Rabe’s Quality Meat Inc., located in Omaha, NE, specializes in custom further processing for primarily cooked beef operations. With approximately 100 employees their plant has the ability to process a million pounds of beef weekly and ships anywhere in the continental United States. Rabe’s is a GFSI Certified Supplier with a Level 3 Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management System Certification with SQF.
The Challenge
- Employees are equipped with mobile barcode scanners to quickly and easily scan products for more precise tracking.
- Executive and accounting teams now have easier access to advanced reporting and costing data.
- Accurate, real-time inventory improves production planning.
Prior to transitioning to ParityFactory, Rabe’s was using an existing GS1 weigh-labeling system that was built in-house with the help of a custom programmer. An Excel/Access system for tracking random-weight production was in use, but not meeting their needs. Not only was the system not scalable, it was also dependent on inventory information being exported to Excel, and then imported nightly. Without real-time information, Rabe’s was unable to reconcile inconsistencies in weight or product labeling on the spot.
Tracking, manifesting, and billing for each random weight case or pallet was a burden on the plant and office team. A crucial level of detail was lost using their inventory management. Similar to other meat industry companies, Rabe’s needed a system that would support the random-weight production and sales process. They needed real-time visibility on random-weight receipts for production planning and yield analysis, as well as real-time information on production to confirm the accuracy of shipments.
The Solution
ParityFactory was implemented to automate inventory control from receiving through production and shipping to customers. Employees were equipped with barcode scanners to quickly and easily scan products into inventory for precise, real-time tracking. The new scanning system worked with their current production process ensuring a smooth transition to live operations.
GS1 labels were leveraged, allowing the user to select an internal product code and scan the label to access the tracking number, barcode value, and weight. Parity updated this process to also capture their vendors’ production date as the Lot Created date. This lets the team “age” their raw material inventory; especially useful to the production team, making it easy to send goods out on a FIFO basis.
Based on Rabe’s feedback Parity also developed a “Receive & Pack” functionality, allowing employees to scan all cases on a pallet and assign it to a pallet tag in one step. Rabe’s is able to issue large quantities and scan back in whatever has not been used at days end. As product is used, the vendor barcode is scanned into production, reducing inventory and creating a traceable link between the receipt and production. No more confusion about where a product came from or where it is in real-time, and no more waiting for information to import nightly.
The Results and Benefits
As a result of implementing ParityFactory, Rabe’s achieved accurate, real-time inventory without adjusting their existing production processes, creating a positive effect on the entire operation.
- Inventory levels, updated in real-time, provide the team with a clear view of what is on- site and where it is in the production process.
- In addition to allowing for scalability, with the assistance of ParityCare Rabe’s no longer has to worry about complete IT failure.
- Rabe’s is more advanced and efficient in their operations through the utilization of technology, saving them time and money.
- The executive and accounting teams now have access to advanced reporting and costing data, allowing them to make well-informed decisions for the future.
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