Processing and packaging food takes a lot of diligent attention to detail to ensure quality and food safety. That is especially the case when dealing with the fresh produce industry. There are regulations that come from the federal government (FSMA and others), but in addition to that, some large customers will create additional requirements for their own products. Dealing with this complexity on a given work day can be several full-time jobs.
Recognizing the challenges they faced, the largest salad producer in North America turned to KipTraq several years ago to help them manage this complexity. Instead of paper forms, their employees log all transactions on phones or tablets. Since implementing KipTraq in over a dozen of their production facilities, this company has seen tremendous cost savings. By their own numbers, their QA staff reported being 20% more efficient than they were before they used KipTraq. Their supervisors reported saving an average of four hours per work day.
How do they save so much time using KipTraq?
The QA staff go to a station to collect data. RFID tags mounted on their production lines and equipment tell KipTraq where they are, and show a list of tasks the user can perform. The user can quickly enter their data, whether by taking a picture, picking from a list, or scanning a barcode. The input screen can even change based on entered information, so if each product has different specifications that must be met, the tablet can enforce the rules and send detailed emails if things are out of specification.
The supervisors can see dashboards that show what is happening on the floor in real time from their computer or mobile device. They can review a short list of exceptions and can sign off electronically. Supervisors report higher job satisfaction with KipTraq, as they have time to supervise and instruct their employees rather than just push paperwork all day.
Using KipTraq, this customer was able to reduce errors and produce real-time reports that managers could use to streamline operations and inform sales about the current state of production. They can also view exception-based reports, so instead of reviewing paperwork to identify issues, they can see a short list of things that are missing or out of specification.
To see how KipTraq can help your business, contact us. We’ll set up a call where we can discuss the specifics of your operations and where KipTraq fits in those operations. We’re confident that KipTraq can make a meaningful impact on your business, and quickly deliver a significant return on investment.
To learn how KipTraq can help your team leverage a single platform and to learn more about how mobile data collection creates competitive advantages for our clients please contact us for a custom demo and a quick discussion.
Real results from KipTraq customers
- “Our QA staff are at least 20% more efficient than they were before KipTraq”
- “We save approximately 4 hours of supervisor time every day”