Claricom Demonstrate New Clarify Software for the First Time

Claricom, the specialist manufacturer of Package Coding Management Systems, has launched the latest product in its software suite, to provide improved and flexible control of coding data. The Claricom CLARiFY Package Coding Planning software will be exhibited for the first time at the TOTAL Packaging exhibition (NEC March 2004) and is particularly useful for operations where product life is determined by something other than the date of packaging, such as the 'wash date' or the 'cook date', or where coding rules frequently vary for factors such as concessions or promotions.

CLARiFY is the latest product in Claricom’s established software suite, offering improved and flexible control of coding data.

NEW SOFTWARE MEANS NO VARIATION FROM CODING ACCURACY

CLARiFY provides efficient and straightforward management and control of coding information, including management of concessions and promotional coding, to ensure that accurate and appropriate data is printed on every production run. Capable of operating either on a stand-alone PC or across an enterprise-wide intranet, CLARiFY ensures a simplified, co-ordinated approach in the delivery of coding instructions from planning to production personnel.

This information is used to set up production line coding equipment for each run, achieved either manually via a printed report, or automatically in conjunction with Claricom’s CLARiNET coder network management software.

“Because of the complexities of product coding manufacturers often survive on a mix of know-how, intuition and a variety of verbal or written instructions. Operators may be required to ‘work out’ the life based on (say) the day of cook, making sure they have the right number of days in the month, and so on…. the human error is almost inevitable” explains Paul Lawlor, Technical Director of Claricom.

Accurate coding is essential to product quality, safety and traceability. CLARiFY eliminate human error by providing an intuitive tool for setting coding rules, including nominal date offsets and allowable date code ranges for each product. Additional date rules can be added, such as avoidance dates and day-of-week rules.

The Claricom PCMS suite of Package Coding Management software comprises modules to automate each aspect of package coding management:

• Origination of coding information
• Design of look and feel for the codes on the packaging
• Planning coding information on production batch basis
• Integrated packaging inspection and barcode validation
• Feedback of essential production information; and
• Automatic communication of coding information to leading brands of coding and labelling equipment.

Manufacturers suffer significant costs from product recall, re-work, lost production, wasted materials, lost sales and penalties from customers. One Dairy alone, bottling milk for retail, has put the cost of package coding errors at over £400,000 per year, plus the damage to customer confidence and on-going business that results.

“I have several sorts of coders in my plant and until I found Claricom, I had no means of avoiding manual input errors. Because Claricom is independent their PCMS software can connect to all my coders and provide savings in excess of €600,000 a year in reduced waste and increased efficiency.”

In recent months the serious implications - particularly the financial ones - of allowing a coding error to go undetected have become a major issue. Perhaps most notably it is the top retailers who have been the driving force in both identifying the problem and providing the impetus for the supply industries to do something about it.

CLARiFY joins existing Claricom products that are proven to increase coding efficiency and eliminate the risk of product recalls due to coding errors, and saving manufacturers money. TESCO approved and recommended, Claricom systems use centralised network control of on-pack coding and a logical rule-based approach, which removes day-to-day manual data input and ensures that greater reliability, flexibility and accuracy in coding are achieved.

Pork Farm Bowyers - A brand leader in the UK chilled savoury snacks market and part of the Northern Foods Group has already seen the benefit of CLARiFY in operation. After successful implementation of a Claricom Package Coding Management System Pork Farms achieved an award from TESCO for the reduction in Emergency Product Withdrawals (EPWs)

Manufacturing Systems Manager at Pork Farm Bowyers Simon Almond explains, “The Claricom system provides a carefully controlled system to enable us to avoid the potential for error by taking responsibility for the integrity of the pack information out of the hands of the operators and transferring it to Technical and Quality Assurance.

“In this way, all the operator needs to do is key in the batch number and the coders will automatically print the details which have been logged in and signed off centrally. Any coding equipment which is connected to the system, including different machines installed in the future, will operate in this way, providing consistency across the production lines.”

The Claricom system is more sophisticated than alternative systems with, for example, an in-built calendar programmed with production dates and changes and even when Bank Holidays occur, all of which makes Package Coding Management more accurate and efficient.

“Pork Farms Bowyers is committed to excellence across the business and this new Claricom package coding management system will help us to continue delivering the best possible service to our customers,” concludes Simon Almond.

CLARiFY’s simple and efficient control is provided by two user-friendly modules. The CLARiFY Coding Rules Manager is an intuitive tool for setting the coding rules for each product. The CLARiFY Production Coding Planner module is used by production personnel on a daily basis, to finalise the date codes for each production run. By working within the pre-defined rules set in the Coding Rules Manager, users have the flexibility to deal with the many day-to-day production variables including concessions, promotions or the age of ingredients.

CLARiFY can be used to print out an easy-to-follow visual digest of what the coding information should look like, with an explanation of any variations made by the planning department, and other related instructions such as the requirement for promotional flash labelling; a space is also provided for the supervisor to sign-off the production run once the information can be verified, making this an integral part of the Quality Assurance system.

In today’s world few people would consider using a manual system of accounts, with a range of software products used to eliminate the old systems of ‘day books’ and ‘ledgers’. So why should manufacturers continue to rely on paper systems for coding management? A centralised system of coding management can greatly improve production accuracy and efficiency, reducing the risk of product recalls and the financial penalties of an EPW or RTM.

“Using the same process day-in, day-out, also brings familiarity. It is often the exceptions that cause problems,” explains Paul Lawlor, “For example, promotions may account for less than 10% of production but account for over 30% of coding/packaging errors. CLARiFY brings management control to these exceptions and thereby eliminates human error.”

CLARiFY can greatly reduce the scope for errors created in the origination of coding information, and the communication of this to the production line. CLARiFY can also be used in conjunction with a Claricom CLARiNET network to provide automatic communication of coding information to the leading brands of coding and labelling equipment, and integrated packaging inspection and barcode validation.

CLARiFY can be an invaluable tool within a Package Coding Management System. A Claricom PCMS aids legal compliance, increases traceability and increases customer confidence by removing the main causes of packaging and coding product withdrawals, preventing not only the immediate cost of errors, but also the loss of customer goodwill that results.

A Claricom PCMS typically pays for itself within 12 months.

A key benefit is Claricom’s coder-independent approach, providing an independent software solution that works with the leading makes and models of coding and labelling equipment. This allows customers the freedom of choice in selecting the most appropriate coders or labellers for each part of their operation, whether inkjet, thermal transfer, laser coding et al. Claricom products are compatible with equipment from: Alpha-Dot, Domino, ICE, Imaje, Markem, Videojet, Zebra and more.