According to data from Deloitte, the U.S. manufacturing industry is facing a labor shortage, which is projected to extend into the next decade. More than two million jobs are likely to go unfilled, which is largely due to a skills gap. Being that women hold less than 30% of manufacturing jobs and less than 5% of CEO roles in the industry, there’s a huge area of opportunity for women in this realm.

As businesses across the globe find themselves in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the food industry in particular must brace for the disruptions that the virus will inevitably cause. The public depends on the industry’s ability to provide a continuous, safe supply of food, so employees in plants are considered essential. Of course, we can’t oversee our employees’ behaviors when they’re outside of our facilities, but what we can do is stay educated and implement strategies that control its effects within our plants.

There’s no single, definitive OEE software price—perform a quick web search, and you’ll see prices ranging all across the board. Some cloud-based OEE solutions feature a monthly license fee, which may vary based on factors such as the size of the facility or how many machines the company needs to monitor. On the other hand, some vendors price using flat fees. As with any type of technology, you’ll likely find that you get what you pay for: solutions that lie on the low end of the cost spectrum will offer fewer features and user-friendly capabilities compared to those that fall towards the middle or on the higher side. Some solutions will run only on certain devices, and others, like SafetyChain, are device-agnostic and integrate with just about any other software or hardware. Of course, it’s critical to consider your company’s needs, expectations, and budget to make an informed decision.

As the coronavirus continues to make headlines worldwide, North American food and beverage manufacturers must prepare for its potential impact. This isn’t the first coronavirus we’ve seen; SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2012 have also been considered coronavirus outbreaks. These illnesses are found naturally in both humans and animals. COVID-19, however, is considered a new (also referred to as “novel”) coronavirus and was first discovered in late fall of 2019 in Wuhan, China.

OEE monitoring software is a powerful, innovative technology designed to meet the most significant challenges faced by manufacturing companies. It measures overall equipment effectiveness, or OEE, to give facilities a clear understanding of how their machines are operating against expectations. Yet, it goes much further than simply analyzing machine performance—it also provides powerful insights into operations across specific lines, batches, and shifts to help you uncover inefficiencies and determine where you’re excelling.

Managing both FSMA and GFSI requirements is an extensive undertaking for any food facility. Fortunately, the way in which these requirements have been established allows for virtually seamless alignment, enabling many facilities to establish programs that satisfy both the regulatory and non-regulatory aspects of food safety.

OEE is a critical metric for manufacturing plants to track. With proper, consistent measurement, it allows plant managers to track the overall performance of their facilities and determine the root cause behind line interruptions, unplanned downtime, quality rejections, and equipment problems. This root cause analysis saves manufacturing teams significant time and effort. What might take weeks to diagnose can be uncovered through smart and sophisticated trend analysis, all made possible through OEE tracking software. Here’s what you need to know about deploying this powerful solution in your plant.

Internal audits — if conducted the right way — aren’t merely stepping stones to higher-stakes external audits, they’re strategic tools used by the most successful food manufacturers to measure continuous improvement and validate their entire food safety system.

Jeff Strout from Mérieux NutriSciences recently shared his advice in the recorded webinar, “The Magic of Internal Audits: Mistakes, Insights, and Advice from the Experts.” If you asked questions he could not get to during the webinar, here are the answers you’ve all been waiting for!

OEE Software Helps Manufacturers Become More Profitable by Measuring Availability, Performance, and quality

OEE is an abbreviation for Overall Equipment Effectiveness and is an essential metric for manufacturing facilities. When measured consistently and correctly, it can boost productivity and enhance quality to accelerate overall operations and improve bottom-line results. Yet, despite its remarkable potential, OEE remains under-leveraged in manufacturing – largely because most facilities lack the tools and resources to measure it effectively. Fortunately, OEE software solves that problem.

Check Out Our Favorite Articles on Food Quality and Safety from January 2020!

Each month, we follow the latest trends and news in food safety and quality to bring you insights and updates from thought leaders in the food and beverage industry. Here's a roundup of some of our favorite articles and blog posts from around the web in January 2020.