Gemini for Oracle Process Manufacturing (OPM) has increased Blue Bell’s overall operational efficiency by automating data collection, resulting in improved production lot control and traceability throughout the company’s primary high-volume production and distribution center in Texas.
With Gemini, Blue Bell is now capturing data from more than 2,000 SKUs of raw, intermediate and finished goods with the use of handheld radio-frequency scanners that record key transactions such as receiving, inventory movements and returns, in real-time on the plant floor.
The new Gemini-driven procedure has significantly increased data quality and visibility, and can process transactions in seconds instead of the minutes that previous manual methods required, Blue Bell said.
Our use of handheld scanners running ClearOrbit enables us to take the computers where the workers are, giving users more control over inventory processing, commented Jim Kruse, controller at Blue Bell. We’ve seen great returns on the timeliness and accuracy of our data reporting with Gemini. The lot control and traceability we now have give us peace of mind that we can respond immediately should there be a product recall. We can’t put a dollar value on that.
Based on the success of the implementation at its main plant, the company plans to expand deployment to its three remaining manufacturing and select distribution facilities in the southeast US.
