The document discusses barcode technology solutions for traceability and compliance in the fresh food cold storage industry. Key challenges include receiving, inventory management, labeling, lot traceability, and shipment verification for short shelf-life products. Two scenarios are described: 1) simple receiving, storage and shipping with barcode labeling and inventory tracking, and 2) more complex operations involving commingling, processing, and tracking products by carton and lot. Advanced software solutions are needed to address traceability requirements like commingling lots while maintaining the ability to recall specific cartons if issues arise. Tracking products by carton is important to minimize recall scope. Shipment verification is also important to resolve disputes.
Cold Storage needs barcode tracking To Improve Productivity and Reduce CostsDynamic Systems
There are 4 main categories in Cold Storage that lend itself to barcode tracking systems. They are:
Receiving
Inventory Management
Case & Pallet Labeling
Lot Traceability
Cold Storage Warehouse Best Practices: Forecasting & End-to-End Temperature M...Angela Carver
As products evolve and consumer demands change cold storage warehouse space is a more critical branch of the supply chain than ever. Products being stored in these refrigerated warehouses include frozen and refrigerated food, pharmaceuticals, petro-chemicals and high-tech electronics. Many of these products are strictly regulated by government agencies such as the FDA. To maintain compliant with these regulations many cold storage operations are focusing on implementing industry best practices. A top priority has continued to be temperature forecasting and monitoring and technology upgrades.
Forecasting temperature demand helps businesses operating in the cold chain to accommodate to changes in product demand and the financial implications. Completing inventory forecasts often will help to give your business a clear understanding of storage space requirements and what changes can be made the make the most of your existing facility space.
One way cold storage warehouses are making the most of their space is by implementing temporary curtains that allow them to break up facility space in order to create, expand or reduce the square footage of temperature zones. The flexibility of this tool helps refrigerated warehouse operators to reduce energy consumption while also ensuring temperature consistency to avoid spoiling.
In an effort to avoid the average 6 recalls that occur in the U.S. each day cold storage warehouses are implementing new and cutting edge technologies to aid in the tracking and monitoring of inventory temperature and condition. These tools include: thermometers for manual QA readings on an inventory or temperature zone level, RFID tags for passive temperature monitoring and location identification, data loggers for in-transit deliveries direct-to-customer, smart shipping containers for LTL and FTL shipments, and WMS for a centralized data collection and storage database. All of these tools used in varying combinations can help cold storage warehouses to reduce costs, improve data accuracy, guarantee product quality and maintain regulatory compliance.
Evaluate how these technologies can help your refrigerated warehouse implement industry best practices in temperature monitoring and tracking and solve any pre-existing QA issues today. Contact Datex experts with questions or for more information on this topic at marketing@datexcorp.com or 800.933.2839 ext 243.
The following Project shows the benefits of a research established into a multi-products
warehouse belongs to an automotive industry supplier. The main goal was applied a tool recognizing the rules
for distribution and material storage. Once the research was completed, the benefits were, the idle times
reduction per hours/week by the two initial processes. The politics for storage assignment and location, propose
a system to improve the space into this areain order to avoid material management and flow issues. It is
important to mention, the system proposed could be applied into warehouses with storage size and space
restricted by sorting area, also different material types, production settings and physical specifications for
which set warehouses with traditional management of distribution without slack, involves lack of materials,
pieces without records, incorrect location assigned, stock error.
Investment in supply chain integrity can delivery value to your product. Consumers have high expectations of the supply chains that deliver products to them - it is important that stakeholders of supply chains invest in the integrity of these chains to preserve and build consumer confidence and trust.
Cold Storage needs barcode tracking To Improve Productivity and Reduce CostsDynamic Systems
There are 4 main categories in Cold Storage that lend itself to barcode tracking systems. They are:
Receiving
Inventory Management
Case & Pallet Labeling
Lot Traceability
Cold Storage Warehouse Best Practices: Forecasting & End-to-End Temperature M...Angela Carver
As products evolve and consumer demands change cold storage warehouse space is a more critical branch of the supply chain than ever. Products being stored in these refrigerated warehouses include frozen and refrigerated food, pharmaceuticals, petro-chemicals and high-tech electronics. Many of these products are strictly regulated by government agencies such as the FDA. To maintain compliant with these regulations many cold storage operations are focusing on implementing industry best practices. A top priority has continued to be temperature forecasting and monitoring and technology upgrades.
