Taking Charge of the Supply Chain to Boost Revenues

Food traceability has steadily become an essential requirement in the increasingly complex, industrialized, and global food system. Being able to ascertain the origin of products and their attributes from the farm through food processing, to retail and food service, and into the home can be a critical tool for manufacturers, consumers, and everyone else along the supply chain.

Traceability systems tend to be motivated by economic incentives, and not by government traceability regulations. Companies build traceability systems to improve supply-side management, to increase safety and quality control, and to market foods with certain claims - such as whether a type of food was produced without genetic engineering. The benefits associated with these objectives include lower-cost distribution systems, reduced recall expenses, and expanded sales of high-value products. In every case, the benefits of traceability translate into larger net revenues for the company.

Labeling and Inventory

Dynamic Systems, Inc., is a company based in Redmond, Washington that provides real-time traceability systems for the produce industry. The company offers a barcode-based system designed for potato processors, growers, packers and shippers.

When fully utilized, the SIMBA system provides up-to-the-minute accurate inventory, for both unprocessed bins as well as product that is packed and ready to be picked for shipment. The software can print both case and pallet labels, and delivers detailed traceability information by recording shipping manifests and bills of lading.

The system can be connected to digital scales or printer/applicators, which saves time and increases productivity in packing. This label information is stored in the SIMBA Office inventory, which provides data for inventory management, traceability and shipping as well as allowing for queries and printing reports.

"Key results from implementing the SIMBA Traceability & Labeling Software include real-time production reporting, fulfillment of traceability requirements, more accurate inventory, a professional-looking carton and pallet labels, and verified shipping. The SIMBA Potato System is simple to use and will improve productivity, reduce errors and provide faster processing," said Bill Allen, process improvement consultant, in a company statement.

You can read the rest of this article in your complimentary e-copy of Issue 3 of Potato Business Dossier 2023, which you can access by clicking here.