Meat inventory control delivers production & meat packing control, quality control, animal delivery, batch processing, weight accountability with no unaccounted yield loss from harvesting animal, through fabrication, cutting and packing for all animal and fresh meat.

Modern meat inventory control solution works with INEXPENSIVE HARDWARE.


WATCH FARMSOFT MEAT PACKING INVENTORY VIDEO

"Other meat inventory control solutions on the market were made before your were born; and unlike Farmsoft, only work with overpriced hardware."

Brochure: [Meat packing]  

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99% less meat packing waste

Accurate meat inventory management reduces waste through better FIFO stock rotation, stock-takes, and inventory alerts. RFID pallet control (optional) for precision inventory tracking. 

Save time packing meat 

Increase the efficiency of your meat packing plant using options like scanning incoming bar-codes to reduce data entry & errors, integrate with scales for automatic weighing, ore RFID for automatic livestock and cut meat inventory tracking.

Better meat quality control

Guarantee the quality of your meat with flexible QC testing systems from your cell or tablet. Customer feedback management, supplier livestock quality control and more...

Reduce meat  packing errors & control production

Project required inventory (and shortages), schedule orders to be cut & packed in batches & lots , automatic alerts to production line managers, schedule slaughter, cutting & meat packing services for customers.

100% accurate meat  order shipping

Shipping teams are guided through the dispatch process from picking using a phone or tablet (optional bar-code scanning), automatic picking, thru bill of lading, invoice, and automatic shipping notifications for customers, transport, and sales teams.

Reduce meat  packing administration costs by 40%

Automatic generation of fresh meat labels (outer box, inner packs, and meat pallet labels), bill of lading, invoice, picking documents and more; reduces administrative burden.

Easy audit & mock recall systems reduces compliance costs.

Faster meat inventory storage  & management

Accurate meat inventory management delivers reduced meat waste and increased employee productivity. Manage FIFO, improve stock-take accuracy, and keep a watchful eye on ageing your inventory... Easy stock-take identifies shrinkage and helps reduce. 

100% accurate meat inventory control

Maintain strict meat inventory control and high food safety standards at all times. Perform recalls based on animal tag, RFID, animal number, lot/batch, cut date, ageing date / cooler location, pack date, invoice #, inventory #, pallet #, delivery date, purchase order #, or perform a recall on your own user defined data. Perform instant recalls both up and down the supply chain. Makes audits easy and instant. 

Reduce meat  waste by 99%

Inventory control ensures there is no 'shrinkage', meat inventory is FIFO managed, and expiring inventory always monitored.

Reduce administration time by 60%

Automatic paperwork, labels, and reporting reduces the burden on administration teams and saves everyone's time.

Better meat quality now

Quality control and food safety has never been easier with industry standard quality tests, food safety checklists; or configure your own tests.  Test animal carcass, ageing sides, cut fillets, and packed meat products.

100% accurate meat ageing

Guarantee all meat is aged to correct age, no over / under ageing, reduce waste and ensures accurate ageing of meat.

Customers order animal processing online

Customers use the portal to request their livestock slaughtered, processed, and packed, including the cutting specifications & packaging & labeling requirements.

Management approves processing requests

Management is immediately alerted when a customer requests animal processing, and can change the delivery date or time for the livestock delivery.  An email confirmation is sent to the customer immediately with any updated info.

Self serve customer management

Customers are automatically sent alerts at each important processing phase including: livestock delivery, completion of slaughter, completion of cutting & packing.  Your customers can view the progress of slaughter, packing, and pickup of their finished goods, even print invoices and view old orders. 

100% accurate & automatic invoicing

Immediately when your customers goods are finished processing, they are sent harvest details, yield, itemized details of the packed goods, and an invoice for the slaughter, cutting, packing (and misc service like lab tests etc).  

Meat inventory control delivers production & meat packing control, quality control, animal delivery, batch processing, weight accountability with no unaccounted yield loss from harvesting animal, through fabrication, cutting and packing for all animal and fresh meat.

Modern meat inventory control solution works with INEXPENSIVE HARDWARE.

Use low cost meat packing hardware terminals, scales, and other equipment with farmsoft meat inventory controls. Use inexpensive hardware for meat packing, meat processing, and meat storage.