Forecasting temperature demand helps businesses operating in the cold chain to accommodate to changes in product demand and the financial implications. Completing inventory forecasts often will help to give your business a clear understanding of storage space requirements and what changes can be made the make the most of your existing facility space.
One way cold storage warehouses are making the most of their space is by implementing temporary curtains that allow them to break up facility space in order to create, expand or reduce the square footage of temperature zones. The flexibility of this tool helps refrigerated warehouse operators to reduce energy consumption while also ensuring temperature consistency to avoid spoiling.
In an effort to avoid the average 6 recalls that occur in the U.S. each day cold storage warehouses are implementing new and cutting edge technologies to aid in the tracking and monitoring of inventory temperature and condition. These tools include: thermometers for manual QA readings on an inventory or temperature zone level, RFID tags for passive temperature monitoring and location identification, data loggers for in-transit deliveries direct-to-customer, smart shipping containers for LTL and FTL shipments, and WMS for a centralized data collection and storage database. All of these tools used in varying combinations can help cold storage warehouses to reduce costs, improve data accuracy, guarantee product quality and maintain regulatory compliance.
Evaluate how these technologies can help your refrigerated warehouse implement industry best practices in temperature monitoring and tracking and solve any pre-existing QA issues today. Contact Datex experts with questions or for more information on this topic at marketing@datexcorp.com or 800.933.2839 ext 243.
The following Project shows the benefits of a research established into a multi-products
warehouse belongs to an automotive industry supplier. The main goal was applied a tool recognizing the rules
for distribution and material storage. Once the research was completed, the benefits were, the idle times
reduction per hours/week by the two initial processes. The politics for storage assignment and location, propose
a system to improve the space into this areain order to avoid material management and flow issues. It is
important to mention, the system proposed could be applied into warehouses with storage size and space
restricted by sorting area, also different material types, production settings and physical specifications for
which set warehouses with traditional management of distribution without slack, involves lack of materials,
pieces without records, incorrect location assigned, stock error.
Investment in supply chain integrity can delivery value to your product. Consumers have high expectations of the supply chains that deliver products to them - it is important that stakeholders of supply chains invest in the integrity of these chains to preserve and build consumer confidence and trust.
Как безопасность становится маркетинговым трендом 2015 годаSiteSecure
Как безопасность превратилась в маркетинговый тренд?
Безопасность и зависящие от нее факторы ранжирования.
Как продвигать зараженный сайт?
Способы повысить эффективность SEO-продвижения за счет мониторинга безопасности сайта.
Introduction to Windows Azure Access Control ServiceMihai Dan Nadas
Slides used to introduce Windows Azure ACS at a Codecamp event held in Cluj-Napoca in February 2012.
The Access Control Service (ACS) 2.0 allows you to integrate single sign on (SSO) and centralized authorization into your web applications.
End To End Traceability – The Rising Challenge for Bakers.pdfSG Systems Global
The history of bread baking can be traced back to the Stone Age period at least 30,000 years ago. The Roman Empire is credited with creating the earliest known commercial baking processes in 300 BC. To be a baker was an important job and a highly respected and artistic profession.
Giới thiệu về bộ ghi dữ liệu nhiệt độ
Thực phẩm hay dược phẩm đều chịu ảnh hưởng lớn từ nhiệt độ. Việc bảo quản đúng cách sẽ tăng độ ổn định cũng như hạn dùng của các sản phẩm. Do đó việc kiểm soát, theo dõi nhiệt độ rất quan trọng.
Xem thêm các tài liệu khác trên kênh của Công ty Cổ phần Tư vấn Thiết kế GMP EU.
Multi products storage using randomnessIJRTEMJOURNAL
The following Project shows the benefits of a research established into a multi-products
warehouse belongs to an automotive industry supplier. The main goal was applied a tool recognizing the rules
for distribution and material storage. Once the research was completed, the benefits were, the idle times
reduction per hours/week by the two initial processes. The politics for storage assignment and location, propose
a system to improve the space into this areain order to avoid material management and flow issues. It is
important to mention, the system proposed could be applied into warehouses with storage size and space
restricted by sorting area, also different material types, production settings and physical specifications for
which set warehouses with traditional management of distribution without slack, involves lack of materials,
pieces without records, incorrect location assigned, stock error.
