Merit Matters Blog

Many manufacturing organizations dread the risks and costs associated with a change in ERP systems. Unfortunately, this mindset often overshadows the fact that old, unsupported hardware and software that was designed 10-20 years ago is expensive to maintain and can rarely serve today’s real-time data exchange requirements. However, a comprehensive, integrated software solution that can be implemented quickly, customized as needed, and used easily by employees can provide a return on investment in just months.

When choosing and implementing a manufacturing ERP solution, decision-makers need to choose the most cost-effective solution that:

• Enables flexible business processes that can be adapted over time to evolving circumstances.
• Provides real-time visibility across all business processes, including interfaces with corporate, customer, and supply partner systems.
• Permits multinational manufacturing companies to take advantage of shared processes and best practices across the value chain.
• Supports advanced manufacturing strategies that help meet the challenges of global business and provide an edge over competitors.

An integrated, effective solution can very quickly deliver a return on investment, reducing IT costs from a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective and capitalizing on existing productivity tools and IT investments. The right manufacturing solution can also:

• Create a homogeneous platform compatible with existing databases and standard integration and development tools.
• Be easy for employees to learn and use, minimizing training while quickly maximizing productivity.
• Be rapidly deployed for a faster return on investment.
• Support shared services and processes across multiple locations.
• Scale and adapt as the company’s needs grow for a cost-effective solution over the long term.

Microsoft Dynamics AX offers multinational companies a manufacturing management solution and an integration platform that gathers and integrates real-time operational information so business managers can more easily access and analyze critical data, respond to changes, and make decisions with confidence. Whether deployed on-premise or in the cloud, Microsoft Dynamics AX empowers manufacturers to meet the challenges of today’s global markets by reducing costs, enhancing operational flexibility, and connecting the plant floor to the back office in productive new ways.

Most manufacturing organizations already make use of Microsoft technology in everyday activities - such as Microsoft Office, SharePoint, SQL Server, Windows Server, and more. Implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX for plant operations takes advantage of those existing investments while increasing overall visibility so that managers and employees can see exactly what is happening on the plant floor; understand how it relates to supply, order, and financial information both locally and across the enterprise; and use that integrated knowledge to reduce costs, react effectively to changes, and delight customers.

The common pitfalls and challenges of a Food Safety Incident Management system include:

• Inability to link related problems
• Inconsistent investigation process
• Confusion over the difference between Corrective Action and Preventive Action
• Time-consuming approval process
• Changes to the action plan mid-stream
• No means to generate metrics

Benefits of MAXFood's Food Safety Incident Management capability:

• Quickly document Food Safety non-conformances and record all relevant incident information.
• Automate the processes of assigning non-conformances, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Improve management of Food Safety Incidents with root cause analysis and real-time trend reporting on food safety issues.
• Streamline compliance with food safety regulations, including HACCP, SQF, and ISO.
• Improve brand loyalty and customer satisfaction by continuously improving food safety and responding quickly to potential incidents.

MAXFood's Food Safety Incident Management capabilities enable you to increase control and assuredness for how your organization operates. With MAXFood, you can generate a Corrective Action or Preventive Action request that routes through review, root cause, corrective action taken, and verification stages. This Corrective Action tracking software generates multiple reports automatically, providing an effective mechanism for tracking the source and costs of problems.

Using a systematic approach to correcting and preventing issues, measuring the outcome and continuously monitoring the system can ensure that a company is compliant, effective and efficient. And, having a well-thought-out Food Safety Incident Management system can result in successful audits, fewer investigations, less product loss, better customer satisfaction, and an increase in overall operational efficiencies.