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The Importance Of Asset Performance On Food Safety

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Nov 15, 2022 10:17:25 AM

Asset performance is key for food and beverage processors to reliably produce safe food at the lowest cost. This goes beyond only having the equipment available. Asset performance is one of three variables used to calculate the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)—the other two variables are availability and quality. In food and beverage processing, quality is primarily about food safety, which is non-negotiable. Studies show that a food safety issue leading to a recall in average costs $10 million. The associated brand damage can be unmeasurable.

The state of equipment and the behaviour of workers have a big impact on food safety. Eliminating food safety risks and risks to workers are the primary responsibilities of any food processing company. Numerous food safety issues caused by contaminations with extraneous material like metal coming from broken filling equipment, or grease or detergent remnants are reported to the FDA and RASFF every year. Cross contamination, pathogens, and faulty labeling are other possible reasons why food and beverage manufacturers must recall products

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Topics: Digital Transformation, Food & Beverage, Distribution, Supply Chain, Artificial Intelligence, digital technology, Food Technology, CloudSuite Food & Beverage, Enterprise Software

Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning In Food Technology

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Sep 15, 2022 2:05:05 PM

The food and beverage industry is ripe with complexities, and the journey from idea to commercialization is long and arduous for food technologists. New product ideas or packaging developments have to endure rigorous data collection, testing, and certifications to make it to consumer shelves—processes carried out by food technologists working with manual tools, creating a wide margin for potential error.

Excel and pen-and-paper methods are common ways to record data and make calculations regarding research and development, quality standards, raw supplies orders, and dozens of other variables associated with the manufacturing process. Luckily, the industry has seen an uptick in the adoption of digital transformation methodologies. Accessible, commodity-based technologies are making it easier to accurately record data and make mission-critical calculations.

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Topics: Digital Transformation, Food & Beverage, Distribution, Supply Chain, Artificial Intelligence, digital technology, Food Technology, CloudSuite Food & Beverage, Enterprise Software

Managed Services Myths Debunked.

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Aug 10, 2022 4:13:04 PM

The fact is managed services are on the rise and in high demand by customers worldwide—and, with good reason. They are an ideal way for customers to get the on-demand expertise they need at a predictable cost. With Infor Managed Services, our goal is to provide customers the long-term support and post-go-live services that coincide with the double-decade lifespan they expect from their Infor application investment.

 

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Topics: Digital Transformation, ERP, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Webinar, Process Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Fashion PLM

Embrace The Human Side Of Maintenance Technology And Productivity

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Jun 30, 2022 2:39:46 PM

The manufacturing industry has witnessed extraordinary changes over the past 250 years, with enterprises more recently transitioning to the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Industry 4.0 addresses the challenges of the modern world with autonomous systems, smart technology, machine learning, and an agile operations model.

This transition to automation has inspired sweeping changes in asset management and maintenance as well. Manufacturers looking to gain a competitive edge and create a more resilient infrastructure have begun adopting the doctrine of Industry 4.0 in tandem with upgrades of their maintenance efforts that embrace the human side of technology and empower employees to reach new levels of productivity.

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Topics: Digital Transformation, Food & Beverage, Distribution, Supply Chain, Artificial Intelligence, digital technology, Food Technology, CloudSuite Food & Beverage, Enterprise Asset Management, Enterprise Software

What F&B Manufacturers Can Expect From Asset Performance Management

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Jun 29, 2022 12:56:09 PM

A strategic approach to Asset Performance Management (APM) helps you keep critical equipment and production lines up and running, using the mountains of operational data now available to help you track equipment performance, anticipate the need for maintenance, and prevent breakdowns before they occur. But even in steady economic times, and certainly in the midst of a global pandemic, the decision to embrace the new technology will always be guided by the bottom line: Will the cost of the new system be justified by the efficiencies and cost savings it delivers?

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Topics: Digital Transformation, Food & Beverage, Distribution, Supply Chain, Artificial Intelligence, digital technology, Food Technology, CloudSuite Food & Beverage, Enterprise Asset Management, Enterprise Software

5 Ways Infor CloudSuites Help Manufacturers Expand Work-From-Anywhere

Posted by Harriet Schneider on May 18, 2022 2:07:21 PM

What does anywhere operations mean?

Many industries, including manufacturing, pivoted toward a dispersed workforce as they faced COVID-related restrictions for distancing in the workplace. Often, the policies adopted out of necessity also brought unexpected benefits. We discovered that remote workers can still be highly productive, and a distributed infrastructure can still maintain security and reliability. Plus, the ability to connect from anywhere enhances agility, collaboration, and expands the talent pool. Flexibility is valuable to the workforce.