Farmsoft gives you the freedom to use any low cost hardware with the farmsoft meat inventory control.
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Low cost meat packing hardware inexpensive
Low cost meat packing hardware inexpensive (prices are roughly indicative for a meat processing plant with 10 meat processing / packing / meat boning stations). We do not sell meat packing hardware, you can buy your meat packing hardware from any vendor.
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OLD MEAT PACKING HARDWARE SOLUTIONS
Old meat inventory controls tend to use expensive to purchase proprietary hardware that is often very expensive to install in a meat packing plant, and has excessive ongoing maintenance fees. These older meat inventory control vendors try to upsell you with hundreds of thousands of dollars of meat packing hardware. You don't have to waste precious resources that could be spent elsewhere in your meat packing plant.
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Old solutions use outdated redundant and expensive technologies like RS232 networks which are expensive and inflexible, require a lot of expert configuration and maintenance. Old meat inventory controls often run only on Windows terminals which are slow, prone to viruses, and cost too much to purchase and maintain. Old meat inventory controls usually require you to purchase, administer, backup, and maintain your own server (expensive and a waste of your time and money).
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Farmsoft offers an alternative, giving you the choice to use any inexpensive and low cost meat packing hardware for any sized meat packing and meat processing plant.
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Administration and maintenance of meat packing plant hardware & I.T. infrastructure
Old meat inventory controls: $20,000+ per year
Modern farmsoft meat inventory control: $0
You don’t need to purchase & administer servers (Windows, MS SQL, anti-virus, backup software) because farmsoft runs in the cloud. Less Windows OS’s that need constant fixing & virus removal. No proprietary equipment with expensive repairs, parts, and maintenance. Less network equipment, complexity, and even less cables means less things go wrong; resulting in massively reduced network administration & maintenance expenses.
It just works.
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Terminal for data entry during meat packing process:
Old meat inventory controls: $2000
Modern farmsoft meat inventory control: $200
Any Android / iOS tablet or phone / PC / Mac (old equipment is also compatible)
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RFID reader (read animal RFID tags during slaughter, testing, evisceration, and inspection)
Old meat inventory controls: $3000
Modern farmsoft meat inventory control: $150
Any USB/wireless RFID reader in sleeve or ruggedized version, any Android RFID reading device
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Barcode reader for inventory control of livestock and meat inventory:
 Old meat inventory controls: $3000
Modern farmsoft meat inventory control: $150
Any USB barcode reader (wireless), any Android professional Barcode reading device, any Android phone/tablet.
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Scales & printers for weighing livestock and packed meat
 Old meat inventory controls: $3000
Modern farmsoft meat inventory control: $400
Any scale that can dump weight to PC clipboard via USB. Any 300+ dpi printers.
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Meat packing plant network & network installation
Old meat inventory controls: $50,000
Modern farmsoft meat inventory control: $5000 (or as little as $200 for a small business)
Devices require only Wi-Fi, this cuts the cost of cables, routers, and installation drastically as opposed to running cables to every device.
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farmsoft meat inventory control - Technical notes, hardware, requirements for the Meat processing & packing quality control app.   farmsoft meat inventory control FAQ
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Is farmsoft a finance app?
NO! But you can integrate farmsoft with other solutions for finance, accounting, hardware, CRM, payroll, ERP using the fully open farmsoft API which can be used by your I.T. department or any external I.T. vendor. If you want us to perform the integration for you, additional costs apply for, please enquire. Existing integration with other apps is limited to insertion of invoices and purchases one way transactions (for Xero) and export of data via export feature unless otherwise specified in this document.
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Do you share my data?
We will never sell or share your data with any person, company, or government.
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How long does it take to implement farmsoft meat inventory control?
Implementation takes from 3 to 8 weeks, varies wildly based on business complexity. Average time 2-3 weeks.
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Can I deploy farmsoft meat packing myself?
No, deployment is by professionals that have deployed many times. Without this experience your project would take 10 X longer to implement and has low chance of success. We will not provide farmsoft without managed implementation.
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What languages is farmsoft in?
The interface is available in 14 languages, we can add more on request.
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What if our broadband fails?
Keep a redundant internet connection through another company / infrastructure such as cable, OFC, ADSL, or phone hot spot, or keep a USB stick or 5G wi-fi router. The app requires an always on data connection.
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Who develops & supports farmsoft meat packing?
We have been making food processing solutions since 2001, Tenacious Solutions Ltd 124 Broadkill Road #643, Milton DE 19968-1008 USA and have invested millions of $ in research and development to build farmsoft (current version is new, released in 2020). In Australia, the “official mark” and EXDOC/NEXTDOC part of our software is from our Australian subsidiary www.Producepak.com Pty Ltd PO BOX 7443 URANGAN, QLD, AUSTRALIA . Learn more about Tenacious Solutions Ltd here.
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What are the costs if we need changes or additions to farmsoft meat packing?
We are happy to build new features or modify existing ones for your company. Please ask for a quotation for any special features you need added to farmsoft or use the API to add features through your I.T. department. We are unable to provide software development services for free, changing the app incurs an hourly fee. If you don’t want to pay this fee, don’t ask for changes.
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What’s your refund policy for farmsoft meat packing?
Refunds will not be provided. It is your responsibility to perform full due diligence. Your project is not a trial or test.
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Can you support my hardware?
If you didn’t buy it from us, we can’t support it, tell you how to use it, or configure it. We don’t sell hardware or accounting solutions and can’t tell you how to use or setup your financial solution, do not have a copy of your finance app or know how to use it. We provide support only for farmsoft, we can’t install your printer drivers or remove a virus from an old PC.
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farmsoft meat inventory control hardware requirements
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MEAT PACKING TERMINALS TERMINALS
All terminal devices must run one of these browsers: Edge, Chrome, Opera, Brave, with 800x1200 min resolution & an always on internet connection of 0.5 M/bit minimum, no data is saved on your device, no app is installed.
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PRINTING MEAT LABELS
To print from Android or iOS Install AirPrint etc, or purchase PaperCut (or similar), or the app from printer vendor to print PDF from browser ( 300+DPI required if you print barcodes).
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USING YOUR OWN SERVER FOR FARMSOFT MEAT PACKING
Don’t do this unless you absolutely must, standard solution runs from our nearest data center (New York, Berlin, or Sydney) and is included in your quote. Please enquire, there is a cost to use your own server (server etc not provided by us: specs: Win Svr2019+, 16GB RAM+, 4 GHz+, MS SQL 2019+). Or you can have an exclusive server in our data center (we administer & provide server, no other company will be using your exclusive infrastructure, available in USA, Canada, European Union, Australia).
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Meat processing & packing quality control is made easy with farmsoft Meat inventory control; manage all QC, criteria, and testing processes for meat processing and meat packing quality testing for export/importers of beef, pig, and other fresh meat products.