The U.S. frozen foods market is built on delivering consumer convenience. With advantages ranging from ease and speed of frozen food preparation, to healthier eating trends, to easier portion control through pre-packaged, single-serve frozen novelty treats, consumers appreciate the variety of options they have across all categories. Those options and choices will only continue to grow as both established manufacturers and new players introduce more products and organic, natural and meatless offerings.
TGW White Paper: Three Ways to Cost Justify Investment in Freezer-AutomationLynn Metzger
In actuality, selecting, implementing and cost justifying
freezer warehouse automation is not only possible, it’s been
done—both in greenfield installations and brownfield facility
retrofits, end-to-end or one area at a time. This white paper
examines the key equipment and supplier characteristics to
look for, as well as explains three ways to cost-justify the
investment in the right automated material handling solution
for a frozen product distribution application.
Как безопасность становится маркетинговым трендом 2015 годаSiteSecure
Как безопасность превратилась в маркетинговый тренд?
Безопасность и зависящие от нее факторы ранжирования.
Как продвигать зараженный сайт?
Способы повысить эффективность SEO-продвижения за счет мониторинга безопасности сайта.
Introduction to Windows Azure Access Control ServiceMihai Dan Nadas
Slides used to introduce Windows Azure ACS at a Codecamp event held in Cluj-Napoca in February 2012.
The Access Control Service (ACS) 2.0 allows you to integrate single sign on (SSO) and centralized authorization into your web applications.
End To End Traceability – The Rising Challenge for Bakers.pdfSG Systems Global
The history of bread baking can be traced back to the Stone Age period at least 30,000 years ago. The Roman Empire is credited with creating the earliest known commercial baking processes in 300 BC. To be a baker was an important job and a highly respected and artistic profession.
Giới thiệu về bộ ghi dữ liệu nhiệt độ
Thực phẩm hay dược phẩm đều chịu ảnh hưởng lớn từ nhiệt độ. Việc bảo quản đúng cách sẽ tăng độ ổn định cũng như hạn dùng của các sản phẩm. Do đó việc kiểm soát, theo dõi nhiệt độ rất quan trọng.
Xem thêm các tài liệu khác trên kênh của Công ty Cổ phần Tư vấn Thiết kế GMP EU.
Multi products storage using randomnessIJRTEMJOURNAL
The following Project shows the benefits of a research established into a multi-products
warehouse belongs to an automotive industry supplier. The main goal was applied a tool recognizing the rules
for distribution and material storage. Once the research was completed, the benefits were, the idle times
reduction per hours/week by the two initial processes. The politics for storage assignment and location, propose
a system to improve the space into this areain order to avoid material management and flow issues. It is
important to mention, the system proposed could be applied into warehouses with storage size and space
restricted by sorting area, also different material types, production settings and physical specifications for
which set warehouses with traditional management of distribution without slack, involves lack of materials,
pieces without records, incorrect location assigned, stock error.
The U.S. frozen foods market is built on delivering consumer convenience. With advantages ranging from ease and speed of frozen food preparation, to healthier eating trends, to easier portion control through pre-packaged, single-serve frozen novelty treats, consumers appreciate the variety of options they have across all categories. Those options and choices will only continue to grow as both established manufacturers and new players introduce more products and organic, natural and meatless offerings.
TGW White Paper: Three Ways to Cost Justify Investment in Freezer-AutomationLynn Metzger
In actuality, selecting, implementing and cost justifying
freezer warehouse automation is not only possible, it’s been
done—both in greenfield installations and brownfield facility
retrofits, end-to-end or one area at a time. This white paper
examines the key equipment and supplier characteristics to
look for, as well as explains three ways to cost-justify the
investment in the right automated material handling solution
for a frozen product distribution application.
Meat Traceability Software for Sausage Manufacturers.pdfSG Systems Global
Traceability is critical in the global sausage manufacturing marketplace. Retailers expect accurate, less paper based traceability and consumers have matured to expect robust systems for tracking and tracing ingredients throughout the manufacturing and rework process.
