions that transform how manufacturers drive greater efficiency and transparency across their organizations. 

“Combining CAI Software and Parsable brings digital instructions to manufacturers which layers in with their existing manufacturing execution and warehousing systems to drive production, quality, safety, and operational improvements,” said Brian Rigney, CEO of CAI Software. “As we bring the companies together, we will continue to collaborate with our customers to develop purpose-built solutions to serve the unique requirements of their industry. In our next chapter of growth, I look forward to working with the Parsable team and continuing to innovate the Parsable platform.”

“This marks a pivotal moment for our industry,” says Parsable CEO Matt Belkin. “Together with CAI, we’re setting a new standard, equipping frontline workers with innovative digital tools that elevate productivity, safety, and quality to new heights. This partnership propels us toward a future where manufacturing is more connected, agile, and transformative than ever before.” 

“Parsable has been an early innovator and leader in the connected worker vertical and is mission-critical to daily operations of tier-1 manufacturers globally,” said Wesley Jiang, Vice President of STG. “Parsable will deepen CAI’s manufacturing capabilities in providing a comprehensive suite of ERP, supply chain and manufacturing solutions.”

Barry Eggers, Founding Partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners, added, “Parsable pioneered the connected worker movement 10 years ago, transforming how frontline workers operate. Now, with CAI, that vision can scale across the entire supply chain. Together, they are set to redefine productivity and efficiency in manufacturing, enabling companies to unlock unprecedented value from the factory floor to the global supply chain.”

Lightspeed Venture Partners and other existing investors will remain significant investors in the combined company. David Lincoln of Activate Capital will join the CAI Board of Directors and Matt Belkin will continue as CEO of Parsable reporting to CAI CEO Brian Rigney. 

Houlihan Lokey served as Parsable’s exclusive financial advisor.

About CAI Software

CAI Software, LLC is a leader in the delivery of mission-critical, production-oriented enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution systems (MES), warehouse management software (WMS), electronic data interchange (EDI), and Enterprise Process Automation (EPA) software and services to leading companies in targeted vertical markets, including building materials, food processing, precious metals, manufacturing, and distribution. www.caisoft.com.

About Parsable

Parsable helps leaders at the world’s largest industrial companies unlock the big data and insights needed to improve their frontline operations and build a more sustainable future. Leading manufacturers rely on Parsable’s Connected Worker® platform every day to track millions of data points from their frontline operations and leverage unprecedented visibility to optimize productivity and drive ROI. Parsable is headquartered in San Francisco with a presence throughout North America and Europe. www.parsable.com.

About STG

STG is a private equity partner to market-leading companies in data, software, and analytics. The firm brings experience, flexibility, and resources to build strategic value and unlock the potential of innovative companies. Partnering to build customer-centric, market-winning portfolio companies, STG creates sustainable foundations for growth that bring value to existing and future stakeholders. The firm is dedicated to transforming and building outstanding technology companies in partnership with world-class management teams. STG’s expansive portfolio consists of more than 50 global companies. www.stg.com.

About Lightspeed

Lightspeed Venture Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm focused on accelerating disruptive innovations and trends in the Enterprise, Consumer, Health, and Fintech sectors. Over the past two decades, the Lightspeed team has backed hundreds of entrepreneurs and helped build more than 500 companies globally including Affirm, Carta, Cato Networks, Epic Games, Faire, Forty Seven, Guardant Health, Mulesoft, Navan, Netskope, Nutanix, Rubrik, Sharechat, Snap, Udaan, Ultima Genomics and more. Lightspeed and its global team currently manage $25B in AUM across the Lightspeed platform, with investment professionals and advisors in the U.S., Europe, India, Israel, and Southeast Asia. www.lsvp.com

For more information please contact: 

Drea Toretti
Chief Marketing Officer
CAI Software, LLC
800.422.4782
[email protected]

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Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) enables businesses to verify and quantify their decisions, leading to more confident and proactive strategies. However, having the data is only the first hurdle. How manufacturers ingest, analyze, and act on the data is just as important as the curation.  In the age of Industry 4.0, It’s important to understand the role data analytics and reporting play within the manufacturing space, along with the challenges and benefits of adopting modern-day analytics tooling.

In this blog post we will highlight:

• Data Analytics with Modern Manufacturing
• The benefits of data analysis
• Challenges in Data Analysis for the Frontline Worker
• Hidden complexities of modern Business Intelligence tools within the Manufacturing space.
• Importance of ensuring accuracy and integrity of data
• How Parsable’s AI-Powered Analytics is revolutionizing frontline operations & democratizing data and insights for all, via easy-to-use, yet highly customizable Analytics & Reporting functionality.

Data Analytics: The Backbone of Modern Manufacturing

Data Analytics involves examining large sets of data to uncover hidden patterns, correlations, and insights. It involves using different methods and tools to work with data and turning raw data into useful information that can help make decisions. This process can include methods like statistical analysis, machine learning, and data mining. The main goal of data analytics is to improve business outcomes by providing actionable insights.

Data Reporting organizes data into summaries or visual formats such as charts, graphs, and dashboards. This makes complex data easier to understand and interpret, allowing stakeholders to quickly grasp key information and trends. Reporting is often an integral part of data analytics, as it communicates the results of data analysis to decision-makers in a clear and concise manner.

In manufacturing, data analytics is crucial for optimizing processes, reducing waste, and improving product quality. By leveraging data effectively, manufacturers can identify patterns and trends that help in predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization, and enhancing overall operational efficiency. The importance of data-driven decision-making in manufacturing cannot be overstated, as it allows for proactive management and continuous improvement. 

Implementing data analytics in manufacturing leads to several key benefits:

1. Improved Decision-Making

Data-driven decision-making significantly reduces reliance on guesswork and intuition. By leveraging data analytics, organizations can access actionable insights derived from vast amounts of data.

These insights enable more informed and effective decisions across various business functions. For instance, businesses can analyze customer behavior, market trends, and internal performance metrics to make strategic decisions that align with their goals. Data analytics finds hidden patterns and connections for more accurate predictions and outcomes than traditional methods.

2. Risk Mitigation

Predictive analytics is essential for identifying potential risks and providing early warnings, enabling organizations to take proactive measures to mitigate these risks. This capability is especially crucial in industries where timely risk identification can prevent significant losses and enhance safety. In manufacturing, it can predict equipment failures and quality issues, allowing for preventive actions to avoid costly disruptions

3. Operational Efficiency

Data analytics plays a crucial role in enhancing operational efficiency by identifying inefficiencies and optimizing processes. By analyzing production data, logistics, and supply chain operations, organizations can pinpoint bottlenecks and areas for improvement.

For example, predictive maintenance can forecast equipment failures, allowing for timely repairs and minimizing downtime. This not only improves productivity but also results in significant cost savings. Additionally, real-time analytics enables businesses to adjust operations on-the-fly, ensuring that resources are utilized efficiently and effectively.

