New Software Means No Variation From Coding Accuracy
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 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 provides efficient and straightforward management and control of coding information, 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.
Accurate coding is essential to product quality, safety and traceability. CLARiFY eliminates 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 set, such as avoidance dates and day-of-week rules.
“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. If the operator is required to ‘work out’ the life based on, say, the cook date, or to make sure they have the right number of days in the month, human error is almost inevitable,” explains James Butcher, Managing Director of Claricom. 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 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.
James Butcher stresses an analogy with accountancy, where few people would nowadays consider using a manual system of accounts. Just as accountancy software is available to replace the old systems of ‘day books’ and ‘ledgers,’ so CLARiFY aims to eliminate the need for inefficient paper-based systems of 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 James Butcher, “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.
CLARICOM Limited
10 Heathcoat Building
Nottingham Science Park
Nottingham
NG7 2QJ
T: (0115) 9555 153
F: (0115) 8590 239
E: [email]sales@claricom.com[/email]