Thực phẩm dễ hỏng ngay cả khi chúng được tối ưu hóa trong việc chế biến và đóng gói. Chúng cần được phân phối và lưu trữ một cách thích hợp để đảm bảo chất lượng và thời hạn sử dụng của chúng. Các mặt hàng dễ hỏng như sữa, rau, trái cây, hải sản, thịt, đồ đông lạnh và các sản phẩm dược phẩm như thuốc, vắc-xin, thuốc tiêm, v.v. Những sản phẩm này rất nhạy cảm với nhiệt độ và hạn sử dụng của chúng bị ảnh hưởng nếu không được bảo quản phù hợp. Để đảm bảo điều đó, cần có các kho chuỗi lạnh hiệu quả - nơi có thể quản lý sản phẩm, đồng thời giảm hao hụt.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
Welocme to ViralQR, your best QR code generator.ViralQR
Welcome to ViralQR, your best QR code generator available on the market!
At ViralQR, we design static and dynamic QR codes. Our mission is to make business operations easier and customer engagement more powerful through the use of QR technology. Be it a small-scale business or a huge enterprise, our easy-to-use platform provides multiple choices that can be tailored according to your company's branding and marketing strategies.
Our Vision
We are here to make the process of creating QR codes easy and smooth, thus enhancing customer interaction and making business more fluid. We very strongly believe in the ability of QR codes to change the world for businesses in their interaction with customers and are set on making that technology accessible and usable far and wide.
Our Achievements
Ever since its inception, we have successfully served many clients by offering QR codes in their marketing, service delivery, and collection of feedback across various industries. Our platform has been recognized for its ease of use and amazing features, which helped a business to make QR codes.
Our Services
At ViralQR, here is a comprehensive suite of services that caters to your very needs:
Static QR Codes: Create free static QR codes. These QR codes are able to store significant information such as URLs, vCards, plain text, emails and SMS, Wi-Fi credentials, and Bitcoin addresses.
Dynamic QR codes: These also have all the advanced features but are subscription-based. They can directly link to PDF files, images, micro-landing pages, social accounts, review forms, business pages, and applications. In addition, they can be branded with CTAs, frames, patterns, colors, and logos to enhance your branding.
Pricing and Packages
Additionally, there is a 14-day free offer to ViralQR, which is an exceptional opportunity for new users to take a feel of this platform. One can easily subscribe from there and experience the full dynamic of using QR codes. The subscription plans are not only meant for business; they are priced very flexibly so that literally every business could afford to benefit from our service.
Why choose us?
ViralQR will provide services for marketing, advertising, catering, retail, and the like. The QR codes can be posted on fliers, packaging, merchandise, and banners, as well as to substitute for cash and cards in a restaurant or coffee shop. With QR codes integrated into your business, improve customer engagement and streamline operations.
Comprehensive Analytics
Subscribers of ViralQR receive detailed analytics and tracking tools in light of having a view of the core values of QR code performance. Our analytics dashboard shows aggregate views and unique views, as well as detailed information about each impression, including time, device, browser, and estimated location by city and country.
So, thank you for choosing ViralQR; we have an offer of nothing but the best in terms of QR code services to meet business diversity!
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Leading Change strategies and insights for effective change management pdf 1.pdf
++ Cold storage 3rd party fresh food
1. Traceability, Productivity and Compliance
Labeling Requirements (such as GS-1) are driving
the fresh food industry to use barcode technology—at
the dock-side, in the field, at the production line and in
storage.
Being in the fresh food business means getting short shelf-life
products to market as quickly and cost effectively as possible.
Wholesalers and retailers are becoming more demanding
and the processors, in order to comply with new require-
ments, are using bar code technology in increasing numbers.
Alaskan fish processors have been using SIMBA software for
over 25 years. It was designed in the late 1980’s with the
purpose of reporting daily production to management and
sales. Since then, the system has expanded to include print-
ing compliance labels, tracking inventory, shipment verifica-
tion, and complete lot traceability for food safety.
The fresh food industry encompasses everything from fish to
produce to meat and poultry to berries and citrus fruits. Each
product has its own unique challenges for production, han-
dling and food safety. The following is a discussion of avail-
able and scalable solutions for cold storage companies when
handling fresh food products.