Meat packing quality control for export of beef, pig and other fresh meat products.
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Easy meat & meat packing quality control!
 Each test can be configured to send instant alerts to selected staff if a test fails. Receive full QC report and photos instantly.
 Configure unlimited quality tests for customers, internal QC, QMS, government mandated quality tests, regulated livestock quality testing
 Attach unlimited photos, lab tests & documents to QC tests
 Tests can be associated with anything such as animal, lot, batch, supplier, customer, order, delivery, shipment and more…
 Test types include pass/fail, score, value range, percentage of sample.
 Full quality control solution can be configured for livestock, meat during the curing or dry-ageing process, meat pre pack quality control, post pack meat quality control, pre-shipment and pre export QC.
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The farmsoft meat inventory control guides each quality station for maximum accuracy & speed:
 Processes are configurable for each type of animal and station, perform basic meat processing, or perform value added manufacturing
 Each station can enter / access only data relevant to their tasks, and rapidly record outputs. Includes carcass processing and subsequent boning processes.
 Rapidly switch to next animal (or jump around if carcasses not being processed in the intended order)
 Each station can work simultaneously on different animals or lots.
 Easily pull a carcass for testing, suspicion of quality problem, or to condemn
 Carcasses market for testing can’t be further processed until the testing process is completed (this stops the carcass from being boned or sold)
 Marking a carcass for drag in automatically removes halal status
 Verify animal RFID in as many steps as required
 Automatically assigned animal inventory numbers
 Schedule livestock in batches (unlimited livestock pens for storage of livestock)
 Production management can:
 Schedule production to fill specific orders
 Monitor progress of each lot
 View outputs from production
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Quality feedback management for meat customers
Manage & analyze customer complaints, capture customer comments, photos, documents, and more. Trace customer complaints back to the original supplier of livestock, or establishment. Instant alerts to relevant staff when a customer complaint/feedback is received.
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Livestock supplier quality management
Simple or comprehensive supplier quality management using unlimited quality management programs, which can be supplier specific, livestock type specific, or generic for all suppliers. Each supplier quality program records notes, photos & more, linked to supplier delivery, batch, purchase order, etc.
Share quality results directly from the app with your suppliers. Instant alerts if a test fails.
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Pick & send orders rapidly
 Scan inventory onto pallets or allow farmsoft to suggest exact inventory for each order based on FIFO & order specs.
 Build new pallets / shipping containers from existing inventory to fill orders
 Shipping container management
 The correct documents (invoice, BOL, shipping) are presented or automatically sent to admin when the order is filled and sent to government export systems via the cloud.
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Complete meat sales process…
 Capture customer orders & specs (used on boning specification sheets) and meat quality requirements
 Monitor & manage the progress of meat order picking, quality control, and shipping from the Logistics dashboard
 Assign transport details to orders and perform quality control on individual shipments and individual shipping containers (truck, license, driver name, shipping container #, temp rec #, seal #, export details, etc)
 Assign loading order of each order
 Manage prices, including price list management for specific parts, and groups of customers (used on orders automatically)
 Attach unlimited documents to orders (international shipping documents, certificate of origin, lab tests etc)
 Capture any special information you need on the order, including fields specific to livestock processing (your consultant will configure this for you).
 Attach photos of truck / shipping containers to shipments for QC and insurance purposes
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Traceability matrix seafood meat, poultry. Meat inventory control requirements with farmsoft meat inventory control. raceability matrix fresh produce fruit and vegetable seafood meat:
[Meat Packing (Australian) edition of farmsoft - download brochure here]
Produce inventory control makes it possible to track produce from its point of origin to a retail location where it is purchased by consumers.