4. Competitive Advantage

Organizations that effectively utilize data analytics gain a competitive edge by better understanding market dynamics, customer preferences, and internal performance metrics. This deeper insight enables companies to respond quickly to market changes and customer needs, staying ahead of competitors. Data analytics helps businesses identify emerging trends, new market opportunities, and potential threats, allowing them to adapt their strategies proactively. This agility and foresight are critical in maintaining a competitive position in the market.

Data analytics is indispensable for modern enterprises, providing numerous benefits that enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, customer experience, and risk management. By leveraging data analytics, organizations can gain valuable insights that drive strategic initiatives, improve performance, and maintain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Real-time data processing capabilities are crucial for immediate decision-making, allowing manufacturers to respond quickly to changes and maintain optimal operational conditions.

Frontline Operations: Challenges in Data Analysis

Historically, having a “pulse” on data has been a significant pain point for the modern manufacturer. Manufacturers spend billions on frontline workers, yet they are entirely blind to what’s working and what’s not.

Frontline workers in manufacturing face several data analysis challenges, with data overload and information silos being primary issues. The sheer volume of data can overwhelm workers, leading to inefficiencies and missed insights. Additionally, information silos—where data is isolated within departments—hinder comprehensive analysis.

A lack of data literacy further complicates matters, as frontline workers may struggle to interpret and utilize data effectively. Difficulty accessing and analyzing data exacerbates these issues, making it challenging to make informed decisions promptly. The lack of visibility allows for uninformed decisions, reactionary work, and excess spending.

To combat that, powerful business intelligence tools have been created to ingest, analyze, and derive. However, these tools don’t come without a cost, from difficult and costly integrations to complex user interfaces with an overload of data that require special training to be used efficiently or correctly.

From a complexity perspective, only specific individuals can work with the tool, or you need specialized training. Each Business Intelligence (BI) tool has its own quirks and nuances, but they are pretty similar in regard to the level of investment to go from novice to expert.

For most modern BI tools, the creation and manipulation of dashboards for frontline workers are far too technical, resulting in the task being sent out to other teams within the enterprise to be built, adding another step to the process and, ultimately, prolonging the delivery of crucial information.

However, having the BI tool in place is only the first hurdle. Without it ingesting accurate information, it’s useless.Having not only substantial but also the correct data has been a challenge in the industry. We frequently see quality data as a pain point, whether it’s way too little or an overwhelming amount of data, and it feels like you are “swimming in a data lake.”

Teams have to sift through their information repositories, make calculations, and determine what metrics or parameters are important, which is a costly, lengthy process. And you can’t forget to integrate the tools into your tech stack so that your teams can ingest this data, which eats up time & resources.

Manufacturing Data: Ensuring Accuracy and Integrity

Accurate data collection is crucial for effective decision-making and operational efficiency in manufacturing. Reliable data provides a solid foundation for analyzing performance, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing corrective actions. Poor data quality can lead to misguided decisions, increased waste, and inefficiencies, ultimately affecting the bottom line. Ensuring data accuracy helps maintain the integrity of the entire manufacturing process, leading to better outcomes and competitive advantage.

Adopting centralized data management systems is essential for effective data governance and accessibility. Advanced analytics techniques, including machine learning and predictive analytics, can provide deeper insights and enhance decision-making capabilities. Ensuring data security and compliance with industry regulations protects sensitive information and maintains trust. Manufacturers can leverage data to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence by following these best practices.

Achieving Data-Driven Manufacturing with Advanced Analytics

As a frontline manager, you want to increase revenue and productivity. You want full transparency to see what’s working, what isn’t, and how your frontline workers are operating on a daily basis. You want to take a proactive and pragmatic approach to your operations, having full transparency and visibility into your bottom line. You also aim to promote teamwork, communication, and increased motivation among them. 

Proactive and pragmatic operations should not be more difficult than manufacturing products themselves. Still, unfortunately, organizations often struggle to gain this level of visibility and predictability of shop floor operations due to several complexities.

Today’s analytics and reporting tools, along with business intelligence tools, can cause more problems and costs than they are worth. These tools may lead to wasted time and increased expenses on top of their already high prices. Users may face additional challenges and difficulties when utilizing these tools. In the end, the supposed benefits of these tools may not outweigh the drawbacks.

Time to Democratize Data & Insights

Parsable carves out a niche for teams searching for easy-to-use yet highly customizable Analytics & Reporting functionality. Parsable’s AI-Powered Analytics features strike a balance of simplicity and customizability, allowing for users, technical and non-technical, to effortlessly build, discover, and share meaningful insights. The days of outsourcing data analysis and reporting for the frontline workers are over.

Unlike other solutions that provide too little data or useless analytics & reporting insights, Parsable utilizes Generative AI to deliver real-time analytics & insights to provide predictive, proactive insights at every level of a manufacturing operation. Everyone, from executives to employees, can easily access data and insights to solve problems, make better decisions, and improve productivity.

First, let’s discuss Natural Language Querying (NLQ) and how it impacts frontline workers regarding Analytics and Reporting. We know that not all frontline workers can create complicated data visualizations, like charts or dashboards. However, this shouldn’t stop them from getting the information and insights they need.

Instead of weeks of training & onboarding to get frontline workers the proficiency needed to work within an Analytics & Reporting solution, Natural language querying allows for frontline workers to ask questions about their data using everyday language and receive actionable answers in seconds. Frontline workers can also use NLQ in Parsable to build and customize dashboards & reports. Your frontline workers can easily create dashboards and reports, find trends, and share insights with their team.

Next up is data, and we know that not all data is created equal or has value to your organization. Given the flexible nature of the Parsable platform, customers can determine what data is important to their organization. Manufacturers can then generate and track previously unattainable data points on frontline activity to get unprecedented visibility into the variables impacting operational results.

Parsable provides ready-to-use custom data sets that are designed and validated by customer research and industry experts. This saves organizations time and resources when unboxing and using the platform. Within minutes, frontline workers can convert frontline data into real-time, actionable insights that propel swift decision-making and generate accurate forecasts at the click of a button, empowering operators to anticipate and prepare for future challenges.

The path forward is clear: In the age of Industry 4.0, relying on outdated data is not just inefficient—it’s a strategic misstep. According to a recent study from Deloitte, 83% of manufacturers believe that smart factory solutions will transform the way products are made in five years. And while Industry 4.0 has been the an era of driving digital transformation, the frontline is often the lastline of transformation. Manufacturers still relying on outdated data analysis tools are missing critical insights that can transform their operations. AI-Powered Analytics is starting a revolution in manufacturing by transforming every data point into a game-changing opportunity.

Join the revolution and see how we’re transforming frontline operations.

Ready to experience the power of Parsable’s AI-Powered Analytics?

The post From Data Chaos to Clarity: Overcoming Common Pain Points in Frontline Analytics appeared first on Parsable.

Parsable is pleased to introduce AI-Powered Analytics, a new extension of our analytics and reporting capabilities that unlocks the data and insights needed to optimize frontline operations and build a more sustainable, profitable future. This unprecedented product expansion promises to disrupt traditional frontline models and end the era of guesswork in manufacturing operations.