CHALLENGE
SOLUTION
FLEXIBILITY
COLD STORAGE
Receiving
Inventory Management
Case & Pallet Labeling
Lot Traceability
Shipment Verification
Automated Bill of Lading &
Manifests
2. Cold Storage companies are most often
managing products owned by their cus-
tomers. This “temporary custody” of fresh
product includes the requirement for con-
firming item/quantity/location, for lot trace-
ability, for maintaining freshness, and for
shipment verification.
SCENARIO 1: Receive/Store/Ship
In this example the Cold Storage company
is an inventory location for the product
owned by their customer and performs no
value-added functions.
The facility may be the first point of owner-
ship of the product for their customer. For
example, a berry jam manufacturer pur-
chases cooked berries from a number of
local growers. The drums of berries are
shipped directly to the 3rd party cold stor-
age facilities who hold the product in a
temperature-controlled environment until
they are needed for a production run.
The manufacturer has required the cold
storage facility to report upon receipt of the
drums - which grower sent the berries,
what is the product code and quantity? -
and to ship specific drums to them upon
request. No processing or commin-
gling is required. Traceability is more
simple—keep track of the drums by lot
until shipped and report to the manufac-
turer.
SOLUTION
The software solution for Scenario 1 may
include:
Barcode Labeling: Upon receipt, the
facility may print a barcode label that ties
to the pertinent details in an inventory
management database or on an excel
spreadsheet. The database details
could include grower, lot number, prod-
uct code, date received, storage location.
Inventory Control: If the drum is within
the facility, a simple scan of the barcode
label and entry (or scan) of the new loca-
tion code updates the inventory software
database.
Palletizing: Some product traceability
and inventory management software so-
lutions provide for accumulating units
(drums, cartons, etc.) onto a pallet and
tracking all units with one “pallet label”.
Shipping & Shipment Verification: Once
the owner of the goods requests a ship-
ment, that transaction may be captured
in the software and, in more advanced
systems, the Manifest and Bill of Lading
may be automatically produced.
FRESH FOOD STORAGE & TRACEABILITY—DYNAMIC SYSTEMS INC. www.a-barcode.com
3. USING BARCODE FOR SCENARIO 1
SOLUTIONS
Print Barcode Labels/Store on Database:
This solution is the simplest and includes 3
pieces.
• Barcode Label Printer: Prices can
range from a low of $500 up to $4,000
depending on the number of labels
printed in a time period. Most require-
ments can be addressed for about
$1400.
• Label Design Software: A single-user
version that will allow printing from an
excel spreadsheet or database will run
about $450.
• Stand-alone or networked PC: The PC
doesn’t have to be very powerful. It
just needs to have a USB port for the
printer and minimal memory/storage.
This solution is the least expensive, the
easiest to install and the easiest to use. It
does not address the need to record in-
ventory locations, palletize or verify ship-
ment information. It does provide lot trace-
ability as long as a lot number is captured
in the database.
Moving to the more advanced solutions, a
Cold Storage facility that is not required to
commingle lots or perform any process-
ing may chose a fairly straight-forward
Inventory Management Software. A cou-
ple of features to look for:
• The ability to store an item in multiple
locations. Not all inventory manage-
ment software allows for this, and a
problem can occur if there isn’t
enough space in a specific location
for the quantity on hand.
• The ability to track lots. Again, this is
not always available and will be criti-
cal for any cold storage company with
traceability requirements.
Inventory management software has a
wide range in price also. It can be pur-
chased from as low as $2,000 to highs of
$500,000 or more for those that have
advanced warehouse management fea-
tures.
When choosing mobile barcode devices
think about your environment.
The least expensive
mobile pda’s are the
most fragile. Ware-
house locations are
notoriously hard on
equipment, so you will want a hardware
solution that has a high IP rating. (IP65
is sealed from dust and sprayed water;
ask about the “drop test” and get one
that can withstand multiple 6’ drops to
concrete).
If the mobile devices will be used in
freezers it’s best to get ones that are
“non-condensing”. This means they
won’t fog up when being used.