So, why go back to the traditional business model? Many manufacturers are considering this carefully and examining how to retain the best components of remote connectivity without compromising shop floor activities and the fulfilment of customer orders. Technology can help. With modern remote connectivity, employees can stay connected, accessing tools and data and engaging with colleagues and customers from anywhere.

 

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Topics: Digital Transformation, ERP, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Webinar, Process Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Fashion PLM

Learn How To Get Out Of A Sticky Situation By Replacing Hospitality Software

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Apr 15, 2022 10:45:52 AM

Stability is important. Hotels, casinos, and resorts have guests they need to serve right now, today. Hospitality software solutions in place help them do that by taking care of the basics: reservations, check-ins, folios and check-outs, along with a staggering variety of in-house services and their associated charges. Essential software like hotel PMS is pretty “sticky” that way; it’s easier to stick to what you’ve got than it is to change. Why fix what isn’t broken?

Here’s the thing. Five years from now – perhaps sooner – the way guests engage with hospitality providers will likely look very different. Innovative solutions and platforms will be necessary to scale to that new paradigm, whatever it may be. So how do hospitality organizations know when it’s time to start planning for that? How do decision-makers know when it’s time to get unstuck? Here are 3 considerations to help answer that question.

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Topics: ERP, Distribution, Process Manufacturing, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Food Technology, Business Intelligence, Cloud BI, Enterprise Asset Management, Enterprise Software, Business Processes, Infor CloudSuite M3, Infor CloudSuite ERP

Striking the Balance In Hospitality AI vs. Human Expertise

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Apr 14, 2022 1:48:09 PM

As new hospitality technology emerges and as organizations increasingly invest in it, the ways people do their jobs change in response. Most of the time, this means greater efficiency, and a way for teams to concentrate on key tasks while the technology takes care of the necessary minutiae. Some of the time though, the rise of certain technologies can cause some concerns that with certain functionality in place, the human factor will get lost.

Hospitality AI functionality in hotel revenue management and in hotel pricing tools is a case in point. The conversation around automation via algorithms has been too easily positioned with a “versus” between machine learning solutions and professional expertise. Yet, the features of the technology and years of knowledge and experience held by revenue and strategy teams isn’t adversarial. The relationship between them is more about achieving greater focus and clarity. How do science-based algorithms in revenue management and pricing solutions help your organization do that? Let’s look at some key points.

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Topics: ERP, Distribution, Process Manufacturing, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Food Technology, Business Intelligence, Cloud BI, Enterprise Asset Management, Enterprise Software, Business Processes, Infor CloudSuite M3, Infor CloudSuite ERP

Satisfying Customers With AI To Optimize Retail Inventory

Posted by Harriet Schneider on Feb 11, 2020 8:00:00 AM

Dear frustrated retailer:

Are you responsible for the success of your company’s retail business from sales, margin, and inventory levels to overall customer satisfaction? If so, what happens when a valuable customer tries to make a purchase from one of your stores or online but is disappointed when there is no inventory? Odds are great you won’t get them back. Out of stocks are a huge problem for your financial bottom line.

What happens when you have excess inventory in the wrong products, wrong locations, or at the wrong time, leading to disappointed customers? You might not be back. Slow moving, stagnant inventory stranded in various locations throughout your supply chain is a tremendous problem for your financial bottom line—and your career.

Your greatest challenge is balancing the need to satisfy customers with your business’ profitability and
growth. Customer loyalty is finicky. They demand inventory when they want it, where they want, and
have a myriad of options on their smartphone to change brands, retailers, locations, and delivery
method. In this new age of retail, you can’t afford to lose a customer to your competition. At the same
time, you can’t load up every location/channel with an infinite amount of inventory in hopes of satisfying every customer’s purchase

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Topics: AI, Artificial Intelligence, CloudSuite Retail, Retail Inventory

Defining Digital Transformation - Automation, Transformation, People

Posted by Harriet Schneider on May 30, 2019 8:00:00 AM

Digital transformation is on the agendas of virtually all corporations today. It has risen to the top of strategic plans and has become the focus of businesses around the globe. So great an industry evolution, IDC indicates spending on technologies and services that enable the digital transformation of businesses will hit $1.97 trillion in 2022.

 
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Topics: Digital Transformation, Digital Strategy, Digital Journey, AI, Artificial Intelligence

About ICCG

Welcome to our Blog - ICCG Insights!

Embracing thought leadership as a pathway for growth, represents the true spirit of progressive change that will make a difference in technology-driven industries. As a consulting company, ICCG customers look to us as their value-added resource. They expect us to be proactive about solving their immediate challenges and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. It is this that drives us to share our best practices, knowledge-base, years of experience, and tried and true methodologies. These have been the hallmarks of our corporate brand.

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