By seamlessly integrating advanced analytical functionalities into the Parsable platform, we will enable businesses to visualize data, track deviations, and gain actionable insights swiftly. These capabilities will leverage several recent AI advances, including machine learning for anomaly detection and time-series forecasting, natural language query for rapid data insights for non-analytical users, and generative AI for dashboard creation and analytical narratives. Parsable’s new AI-powered Analytics offering aims to democratize data access, improve operational efficiencies, and empower organizations to make informed decisions.

Our new AI-Powered Analytics extension provides:

Real-Time Insights: Transform your captured frontline data into actionable insights instantly.

User-Friendly Experience: Quickly create and share comprehensive visualizations.

Natural Language Processing: Ask questions in plain English and get immediate, actionable answers.

Customizable Dashboards: Tailor your data views to highlight what matters most to your operations.

“Parsable’s new AI-powered Analytics has opened the door to a new level of efficiency and autonomy by harnessing the power of our data. The intuitive interface empowers our superusers to quickly create, deploy, and modify their own dashboards, improving their data-driven decision making and streamlining collaboration.” Jake Aprilliano, Business Systems Leader, American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.

Full Operational Visibility

Generate and track previously unattainable data points on frontline activity to achieve unprecedented transparency. Our new analytics extension empowers frontline workers to easily uncover areas of interest, from inefficiencies to success. Automatically identify deviations and potential issues in real-time, enabling immediate intervention and minimizing downtime.

Build with Ease

Regardless of technical ability, users can effortlessly build holistic visualizations, discover pivotal information, and share meaningful insights in seconds. With Parsable’s Analytics Dashboard, users can easily create & manipulate visualizations using natural language. Frontline workers can now ask questions in plain language and receive precise, practical answers instantly, eliminating the need for analytics expertise. Additionally, Parsable delivers custom, curated data sets out-of-the-box designed and validated by customer research & industry experts, saving organizations time & resources getting value from the platform.

Insights to Impacts 

Make better, data-informed decisions that improve manufacturing operations. Turn unstructured and analog human beings into structured digital metadata for analysis and continuous improvement. Parsable offers embedded insights using Generative AI to help users quickly come to conclusions on their data. Frontline workers can convert frontline data into real-time, actionable insights that propel swift decision-making and generate accurate forecasts at the click of a button, empowering operators to anticipate and prepare for future challenges.

“Despite the hype, most manufacturing analytics platforms are still in the Stone Age. AI-Powered Analytics from Parsable is not just a tool; it’s a wake-up call for the industry. With our cutting-edge analytics, executives gain unprecedented visibility, and frontline workers are empowered to drive innovation from the ground up, creating a unified force for operational excellence.” – Matt Belkin, CEO of Parsable.

It’s time to end the era of guesswork in manufacturing operations.

We envision a future where companies, regardless of their technical expertise or resource constraints, can effortlessly unlock the full potential of their digitized operations. We see a world where artificial intelligence can make frontline worker data more accessible and actionable, further augmenting human decision-making on the factory floor. Our new analytics solution will provide a user-friendly interface for customers at every stage of their data journey, with a heavy bias towards the needs of frontline operators.

The post End the Era of Guesswork in Manufacturing Operations appeared first on Parsable.

“Despite the hype, most manufacturing analytics platforms are still in the Stone Age. AI-Powered Analytics from Parsable is not just a tool; it’s a wake-up call for the industry,” said Matt Belkin, CEO of Parsable. “With our cutting-edge analytics, executives gain unprecedented visibility, and frontline workers are empowered to drive innovation from the ground up, creating a unified force for operational excellence.”

Manufacturers that rely on outdated data analysis tools are missing critical insights that could transform their operations. Generic dashboards offering watered-down insights fail to meet the needs of today’s factory floors. Parsable’s AI-Powered Analytics provides customizable, real-time data visualization tools that enable frontline operators to make informed decisions instantly, addressing issues as they arise and improving overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

A groundbreaking component of this launch is Aladdin, a feature powered by Generative AI and Natural Language Query that allows frontline workers to ask questions in their own natural language and receive real-time answers. Until now, frontline operators needed to be analytics experts to act on their data, which severely limited their ability to take timely action. Aladdin shatters this barrier, making advanced analytics accessible to everyone on the factory floor.

Key Benefits of AI-Powered Analytics:

• Aladdin, Powered by Generative AI and Natural Language Query: Empowers frontline workers to ask questions in plain language and receive precise, practical answers instantly, eliminating the need for analytics expertise.
• Transform Data into Insights with AI: Convert frontline data into real-time, actionable insights that propel swift decision-making and generate accurate forecasts at the click of a button, empowering operators to anticipate and prepare for future challenges.
• Rapid Visualization: Remove wait times with instant, comprehensive visualizations that reveal critical insights in seconds and highlight potential issues for immediate intervention.
• Customizable Dashboards: Tailor your view to spotlight crucial metrics, ensuring everyone from the shop floor to the top floor stays aligned on priorities.
• Proactive Anomaly Detection: Automatically identifies deviations and potential issues in real-time, enabling immediate intervention and minimizing downtime.

“Parsable’s new AI-powered Analytics has opened the door to a new level of efficiency and autonomy by harnessing the power of our data. The intuitive interface empowers our superusers to quickly create, deploy, and modify their own dashboards, improving their data-driven decision making and streamlining collaboration.” Jake Aprilliano, Business Systems Leader, American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.

As Parsable continues to lead the charge in digitizing frontline operations, the message is clear: AI-Powered Analytics isn’t the future; it’s the present. And those not using it are already falling behind.

The post Parsable Launches Industry-First AI-Powered Analytics, Revolutionizing Digital Transformation and Cost Savings in Frontline Operations appeared first on Parsable.

We’ll explain what good hygiene practices in the food industry look like, and how these practices apply to each link in the food chain.

• What is Food Hygiene and Safety?
• What are the Benefits of Practicing Food Manufacturing Hygiene?
• Risks of Poor Food Manufacturing Hygiene
• Why It’s Important to Train For Food Hygiene
• Best Manufacturing Practices To Maintain Good Food Hygiene
• Tips to improve Good Hygiene Practices
• Connected Worker and Good Hygiene Practices

What is Food Hygiene and Safety?

Food hygiene and safety are complex subjects, and many food business operators get the two mixed up. Knowing the difference is critical to building processes that prioritize safety and customer protection.

What is Food Hygiene?

Food hygiene refers to the host of measures food manufacturing companies take to reduce food hazard risks, like contamination and spoilage.

For example, some food hygiene practices could be monitoring storage temperatures or imposing personal hygiene standards for employees, like hand washing practices.

What is Food Safety?

As opposed to hygiene, food safety is a larger umbrella. It applies to all aspects of the food production process rather than just instances pertaining to processing and handling. Compared to hygiene, food safety is more procedural, defined by a structured system of documentation, audits, and traceability.

Why is Food Hygiene and Safety Important?

Around 3,000 people in the United States die each year from food-related illnesses according to the CDC. Not only does this take a human toll, but it can destroy a company’s reputation diminishing profits, and can cause companywide collapse. However, many cases are preventable, and it begins with understanding the concepts behind food safety and hygiene.

