Successful software integrations cut costs and boost manufacturing efficiencies.
According to the Manufacturing Trends surveys conducted by Food Engineering over the past several years, systems integrations ? the integration of ?islands of control? on the plant floor, as well as plant-floor process controls with management information systems ? continue to be the major challenges facing food engineers.
?These are the two biggest issues facing food manufacturers today, and the least understood,? says Garry P.A. Diver, president and CEO of Bradley Ward Systems (BWS), an Atlanta-based software firm specializing in Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for food processors. (BWS currently has more than 350 customers in the food industry.) ?Manufacturers need an integrated approach, up to ERP and down to SCADA,? Diver adds. ?Customers want solutions, not tool kits.?