Page 34 - Food&Drink July 2019

MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS
Right place, right time
Automation means no more paper and clipboards.
is a critical part of recall management.
Food safety will always be a concern, and it is vital that manufacturers are able to keep track of exactly where ingredients are, where they’ve come from and who handles them.
Only last year Australia’s multi-million dollar strawberry industry was brought to a standstill when needles were found in fruit. At least 100 cases were reported, and the scandal affected six of Australia’s strawberry brands.
When product recalls occur, immediate action is required. If inventory is poorly managed, this process is extremely difficult to execute and there is a risk that some units may miss being checked.
With cases such as the strawberry scandal putting consumer health seriously at risk, manufacturers cannot afford to miss stock.
Automating food and beverage inventory management is critical for manufacturers to optimise material handling. EU Automation Asia-Pacific sales manager John Young explains.
WHEN we are cooking at home and realise a critical ingredient is missing, we can work on a creative fix, but when that happens on an industrial scale such adaptations cannot be made. So instead of a new version of a family favourite at home, in a manfucturing facility you end up with unnecessary waste, increased costs and disgruntled clients.
A MATERIAL WORLD
Material handling combines moving, storing and controlling goods to ensure that the correct amount is in the right place at the right time. Failure to manage materials effectively can mean businesses over-order, leaving items to languish in warehouses and tie up the chances of profit in working capital.
Poor inventory management also makes it difficult for workers to access items when they need them, adversely
impacting productivity. In fact, a study by international research firm Gartner says that 70 per cent of businesses do not have effective inventory management systems in place.
Using paper processes or spreadsheets woven with complex formulas to manage inventory invites mistakes and does not allow for real-time monitoring, which leads to inaccuracies.
Integrated inventory management software allows businesses to automate the entire process, from monitoring stock levels, to generating work orders and billing for materials. The software eliminates the need to manually enter inventory information, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.
TRACK AND TRACE
Farm-to-fork traceability is the expectation today for customers and consumers and
✷ ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
John Young is the Asia-Pacific sales director for EU
Automation. He has
worked for the company
in France, Africa and the Middle East and is now based in Singapore.
34 | Food&Drink business | July 2019 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au