What are the Benefits of Practicing Food Manufacturing Hygiene?

Food manufacturing hygiene is essential to give consumers confidence that your products meet their standards and are safe to eat. This increases customer loyalty and satisfaction and is great for a company’s reputation.

Ultimately, food hygiene prevents public health risks, which unfolds into many additional benefits, including:

• Job Security for Employees
• Lowered Turnover
• Lowered Risk of Litigation
• Prevention of Costly Fines

Additionally, a dedicated system that handles food processing and transportation manufacturing conducts and organizes safety at each stage of the process. Continuous improvements to the system drive lower food and product waste, crucially boosting profits and revenue..

Risks of Poor Food Manufacturing Hygiene 

Just as there are benefits from thoughtful manufacturing practices and hygiene, there are risks that come with improper food hygiene.

The largest risk is cross-contamination, which can cause up to 250 types of food-related diseases and allergic reactions.

Not only is there a severe risk for allergens or disease, but once detected, federal mandates require product recalls. These recalls can completely halt operations which drain profits and result in lasting reputational damage.

There are also monetary risks, as failing to approach food hygiene correctly results in higher business costs. Poor safety practices often lead to higher insurance premiums, fines for non-compliance, and excess waste.

Why It’s Important to Train For Food Hygiene

Achieving proper food hygiene practices doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a systemic effort requiring every organizational member to understand what they can do to prevent food contamination.

Training employees in food hygiene best practices seems like a huge task, but it’s critical for success.

Helps Promote Public Health

Public health should always be the first priority with food handling. Training is useful for spreading awareness and ensuring everyone stays up-to-date on modern techniques and processes to avoid public health risks.

Protects Brand Reputation

Routine training establishes company-specific policies to ensure your brand’s reputation remains untarnished. Also, shared practices result in greater consistency, which improves customer satisfaction.

Food Safety Laws

Food safety laws change constantly. State and federal regulations must be communicated to frontline workers so they can keep workstations up to standard and shift procedures as the laws evolve.

Lowered Turnover and Increased Morale

With proper training, employees are less likely to make mistakes that cost them their jobs. Food safety training keeps workers on the same page. This results in more effective onboarding and allows experienced employees in training new hires to avoid costly mistakes that could cause termination.

Best Manufacturing Practices To Maintain Good Food Hygiene

Preventing food contamination is a multi-tiered approach. However, many clear, easy, and established practices exist for business operators to implement now that promote safety and hygiene practices.

Cleaning and Sanitizing of Surfaces

Prioritize cleaning and disinfection, especially when dealing with surfaces and products prone to disease and allergens, such as raw meats, peanuts, or shellfish.

Anytime employees work with such products or high-touch stations and surfaces, ensure strict cleaning and sanitization schedules, such as routine hand washing and cleaning with anti-bacterial soap and hot water.

Source Water

Test the source water to ensure it’s treated and free of contamination and pathogens.

Waste and Sewage

All waste and sewerage require proper storage and disposal techniques.

Product Packaging and Storage

It’s a good manufacturing practice to seal all food products properly to reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination during storage and transport. Likewise, all stored products require regular cleaning and inspection. For raw goods and perishables, the safest method is the first-in-first-out (FIFO) method.

Pest Control

Manufacturing and processing plants must regularly conduct inspections for pests that might contaminate food. If you discover pests, it’s crucial to have a direct plan for safely eradicating them..

Proper Holding And Preparation Temperature

Strict guidelines concerning storage temperatures are essential to prevent goods from spoiling or breeding bacteria. The same goes for preparation, as even a slightly incorrect preparation can expose products to conditions that create hygiene issues.

Transportation and Delivery

Monitor all goods during transport, storage, and delivery, ensuring they remain under safe, unhazardous conditions.

Food Sanitization Procedures

Thoroughly sanitize raw materials, especially produce, before packaging and shipment.

Employee Health

Form strict standards concerning personal hygiene for employees and management. Thes standards include policies like hair and facial hair coverings and orders for employees to remain home when ill.

Additionally, companies must provide employees with PPE, like masks, hairnets, shoe coverings, and tools to prevent disease transmissions.

Tips to improve GHP

Here are some top ways to build standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure your hygiene practices work.

Focus on SOP compliance and adherence 

Emphasize the importance for staff to understand SOPs in full. Conduct training on a routine basis to close knowledge gaps concerning regulations.

Regular food safety audits, internal/external

Audits ensure food safety and that your operation remains in full compliance with existing legislation. There are two types of necessary audits: external third parties, and regular internal audits that critique existing processes to make them safer and more effective.

Have strong standard operating procedures

Effective hygiene practices require many SOPs that cover all your bases. This way, when questions arise, your team can reference SOPs.

Sanitation SOPs

These SOPs apply to all procedures concerning cleaning and disinfection, which include:

• Cleaning schedules
• Proper agents to use in different situations
• Explanations on surfaces, utensils, and equipment require the most intense sanitization

Food handling SOPs

Food handling SOPs explain proper methods for handling food, including:

• Storage techniques and guidelines
• Food prep and cooking instructions
• Temperature control and cooling requirements

HACCP-based SOPs

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) SOPs establish rules during processing and manufacturing to protect food from chemical and biological hazards.

Quality Control SOPs

These SOPs specify how to evaluate product quality at every stage, from analyzing raw materials to inspections right before shipment.

Regulatory compliance SOPs

Compliance SOPs outline what’s necessary to adhere to government mandates concerning issues like:

• Allergens
• Labeling
• Bookkeeping

Operational SOPs

These SOPs focus on constructing efficient workflows for processes like deliveries, shipping, managing inventory, and food preparation/storage.

Waste Management SOPs

The guidelines instruct employees on how to store and dispose of waste safely and according to regulations to limit the risk of contamination.

Recall SOPs

Provides protocol in instances of product recalls, which includes incident handling measures like pulling products from circulation and informing customers.

Pest Control SOPs

These SOPs include advice and guidelines on food storage, waste management, and sanitation guidelines for preventing pests. They also outline procedures for handling the discovery of rats, roaches, or other pests.

How to develop and implement effective SOPs for good hygiene practices

Creating SOPs that adapt and scale to business growth requires the following techniques.

Establish an SOP team

Put together a group of experts who can plan, manage, and update SOPs according to compliance mandates and optimize efforts to boost operational efficiency.

Conduct a thorough assessment

When creating SOPs, audit existing practices across each process stage to account for strengths and weaknesses.

Document clearly and concisely

Create clear, visual documents to outline all SOPs in the most effective way possible.

Train and educate employees

Conduct regular training whenever major changes to SOPs occur.

Review and update regularly

Update your SOPs and communicate updates with all your employees to keep information relevant and accessible.

Digital tools and technology 

SOPs are complicated documents that frequently change, meaning they require fast, accurate tools to issue updates. Connected worker software is the best way to centralize SOP management and automate key tasks like audit alerts, deadlines, or mass communication.

Challenges in SOP compliance

Implementing SOPs isn’t simple. You must be aware of these common roadblocks as you build the safest food SOPs possible.

