How Automation Fosters Brand Protection
By Isaac Fletcher, contributing writer, Food Online
The productivity and efficiency benefits of automation are well-known throughout the food industry, but automation can provide further benefit to your brand by providing consistent quality, better food safety, and streamlined traceability.
Automation has become an essential part of many food and beverage production processes, and with continued innovation and cost-effective options, even smaller manufacturers are reaping the benefits. The efficiency and cost-saving potential of automation is well established, but there are a handful of other important benefits to be gained as well. According to Richard Cuthbert, automation manager at Tetra Pak Australia, automation is capable of introducing value-building advantages throughout the supply chain.
Cuthbert explains, “Automated processing and packaging systems connect the components in a factory by linking individual machines to a facility’s central computer system for monitoring and controlling operations and collecting valuable data. This means operators have quick, easy access to a range of information, from ingredient and raw material intake, to the operating parameters of a machine on a specific filling line, to which pallet holds a particular batch of product.” This aggregation of information provides numerous benefits, such as consistent quality, increased safety, streamlined traceability, and bolstered brand protection.
Unwavering Quality
Automated systems for food packaging and processing provide operators with tools capable of controlling consistency. By leveraging automated systems, manufacturers can consistently deliver high quality, safe products. Since automation also affords enhanced ability to monitor performance parameters, any issues in production can be spotted and addressed before a bad product is distributed.
Boosted Safety
As noted above, automated systems provide improved monitoring capabilities and better control over processes. In the event of a safety issue occurring, having the data and power to make adjustments from a single location means that the time between incident and response is dramatically shortened. Quick response time also means that small problems have less potential to become major issues.
Related: 3 Ways Robots Help Worker Safety While Lowering Production Costs
Enhanced Traceability
Besides being a legal obligation, keeping careful track of relevant product information is a smart business practice. By keeping track of information, such as raw material origins, processing procedures, packaging data, and distribution channels, manufacturers can more readily pinpoint problems and remove any product that may be compromised. Automation of traceability-related processes also allows for a more robust flow of information, allowing consumers to scan package labels to access a product’s history.
Brand Preservation
Reputation is everything for a brand. In the event that consumer confidence in a brand is shaken as the result of safety or other issues, that brand will lose valuable business to its competitors. The three previously-mentioned factors all serve to build layers of brand protection. Thanks to automation, manufacturers can provide consistent quality, bolster food safety, and provide unprecedented levels of traceability.