The recent ARC Industry Forum, held in Orlando FL, described an “industrial Internet of Things” (IoT) as being close at hand. In fact, many of the technologies are already here, but some still need work to provide the services and security industrial operations need.  

A June 10, 2011 report on Deutsche Welle states “bean sprouts are the likely source of an E. coli outbreak in Germany that has killed 31 people and made nearly 3,000 ill since May [2011].” This information was attributed to Reinhard Burger, president of Germany’s federal infectious disease laboratory, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). 

 You may be able to use a spreadsheet or home accounting program to get your household finances in order. But, there are so many places for cash to evaporate in a food or beverage plant, that unless you are using an integrated software system to track and focus every process, you may never know if leaks exist. 

Whether you’re a small, medium or large food and beverage manufacturer, taking the plunge and opening a new plant in a foreign country is a huge decision, often fraught with risks you may have never envisioned. But there are alternatives, and finding the one that makes sense for your operation can help propel your products into the global marketplace.

“Don’t hold that door open” isn’t a command heard in this food ingredient operation with automatic, high-speed, roll-up doors.