Develop and implementation

Robust SOPs require much time, energy, and thought. It’s much harder to accomplish effective change without the right digital tools to manage, update, and roll out these living documents.

Maintaining and updating

Regulatory and operational conditions always change. As they do, so do SOPs, which require the right tools that provide version control. This way, you can effectively manage and update documents with ease.

Compliance and enforcement

Audits are incredibly stressful and time-consuming, but if you fail to meet compliance the results can be catastrophic. However, keeping tack of compliance status and evolving regulations becomes much more straightforward with a dedicated connected worker software.

Parsable Connected Worker

Relying on a third party to manage your processes and principles of food hygiene is incredibly risky, and using paper processes for SOP management is cumbersome and prone to error.

Parsable’s Connected Worker® software is one of the market’s leading digital tools for creating, executing, and optimizing food hygiene SOPs. It digitizes your frontlines, prioritizing safety as a core principle, and allowing owners to create core documents and disseminate information to all workers. The software also records and automates safety analysis, promoting a culture of continuous improvement.

As a result, from the top down everyone is on the same page concerning safety and compliance, taking part in an environment that protects workers, customers, and businesses.

Want to learn more about the future of work? Read more about the approach that encompasses all of the solutions you’ll need to maximize efficiency, improve worker safety and create a higher standard of production quality.

The post Tips for Good Hygiene Practices in Food Manufacturing appeared first on Parsable.

The OA concept focuses on a system’s uptime. It reveals the amount of time the system is up and running and ready to fulfill its designated function.

OA looks at things that could affect uptime, like breakdowns, maintenance, and repairs. It doesn’t just stop at one factor. As such, it’s an important metric for any business to keep track of.

• Calculating Operational Availability
• Do You Have Faith in Your Operational Availability?
• Identifying Causes of Instability in Operational Availability
• Improve Downtime Measurement With Connected Worker

Calculating Operational Availability

People usually express OA as a decimal between 0 and 1. People often convert this into a percentage to make it easier to grasp and understand. Knowing how OA is calculated is helpful.

To find operational availability, divide the average time between maintenance by the total of that time and average downtime. The formula looks like this:

OA = Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM) / (MTBM + Mean Downtime Time (MDT))

In this equation, MTBM stands for the average duration a system manages to operate as intended. This includes time without encountering a major breakdown that requires repair or other downtime. MDT is the time needed to find a problem, figure out why it happened, and fix whatever is causing the downtime.

By understanding and managing these factors correctly, you can significantly improve the reliability of each critical piece of equipment and its operational availability.

Do You Have Faith in Your Operational Availability?

Operational availability is a complex metric. Because of this, it’s normal to struggle with a few uncertainties. You might feel unclear on how all the puzzle pieces fit together. However, when you realize that OA directly relates to equipment reliability, things start falling into place.

By making sure your machines work well, you can easily create accurate and reliable data for your organization.

Considering things like logistics delays or the availability of replacement parts is important. These issues can be important for your planning and efforts to increase OA in your organization.

Availability Is Equipment Reliability

Why does equipment reliability matter? The answer is simple; a reliable piece of equipment typically results in less downtime. This also means fewer interruptions because of malfunctions, sudden breakdowns, or the frequent need for repair or maintenance.

The outcome of all this is clear. When your system works better, each piece of equipment will have more time to work as it should.

Understanding the connection between OA and equipment reliability can help you appreciate OA more. It can also guide you in taking steps to improve it.

Consider if there are enough repair technicians, parts, or other items available in case there are delays in logistics. Downtime of equipment or systems can impact overall business productivity..

Operation Availability vs. Operating Rate

For efficient and well-informed operations management, knowing the difference between operational availability and operating rate is important.

OA helps you know when your system is ready to work versus when it should be working. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OA) measures the time your system is operational and performing its intended function effectively.

The operating rate looks at the gap between what your system is capable of and what it is actually doing. It reflects your system’s actual output efficiency.

The operating rate measures how well your system performs at full capacity. It ensures that your system is reaching its maximum potential.

While OA is about uptime, the operating rate focuses on operational efficiency. These two different and distinct components are equally important in understanding the overall performance of your systems.

Identifying Causes of Instability in Operational Availability

Finding out why OA is unstable or unreliable is crucial for making it better. Planned or unexpected downtime can significantly affect your OA.

This downtime could stem from equipment malfunction or inefficient maintenance strategies. It can also stem from logistics delay that makes replacement parts or other important maintenance components unavailable.

Understanding these factors and how they relate can help guide your OA improvement efforts.

Improve Downtime Measurement With Connected Worker

Some traditional methods for improving operational availability can include regular team meetings, employee training programs, and the manual tracking of performance metrics. While these methods have their merits, they can often be time-consuming and prone to human error.

Connected worker technologies can streamline and make these processes more efficient. A “connected worker” uses digital tools and technology to track and handle various improvement methods more efficiently.

By using technology to streamline tasks, a connected worker can easily find information, communicate instantly, and track performance effectively. Digital transformation improves efficiency, reduces errors, and creates a more productive workplace.

Parsable’s Connected Worker software helps frontline workers engage with your company’s digital tools.

Parsable’s technology helps workers collect and communicate data in real-time. This allows teams to quickly capture and analyze data at the work site. Connected Worker® helps track important metrics, plan efficiently to address issues, and improve operational availability.

Want to learn more about the future of work? Read more about the approach that encompasses all of the solutions you’ll need to maximize efficiency, improve worker safety and create a higher standard of production quality.

The post Operational Availability – What it is and How To Improve It appeared first on Parsable.

The smart craze is justified by the results, as connecting key devices to the internet provides users with safer, more powerful, and easier-to-use tools. However, smart technology doesn’t merely apply to standalone devices. Through the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, enterprises can link thousands of devices to create an entire ecosystem of smart systems, tools, and processes. Then, these companies can uncover impactful insights through the power of big data analytics.

Now, entire factories use sensors to create smart networks. Such digital transformations use internet connectivity to leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence to automate their processes and analytics, building a culture of continuous improvement in the process.

Curious to know more about the smart factory? Below, we’ll explore the concepts behind smart factories, what it takes to create one, and the amazing benefits they provide.

• Smart Factory Overview
• Smart Factories for an Evolving World
• What Makes a Factory Smart?
• Benefits of a Smart Factory
• Smart Factory Technologies
• Smart Manufacturing’s Key Capabilities
• Becoming a Smart Manufacturer

Smart Factory Overview

Industry 4.0 is an important term driving the next generation of manufacturing. Experts break down the Industrial Revolution into four stages, including:

• Industry 1.0: mass production made possible by steam- and water-powered mechanisms
• Industry 2.0: introduction of assembly lines through the power of gas and electricity to improve mass production capabilities
• Industry 3.0: computers and communication devices allowing companies to harvest and analyze data, placing a focus on customer satisfaction rather than sheer production

Now, there’s Industry 4.0, defined by a more integrated use of the internet to power smart machines, technologies, and tools. Industry 4.0 technology crunches large amounts of data, facilitating automation and more informed insights.

