Industry: Meat I Software: CSB Industry ERP
The strength of most meat businesses is their product leadership. Another element for their competitive success is having excellent processes. Christan Stöckle therefore relies on the CSB-System to support the tough operational requirements and to curb the effects of increasing costs by improving the performance and promoting automation.
Real-time data just a mouse-click away
Stöckle forces the digitalization pace at its meat processing facility, supported by the ERP software from CSB-System. According to managing director Christian Stöckle, the company has seen a substantial increase in the use of this software in recent years. “We need to drive the digital process because we want to reply to the questions from our customers as quickly as possible. Questions concerning products, specifications, availability, prices, or conditions. As a decision-maker, I need straight answers, and I need them fast. In our CSB-System, I can access real-time data with just a few mouse-clicks.”
The ERP software is particularly important in production. Combined with the industrial PCs from CSB, the programs are used at several positions to supply the operatives with the precise details on upcoming jobs, recipes, and procedure instructions. Clearly, this has significant advantages. In contrast to manual processes, the probability of input and transmission errors is much lower in IT-aided workflows. The basic principle of paperless processing and acquisition of information is the common thread for the flow of goods in production: from incoming goods inspection to shipping.
Detect deviations in the ERP
The raw material weight is the principal metric. The weights are repeatedly captured at the CSB racks, for example, after filling at the filling line, or immediately after smoking. Before the packaged products are stored in the cold storage facilities, they are weighed once more to get accurate information on the finished products stock and to determine potential further losses in the packaging process. The data is made centrally available in the ERP and retrieved to analyze the effects of raw material and production parameters on the yields or on the quality of the final products. “These results are important for us, especially for the target-actual comparison
in our calculation,” reports Christian Stöckle. Any major deviations from the normal losses or process steps diverging from the standard can be identified.
“It is really helpful that we can access the process and product data as well as relevant KPIs online. We can take specific actions whenever something is not going to plan. It allows us to quickly identify the trouble so we can implement improvements and keep up the quality. Without the software, tracking down the problem would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.”
Always up to date: the digital image of the butcher shop
The integrated data flow between all departments improves the transparency and enables real-time monitoring of the production lines: “As we have united all processes in one ERP system, our data is always up to date and gives us the big picture of our operations.” Following the postings “live” in the ERP, the managing director can instantly see the location and the production progress of an item.
This digital image of the butcher shop is an important instrument to assess the productivity of the departments, to keep a firm grip on product and labor costs, and ultimately to secure the earnings. “I can rely on solid numbers and access reports anytime and anywhere – no matter if I’m at home on my sofa or in the office.”
This also helps to enhance the communication with the customers. For example, when a customer submits a complaint, you can easily look up the number of the lot delivered to this customer and the sell-by date printed on the label. Additionally, you can determine if other customers received the same product. “In such a case, I can immediately see what the customer is talking about as I can pull up the lot numbers on my screen instantly.”