FRESH FOOD STORAGE & TRACEABILITY—DYNAMIC SYSTEMS INC. www.a-barcode.com
4. SCENARIO 2: COMMINGLING OR
PROCESSING AND STORING BY
LOCATION AND DATE
Commingling is when product from differ-
ent lots (perhaps even different species)
are mixed together in a new carton. This
can happen when the Cold Storage facility
is asked to complete an order fulfillment
function for their customer. Processing
happens when the facility actually alters
the product (cuts into fillets, adds ingredi-
ents, etc.) To maintain lot control and
traceability, the software used must have
re-boxing or commingling functionality.
You will find this only in software specially
designed for fresh food.
TRACK BY LOT OR BY CARTON?
There are two methods of maintaining
traceability: (1) track the lots as they move
through the supply chain; (2) track lots
within cartons as the cartons move
through the supply chain.
If a simple lot tracking method is used, as
lots are commingled, all the included lots
are considered contaminated in the case
of a recall. For example:
Lot B is Commingled with a portion of Lots
A&C (see diagram). Because there is no
way in a straight-forward lot tracking
scheme to differentiate which portions of
Lots A&C have been commingled, if Lot B
is recalled, so are Lots A&C in their en-
tirety. This can get expensive.
A better method is by using a carton
tracking scheme. The software accumu-
lates carton data, defining which cartons
contain which Lots. Then when Lot B is
contaminated, only
cartons B, A/B and
B/C are recalled.
This tracking
method (re-boxing
lots by carton)
would also pertain
to any recalled in-
gredients in proc-
essed foods.
For a Cold Storage company, the risk of
a cooler or freezer malfunction must also
be considered. If that happens, the car-
tons in that location at the date of the
malfunction should be tracked and de-
stroyed. Again, unless the lots are
tracked within each carton, the risk of
having to recall the entire lot rather than
the affected cartons is a real possibility.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SHIPMENT
VERIFICATION
Every company has had shipment dis-
putes. Ideally it would be possible to re-
tain proof of what was contained in a
specific shipment. Using a method of
shipment verification (sometimes called
“van loading”) solves this problem.
As cartons are accumulated onto pallets
and loaded onto vans, each is accounted
for using a barcode scanning application.
Each carton number is assigned to a van
and included on the manifest.
FRESH FOOD STORAGE & TRACEABILITY—DYNAMIC SYSTEMS INC. www.a-barcode.com
5. USING BARCODE FOR SCENARIO 2
SOLUTIONS
A system that address the Lot tracking re-
quirements of Scenario 2 will include all of
the features of the inventory management
system in Scenario 1 plus the following.
Printing the Carton Label: A carton label
may be as simple as a serialized number,
as specific as a GS-1 label, and as com-
plex as a Costco-compliant label.
Whichever is the case, find an inventory
management system that allows for the
most complex label you can envision.
Boxing, Re-boxing and Commingling:
The requirements for Commingling and Re
-boxing are unique to products that have
the potential of recontamination or recall
(fresh foods, drugs). It’s important to find
a software solution that accounts for these
situations by tracking expiration dates and
lot numbers—and that has a tracking
scheme that mitigates losses in the case
of a recall. The ability to track products by
various attributes (size, grade, owner, etc.)
is also unique and important in the fresh
food industry
.Other key features to look for:
• Ease of use—make sure the system
can accumulate attributes, print bar-
code labels and track cartons & lots
without too many key strokes
• Speed & Flexibility—collecting that
much information can take time if the
data collection scheme isn’t efficient.
• Track by Carton—we’ve already dis-
cussed how tracking lots within car-
tons will save money.
• Shipment Verification—record ship-
ments by carton and van number to
satisfy any disputes.
CONCLUSION
The use of barcode in Cold Storage envi-
ronments can be key to a well-run and
profitable business. Solutions range
from simple to very complex, and from
inexpensive to over $1 million. It is im-
portant that you list the key elements that
will be required for your system to both
satisfy your customers and provide you
with access to the information that you
need to run your business at the highest
level of efficiency, accuracy and profit-
ability.
Learn more at:
http://www.a-barcode.com/software/food-
traceability/
Call 800-342-3999 ext. 240
FRESH FOOD STORAGE & TRACEABILITY—DYNAMIC SYSTEMS INC. www.a-barcode.com