Industry 4.0 technologies include:

• IoT
• Cloud computing
• AI and machine learning
• Augmented reality

These tech developments stand on the leading edge of the fourth industrial revolution. They’re critical to forming physical and digital processes that are more efficient, more cost-friendly, safer, and oriented to improve customer satisfaction.

Smart Factories for an Evolving World

As a public good, the internet is just over 30 years old, and the world is still learning to understand its full impact. As such, Industry 4.0 is still in its infancy.

However, one thing is evident: Adopting smart manufacturing tools is critical to staying afloat in the modern industrial landscape. A recent study showed that 86% of manufacturing executives think smart factories will drive their competitiveness throughout the next decade.

Now, all areas of the factory, from the shop floor to production systems, can be rigged with smart technology to establish greater resilience in the face of mounting supply chain disruptions and shortages.

What Makes a Factory Smart?

Ultimately, there’s no blueprint for forming a smart factory. It depends entirely on your unique circumstances. All that’s necessary is the latest digital technology, such as Parsable’s Connected Worker® mobile app, to connect people, processes, and machines.

The structure of a smart factory

While every smart factory looks different, transitioning a normal factory into a smart one relies on a structure that sits on three core pillars.

1. Data acquisition

Industry 4.0 technologies consolidate and integrate data across key systems. The first step to establishing a smart factory is finding the right technology to gather data across all of your workflows. For example, operations managers can place sensors on key industrial tools to gather metrics on performance, material waste, or downtime.

2. Data analysis

Another key element of the smart factory is its ability to merge real-time data with historical data to provide accurate recommendations for streamlining operations.

With potentially hundreds of datasets coming through, machine learning mechanisms rapidly sort the data. From there, they employ advanced analytics to offer action-oriented insights concerning issues like maintenance, logistics, or demand forecasts.

3. Automation

After the data collection and analysis, smart factories can self-optimize.

AI and machine learning are two enormous pieces of Industry 4.0. Using algorithms, they interpret data and take action without human intervention.

An example of this is machines that monitor historical and real-time demand. Factory automation also applies to machines that conduct predictive maintenance, which reduces downtime and repair costs.

Benefits of a Smart Factory

Industry 4.0 technologies are more available and affordable than ever, and many manufacturing companies now realize that even minor initiatives can lead to massive smart factory benefits.

Productivity and efficiency

Predictive analytics are one of the most impactful outcomes of Industry 4.0. Through more insightful analyses, businesses can avoid taking a reactive approach to underlying inefficiencies. Instead, through smart factory technology, they can peek into the future.

These developments lead to massive boosts in productivity and responsiveness. They minimize redundancies while maximizing the company’s ability to sustain or increase its current production levels without making costly investments in equipment and personnel.

Sustainability and safety

Industry 4.0 seeks to enhance more than just production quantity.

Now, consumers prioritize sustainability as a baseline requirement for their products. Smart factory technology allows companies to lock in practices that reduce waste and increase workplace safety. For example, IoT sensors are great for monitoring utility usage and carbon footprints, allowing companies to set goals and develop plans to meet consumers’ expectations and regulatory requirements.

Product quality and the customer experience

Customers’ preferences and expectations are subject to shifting trends.

Advanced analytics tools and cloud computing platforms allow companies to identify new consumer trends as they arise and shift their product development or marketing strategies to align with buyers’ needs.

Smart Factory Technologies

While technology isn’t the only factor at play in smart factories, it allows processes to become more scalable, reduce production times, and provide safer work environments.

Here are some of the most common solutions for launching your factory into the brave new world of Industry 4.0.

Sensors

IoT sensors are the heart of processing and using datasets. With the right sensors, analog machines can provide valuable insights that help lower costs, raise production levels, and enhance customer value.

Cloud computing

Cloud computing is the central storage unit through which all data flows. It abolishes the need for physical servers and connects factories, warehouses, and supply chains across a national or global digital network. This network, freed from physical constraints, leads to deeper insights that apply across entire workflows.

Big data analytics

Historically, processing data required immense human effort to sift through troves of data and link important insights.

Big data analytics speed up the process, automatically compiling datasets and scraping them for insights. Then, they generate clear, visual reports concerning solutions like preventative maintenance or predictive insights concerning seasonal demand and optimal work schedules.

Virtual and augmented reality

A factory’s efficiency relies on spatial awareness and optimizing layouts and inventories. Virtual and augmented reality can enhance your ability to analyze environmental conditions and spot areas for improvement to avoid stock-outs.

Digital twins

A digital twin is a virtual copy of a physical machine, process, or product. Factory managers can run tests on a digital twin to gain insights and run accelerated risk assessments to test things like production capacity. Overall, digital twins can significantly reduce time to market while enhancing your efficiency.

Smart Manufacturing’s Key Capabilities

Smart factories are critical to continuous improvement. However, properly integrating these technologies hinges on centralizing data-driven insights, analytics, and communication, which is best accomplished through a modern suite of tools, like with Parsable’s mobile-first approach.

Visibility

Big data, VR, AR, and digital twins all promote heightened insights across the manufacturing process. A connected worker platform provides a place to store insights, collaborate across teams, and share practices that promote efficiency, sustainability, and safety.

Prioritizing insights

Certain data-driven insights require greater urgency when it comes to integration. For example, if an IoT sensor uncovers a worker safety issue, it requires immediate attention before causing severe damage.

Connected worker software integrates all of your sensors and operational data, configuring reports to identify and prioritize trends. Then it communicates these insights to those with the power to enact meaningful change.

Resolution structure

Problem resolution works better with clear channels of communication and accountability. For example, shared digital communication is much more effective than paper documents. However, 81% of manufacturers still rely on paper-based processes for workplace instructions and procedures.

Centralized software allows management to map out processes and standardize workflows to institute an effective resolution structure from the top down.

Speed to value

Speed to value is a principle concerning how fast manufacturers can implement changes that bring customers greater value. With effective communication platforms, companies can take their data-driven insights and deliver more value at greater speeds.

Empowered employees

Employees are at their best when they have access to key insights. Connected worker software empowers employees by providing a central location to access critical data and training resources concerning workplace safety, product updates, and compliance.

Becoming a Smart Manufacturer

Interested in taking the leap to become a smart manufacturer? Here’s a general outline of what it takes to become one.

Strategy

Identify key areas of concern, such as production inefficiencies, downtime events, supply chain stoppages, and inventory stock-outs. Then, strategically select the smart technologies that best address your core issues.

Connectivity

Find ways to digitize your processes and equipment through IoT sensors.

System integration

Integrate all of your connected systems through cloud computing and connected worker tools to gain an overview of the entire manufacturing process.

Advanced analytics

After connecting and integrating your devices, employ big data tools to unearth predictive and prescriptive insights. For example, on the factory floor, sensor data can help you predict when a machine needs repairs, and connected worker software can alert managers to take action before any issues escalate.

Optimization

Use action-oriented data to boost your productivity and optimize your workflows, schedules, inventory levels, and supply chain efficiency. Continue re-evaluating each step of the process to optimize your smart factory approach as you commit to continuous improvement.

Want to learn more about the future of work? Read more about the approach that encompasses all of the solutions you’ll need to maximize efficiency, improve worker safety and create a higher standard of production quality.

