Food Logistics serves the entire Printing Industry with targeted content for the large commercial print segment.
Issue link: https://foodlogistics.epubxp.com/i/295107
ity assurance employees can do their jobs walking the shop floor, the warehouse and/ or the R&D; lab by entering data right into their handheld devices as they go, with the resulting benefits: • Initiated at various stages of material movement (such as receiving, output or shipping), quality audits can be captured electronically and in real-time using mobile devices. • Lot blocks can be automated as soon as a quality audit is created; the audit is linked, within the ERP system, to each spe- cific transaction related to the blocked lot. • Quality holds created by employees within the ERP system, and only users with security rights can release or move a hold. Additional tests can be linked to the quality hold. • Electronic verification that an audit has been completed correctly, including a digital signature step if required. • Accelerated traceability, via single- button trigger, supporting the product recall process. • All data is linked together, so users don't need to look in different places for the information relating to quality. • Suggestions of audits based on cal- endar frequency such as GMP audits, with associated planning worksheets. Having access to transactional data and real-time metrics in situ is no longer a 'nice to have'; to compete in an industry where profit margins can be pretty slim, your com- pany needs to investigate the full range of functionality of any ERP system. We are at a time in history where ERP software is the furthest thing from an unwieldy beast that crouches in the back office. Connective ERP means accessing all your data from anywhere – shop floor, back office, warehouse, quality lab, on the road – and productivity never has to miss a beat. Handheld devices on wireless networks work with web clients through ERP systems to move information to people, places and machines (some call it the "Internet of things") ...It's a brave new world – and it's all about connection. Heather Angus-Lee, a long-time busi- ness and trade journalist, now writes for JustFoodERP. She can be reached at: heather.angus-lee@justfooderp.com. S P E C I A L E D I T I O N 26 A P R I L 2014 ❯❯ FO O D LO G I S T I C S W W W . F O O D L O G I S T I C S . C O M ....AGVs You only had to walk past a few booths along the tradeshow floor at MODEX 2014 to clearly see that AGVs, or automated guided vehicles, are the clear wave of the future in supply chain and material handling facilities. As the technology continues to evolve, today's newest AGVs are starting to require less infrastructure, fewer facility redesigns and less engineering support, and most importantly, less costs and a quicker ROI. Vision-guided technology will also open the door to hybrid facilities, with AGVs and humans working side-by-side in order to get products off the floor and into customers hands quickly and efficiently. Study Exposes Gaps in ERP GT Nexus recently released a new report conducted by Supply Chain Insights indicating that despite the explosion of global outsourcing and increased efforts to automate the extended supply chain, the focus of most companies remains on automation within the enterprise, leaving interactions between business partners to spreadsheets and EDI. Misalignment between IT and supply chain leaders hinders global initiatives centered on supply chain visibility and agility. "Supply chain processes are more dependent on trading partners and interactions across the extended supply chain, but IT capabilities are largely based on electronic data interchange and spreadsheets, which is inadequate," said Lora Cecere, CEO of Supply Chain Insights. "For over 50 percent of companies, IT spending is primarily focused on ERP which automates processes within the single company, not the end to end network. This is a conundrum for the supply chain leader." Key Findings: • 95% of companies agree on the need for supply chain agility but only 38% of companies are meeting their stated goals. • The average Importance Rating for supply chain visibility across external partners is 82%. But confidence in ERP to deliver visibility across the extended supply chain beyond the enterprise is low. 60% of those surveyed have confidence in ERP to deliver visibility within the enterprise. But only 34% have confidence in ERP to provide visibility with suppliers and customers. • Supply chain visibility is low and performance levels in the extended supply chain are half of what they are inside the enterprise. This report is based on results of a quantitative study with 59 percent of the respondents are heads of supply chain efforts for global manufacturers. "Companies claim to be building end-to-end supply chain visibility systems, but as this study indicates, these claims are not accurate," said Greg Johnsen, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of GT Nexus. "Business leaders recognize the value of supply chain visibility, but the approach being deployed on the IT side is proving to be outdated. The gaps in current supply chain capabilities are large." "ERP is effective within the four walls of the business and EDI is effective in moving transactional data. But business networks require new solutions for supply chain visibility and agility. Current IT architectures are not meeting this need." The study finds gaps in supply chain visibility are large and supply chain leaders' confidence in existing ERP systems to close the gap is low. Meanwhile, the average company has seven ERP instances and 49% of respondents report ERP spending consumes a major portion of their IT budgets. To read the full report, go to http:// supplychaininsights.com/supply-chain-visibility- in-business-networks/. FLOG_24-26_0414 CS Connective ERP.indd 26 4/3/14 5:22 PM