Challenges
As a premier leader in the manufacturing of food products, our revered company
in the United States boasts a diverse product range that spans a variety of
categories. In addition to tea, coffee, and ice cream and frozen desserts, we
offer a range of health food drinks and innovative edible products to our
esteemed clients. Our loyal clientele base comprises professionals from a
plethora of sectors, retail stores and chains, prominent e-commerce websites,
as well as reputable distributors.
Despite our remarkable brand reputation, our manual process for receiving and
validating raw material every day was not without flaws. The overwhelming
number of invoices that we received from multiple vendors every day for the
preparation of our food products was tedious and time-consuming for our staff.
Moreover, the manual steps in our standardized food processing lifecycle were
error-prone, and we encountered challenges in tracking our final packaged
product.
Therefore, we sought to develop an internal application that could perform
end-to-end tracking of every activity on the shop floor. Our intention was to
obtain details such as which vendor's ingredients were present in which batch
of the final product, and to monitor the shop floor employee's adherence to
every process step and user-specific activity. Crucially, we required an
internal application that was mobile responsive, reliable, and capable of
accommodating multiple users simultaneously.
Solution
We created a cutting-edge Lot tracking application using
PowerApps that was seamlessly integrated into the client's tenant and shared
with relevant team members. The app was accessible on mobile devices, allowing
the Production team on the shop floor and the purchase department to easily
scan and track items throughout each stage of the food preparation process. Our
team Key implemented PowerApps in a way that allowed employees to flawlessly
observe strict food processes and product dates.
One of the biggest challenges our client faced was the manual entry and
verification of raw ingredients received from multiple vendors. To combat this,
we expertly developed an AI-based OCR system that scanned vendor invoices,
saving the team valuable time and effort. Our customized system was
specifically trained to read and enter values from invoices, virtually
eliminating the potential for human error. All the team needed to do was verify
that physical ingredients matched the automated data entry.
To enhance food safety and product traceability, our team integrated real-time
QR code generation into the application. At every stage of food processing,
users are able to generate and print new QR codes that are pasted on boxes,
allowing employees to track details such as activity name, date, and user. Each
stage is uniquely tracked with its own QR code, providing insight into food quality
and any potential issues at specific stages. Our application takes food safety
and quality to a whole new level.
To ensure seamless integration and accessibility, our team implemented cloud
printing functionality for all generated QR codes. The file for each stage is
automatically sent to the cloud printer, which can exist remotely. This allowed
for even greater flexibility and efficiency for our client's team.
Our innovative approach to food processing cycle tracking
enables end-to-end monitoring of all production processes and the individuals
responsible for them. By meticulously tracking raw materials, process timings,
and output quality, we ensure that no stages are missed or shortcuts taken that
could compromise product quality. Our system generates unique QR codes that can
be scanned at any stage of production, providing real-time information on
activity, raw materials, vendor details, and processing date and time.
Integration with third-party ERP systems enables seamless management of master
data, including raw materials, vendors, processed products, and customers. Our
professional approach ensures that everything is managed efficiently and with
precision, all within one centralized database.
Results
The implementation of the lot tracking Power App has yielded remarkable
benefits for our client team. Productivity levels have improved significantly,
and time-consuming raw material receiving processes have been transformed into
simplified, automated systems.
With an enhanced food safety and quality tracking mechanism, the end-to-end
monitoring of the food processing lifecycle has become a cakewalk. Stakeholders
now have access to detailed reports and tracking mechanisms, facilitating
informed business decisions.
The solution has also resulted in a reduction of unnecessary human errors, as
information no longer needs to be added manually. The integration of OCR has
elevated employee efficiency rates, enabling them to focus on crucial,
high-value tasks.
Overall, the implementation of the lot tracking Power App has proven to be a
game changer in the food processing industry.