The post What Is a Smart Factory? Manufacturing’s Future appeared first on Parsable.

Adaptarse a la “nueva normalidad” mientras se enfrentan cambios en el comportamiento del consumidor y en la dinámica del comercio minorista supone un desafío significativo. Los hábitos de compra y las estrategias minoristas han evolucionado para responder a nuestro contexto actual de volatilidad, incertidumbre, complejidad y ambigüedad (VUCA en inglés) y, para prosperar en este panorama transformado, las embotelladoras, los fabricantes de alimentos y los minoristas deben adaptarse y desarrollar nuevas capacidades.

Los 3 desafíos clave que enfrentan los fabricantes de cerveza

Los fabricantes de alimentos enfrentan tres desafíos para mantener la eficiencia de sus operaciones productivas.

1. Mantener la seguridad de los empleados

Garantizar la seguridad de los empleados en una operación cervecera es fundamental por varias razones importantes. En primer lugar, la empresa tiene la obligación moral de salvaguardar el bienestar de sus trabajadores. Además, priorizar la seguridad de los trabajadores fomenta un ambiente laboral positivo, lo que contribuye a elevar la moral y la productividad. A su vez, la implementación de medidas de seguridad, como incrementar la disponibilidad de Equipos de Protección Individual (EPI) y mejorar los procedimientos de limpieza, no solo protege la salud de los empleados, sino que también disminuye el riesgo de interrupciones operativas debido a enfermedades o ausencias. Facilitar que las empresas mantengan a los empleados seguros es esencial para agilizar el cumplimiento de las regulaciones y normativas, reducir la carga administrativa y permitir que las empresas se enfoquen en sus operaciones principales. En última instancia, al priorizar la seguridad de los trabajadores, los fabricantes de cerveza pueden garantizar la continuidad del negocio y preservar la integridad de sus operaciones de fabricación.

2. Ser más productivo y aumentar la capacidad de producción

Cuando se trata de satisfacer la demanda, los fabricantes de cerveza enfrentan el desafío de adaptarse a la evolución del comportamiento del consumidor. Conforme algunos fabricantes experimentan un aumento en la demanda, es crucial que se aseguren de tener visibilidad completa de extremo a extremo de las operaciones para gestionar eficientemente su capacidad. Para adaptarse a los márgenes reducidos que surgen de la fluctuación de la demanda o para incrementar la producción y satisfacer la demanda creciente es necesario contar con flexibilidad y eficiencia. A pesar de estos desafíos, las empresas de alimentos y bebidas se mantienen optimistas con respecto al futuro y confían en que resurgirán más fuertes gracias a la tecnología digital. Esta tecnología proporciona visibilidad en tiempo real, flexibilidad y mejoras en la productividad en todas las operaciones.

3. Satisfacer las preferencias cambiantes de compra del consumidor

Reconociendo que la pandemia ha quedado atrás, sigue siendo imperativo que los fabricantes de alimentos analicen las tendencias y tengan acceso a datos predictivos sobre las preferencias de compra de los consumidores.

Durante la pandemia de COVID-19, las restricciones de distanciamiento social y las prohibiciones de grandes reuniones detuvieron el consumo de cerveza en eventos como conciertos y eventos deportivos. Esto impactó en las ganancias de las cervecerías, ya que sus márgenes de venta de cerveza en supermercados en comparación con las ventas en eventos se vieron reducidos.

Estos cambios en el comportamiento del consumidor han dificultado que los fabricantes de alimentos puedan medir con precisión la demanda. Los patrones de compra anteriores ya no predicen la demanda futura.

El papel de la tecnología es crucial a medida que los fabricantes de alimentos superan estos desafíos, ya que les permite adaptarse y prosperar en el cambiante panorama del consumidor.

Agilice sus procesos de fabricación con Connected Worker® de Parsable

Dependiendo de cuándo se descubra, un lote de cerveza en mal estado puede resultar en diversos grados de desperdicio. Si un lote en mal estado sale de la planta de fabricación y llega al almacén, o peor aún, se coloca en las estanterías, las pérdidas financieras resultantes pueden ser significativas y dañinas para la reputación de la marca. ¿Qué medidas pueden tomarse para reaccionar de manera más ágil ante el desperdicio y detectar problemas desde el inicio?

La producción de cerveza genera una considerable cantidad de desperdicios, muchos de los cuales son atribuibles a errores humanos en el proceso de fabricación. Esto sucede cuando los trabajadores no reciben la capacitación adecuada o no son conscientes de que sus acciones son incorrectas. Los Procedimientos Operativos Estándar Digitales (SOP en inglés) ofrecen orientación para garantizar que los trabajadores estén adecuadamente capacitados, comprendan cómo llevar a cabo un procedimiento, sigan los pasos del trabajo de manera consistente y reduzcan la probabilidad de errores debido a fallas humanas involuntarias.

La tecnología de Connected Worker puede transformar los procesos de trabajo industrial estáticos basados en papel en procedimientos dinámicos, digitales e interactivos. Es una solución simple y fácil de usar que ayuda a los trabajadores de primera línea y a los expertos internos a capturar, digitalizar y redactar Procedimientos Operativos Estándar Digitales, lo que empodera a los trabajadores en las plantas de fabricación de cerveza. Este es un paso clave para garantizar la eficiencia y poder hacer frente a los cambios en la producción. También ayuda a orientar a los trabajadores en procesos nuevos o desconocidos mediante instrucciones paso a paso integradas directamente en la aplicación.

Depender de procedimientos tradicionales basados en papel y registrar datos manualmente puede resultar en errores de transcripción, errores humanos en los datos registrados y retrasos en los tiempos de respuesta. Por ejemplo, si se identifica un defecto en la línea de producción, este se registra en papel, luego se ingresa en un panel de Excel y finalmente se envía a la persona encargada de la calidad, quien posteriormente alerta al gerente de producción. No solo hay margen de error en los datos capturados, sino que también se producen múltiples transferencias de datos y se pierde tiempo en el proceso. Con una plataforma digital, es posible capturar datos en cada paso del proceso de fabricación y reducir considerablemente el tiempo de respuesta. La eficiencia proviene de la granularidad de los datos y la capacidad de recibir actualizaciones casi en tiempo real en los paneles de análisis, lo que permite identificar posibles problemas o tendencias en los procesos y notificar al miembro del equipo correspondiente de inmediato dentro de la aplicación.

Connected Worker empodera a quienes están en la primera línea de la industria con las herramientas y la confianza necesarias para realizar su trabajo de la manera más segura y eficiente posible. Contar con herramientas digitales ya no es solo agradable, sino una necesidad, lo que permite a sus equipos tener éxito en estos entornos globales en constante cambio.

¿Desea más información? Nuestro estudio de caso demuestra cómo Parsable ayudó a una cervecería internacional a hacer posible que los operadores de planta completaran rápidamente y sin complicaciones las tareas de mantenimiento autónomo, lo que resultó en un aumento del 5% en la Eficiencia Global del Equipo (OEE en inglés).

