Customer Company Size
Mid-size Company
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Sage ERP X3
- Automated RF Data Collection
Tech Stack
- Microsoft Access
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Productivity Improvements
- Cost Savings
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Applicable Industries
- Food & Beverage
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Manufacturing System Automation
- Inventory Management
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Blount Fine Foods is a food manufacturing company based in Fall River, Massachusetts. The company has been providing premium-quality food for food service, retail, and club store customers since 1946. Using the finest ingredients assembled with creative culinary expertise and the highest quality standards, Blount Fine Foods maintains its leadership in the industry. The company has enjoyed strong growth, doubling revenues over the past several years and expanding its product offerings to include dips, sauces, and spreads in addition to its signature line of soup. The company employs around 300 people.
The Challenge
Blount Fine Foods switched to Sage ERP X3 in 2006 when it became apparent that its legacy system could not support the company’s growing operations. The previous system had limited process manufacturing capabilities so formulas, recipes, and work orders were managed in a Microsoft Access database. Compounding the problem, only a few people had the ability to access the data. The company evaluated several solutions, but found most to be overly complex with high maintenance and overhead costs. “We wanted a system that could manage our business, be installed easily, and was scalable,” adds Pitzer. “Sage ERP X3 meets all of our requirements. It offers strong process manufacturing capabilities, provides an integrated development environment, and comes at an attractive price point.”
The Solution
Blount Fine Foods uses an optional add-on module for Sage ERP X3—Automated RF Data Collection. It facilitates the seamless and secure processing of a broad array of shop floor and warehouse business transactions. The module takes data entered on the shop floor and warehouse from automated input devices, verifies its accuracy, and passes the data to Sage ERP X3 for immediate update. It also manages the entire network of devices, generates prompts on the data collection devices to ensure accurate data collection, even ensures that data is saved during system downtime. “It is used very effectively throughout the facility,” notes Pitzer. “And the ruggedized RF readers even can operate in our freezers.”
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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