The post Los 3 desafíos clave que enfrentan los fabricantes de cerveza appeared first on Parsable.

Solutions like connected worker software are increasingly being used by CPG manufacturers to not only gather data on how work is performed on the factory floor, but to automatically sync that data to business intelligence and analytics tools. The end result? Manufacturing best practices at scale, a more paperless manufacturing environment and more efficient output.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany, which employs 7,000 people, uses connected worker software to help their frontline workers collaborate more effectively and, by doing so, take their operations and logistics to the next level of productivity.   

Similarly, Grupo Bimbo uses connected worker software to achieve the next level of worker occupational safety by implementing digital standard operating procedures (SOPs) and scaling best practices across multiple sites and languages.

CPG manufacturers need to be both offensively and defensively positioned in a rapidly changing supply chain and consumer environment. And data and connected worker technology are at the core of both strategies.

The CPG Manufacturing Landscape: Disruption Meets Optimism

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally shifted expectations and manufacturing best practices around workplace flexibility, employee safety, health and wellness. Coming out of the past few years since 2020, CPG manufacturers have a heightened awareness that disruption and change can happen overnight. Through the pandemic and beyond, the industry has had to navigate higher wages, fuel costs, a talent shortage, sluggish supply chains and material shortages, and accelerated digital expectations by customers and employees.

Recent data shows that for 62% of manufacturers and distributors, hiring is a top challenge. Demographic trends and changing work force preferences are the forces driving this. The Baby Boomer generation is retiring, but they’re not being replaced at the necessary rates by younger workers. This is at least partly due to misperceptions around what manufacturing jobs are like – in a Parsable survey of 1,000 18- to 24-year-olds, 30% were concerned it would be a “low-skilled, manual job” – and the lack of familiarity around what skills are needed to qualify for these roles.   

Yet for most organizations, including CPG manufacturers, their people are the most critical asset. As Dr. Fabrizio Salvador, professor of operations management at IE Business School, explains in a Parsable “Conquering Chaos” podcast episode, “people analytics is about understanding what is needed to empower and enable them because they are who will ultimately be bringing the value to your organization.”

Despite all these challenges, research from “The 2022 Outlook: The Future of the Manufacturing Industry” found that the sector is mainly optimistic: 70% of respondents expect organic growth, and 51% intend to introduce new products or services. 

Connected worker software can help CPG manufacturers to achieve these growth goals despite increasing external pressures. It enables the optimal use of data across the business, improving staffing and organizational culture in addition to operational measures like productivity, safety and sustainability.

Maximizing Productivity Requires a People-first, Connected Worker Mindset

“For the CPG manufacturing sector, connected worker platforms unlock capabilities that represent their offensive and defensive productivity strategy,” says Jaime Urquidi, regional vice president, Americas, and CPG industry lead at Parsable. Urquidi has more than 25 years of experience managing CPG manufacturing facilities at Unilever, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble.

“The offensive competitive advantage is that connected worker software helps improve productivity, employee engagement and effectiveness, positioning the company in a talent shortage,” he says. “It also provides the most robust defensive strategy in times of turbulence. Real-time insights help leaders make better decisions faster. They have more assurance that they have the information needed to navigate whatever comes up in the business.”

Leveraging data to maximize productivity is a continuous process for CPG manufacturers. It doesn’t have a deadline or finish line; it’s a never-ending process that should touch every corner of an organization.

Connected worker software is a way for CPG manufacturers to understand and apply their data to improve productivity, increase efficiency, drive profitability, position themselves to be competitive and agile for any disruptions that might arise, and make the most of any new opportunities that may emerge. 

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners: Connected Worker Software Improves Plant Productivity and Employee Engagement

Steffen Löser, manager of processes and solutions at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany, is responsible for supply chain processes, further development and standardization. The German facility and team require regular changeovers to meet their multiple production schedules. “They may have to change over three or more times a day, plus cleaning shifts,” he says.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany has approximately 7,000 employees and, as part of its “Fit for Future” strategy, continuously looks for digital solutions to both better support employees and, at the same time, strengthen the company’s competitiveness.

In 2019, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany launched its initial project with Parsable’s Connected Worker®. It‘s now able to support employees directly with digital work instructions and interactive checklists, ensuring greater adherence to standard procedures.

Specifically, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany uses Parsable in maintenance and quality management, warehousing, transportation, and distribution. As Löser shares, “Parsable contributes above all to the fact that our supply chain continues to function smoothly despite increasing complexity. After all, we can see how much it simplifies employees’ day-to-day work and is correspondingly well adopted.”

(Read the full success story.)

Global Bakery Grupo Bimbo Significantly Improves Worker Safety with Connected Work

Grupo Bimbo is a global Mexico-based CPG company and the largest bakery in the world. It has approximately $15.6 billion in revenue and a presence in more than 30 countries. 

Grupo Bimbo wanted to improve its associates’ well-being across 20 plants in 10 countries by digitally standardizing safety procedures, specifically safety incident investigations, safety observations and good safety processes. It implemented Parsable Connected Worker® as part of a holistic upgrade of Bimbo QSR’s occupational safety program.

Data captured by bakery associates using Parsable’s mobile app provided leadership with real-time visibility into safety performance at enterprise-wide, regional and facility-specific levels. The results improved safety across operations.

“Digitizing safety program components using Parsable and analyzing the resulting data has enabled us to make changes proactively before workplace incidents happen, ” says Didier Moleres, vice president of global operations at Grupo Bimbo. 

(Read the full success story.)

Connected Worker Software Improves Sustainability

By digitizing paper-based procedures and capturing data on what’s happening on the factory floor, Parsable is also helping CPG manufacturers significantly improve sustainability and energy usage.

For example, one company was able to reduce waste by 10% in three months with the use of connected worker technology and other digital tools. All waste became routinely scanned, tagged, measured, and, where possible, photographed – a prime example of the importance of capturing data and how “you can only improve what you measure.” This eventually resulted in significant financial savings over the course of the year, and the company went from being the highest producer of waste in its country of operation to “best performing” in two years.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners also is using connected worker technology to reach its sustainability goals, a big one being its commitment to be climate neutral by 2040. Paperless manufacturing – moving work instructions off paper and into an interactive digital format – is one lever. Other effects are far more significant: For example, the start-up and shut-down checklists for the production lines help to reduce consumption of water and electricity, and to save energy in the generation of compressed air. 

According to Löser, “Because we perform all checks reliably in Parsable, costs and sustainability-related issues are positively impacted.”

It’s clear that the real-time data provided by connected worker technology makes it significantly easier and faster for CPG manufacturers to identify positive and negative patterns, and implement changes across the business. And by ensuring that frontline workers and teams are part of the process, it helps create a culture of continuous improvement and optimization. Companies that embrace this approach are winning over their competition in productivity, quality, safety and sustainability.

Want to learn more about operational excellence? Read more about the approach that encompasses all of the solutions you’ll need to maximize efficiency, improve worker safety and create a higher standard of production quality.

The post How Global CPG Manufacturers Like Grupo Bimbo and Coca-Cola Use Data to Increase Productivity appeared first on Parsable.