Produce inventory control is an important link in protecting public health since it allows health agencies to more quickly and accurately identify the source of contaminated fruit or vegetables believed to be the cause of an outbreak of foodborne illness, remove them from the marketplace, and communicate to the supply chain.

Since many fruits and vegetables are eaten raw, the produce industry‚ from farmer to retailer, works diligently to protect these foods from contamination. Despite their best efforts, foreign matter can occasionally contaminate produce in the field or orchard, in packing or processing, in transit or storage.

Because inventory control systems can provide information on the source, location, movement and storage conditions of produce, they also allow growers, packers, processors and distributors to identify factors affecting quality and delivery.

Beginning in 2008, an industry-led effort to enhance inventory control throughout the entire produce supply chain was launched as the Produce inventory control Initiative.

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Try the pepper inventory control app from farmsoft:
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Traceability matrix fresh produce fruit and vegetable seafood meat
The produce (including pepper & capsicum) industry continues to evolve to meet consumers’ needs. Consumers today are much more knowledgeable and demanding about the foods they purchase. The increased focus on food safety and consumer awareness raises the need to identify and adopt business practices and standards that will aid the produce sector’s ability to track and trace product throughout the supply chain. It is important to note that different regions may have different requirements. Users are reminded to be aware of the requirements in target markets (both business and regulatory).



Meat inventory control makes quality control, receival, batch processing, high weight accountability with no unaccounted yield loss for processing all animal and fresh meat products. The premium meat inventory control solution for modern meat packers and meat processors.


Complete meat packing and meat processing business management. The app manages meat deliveries, batch processing and meat packing, sales and distribution. Maintain high levels of inventory control during the meat packing process.


Meatpacking refers to the process of turning livestock into meat, including slaughter, processing, packaging and distribution. These days, the top meatpacking companies do not just produce meat, they also control how the animals are raised long before slaughter: in the chicken industry, companies oversee the process from chick genetics through supermarket packaging; in the beef industry, cattle come under the control of the big meatpackers four to six months before slaughter.
The ownership of all parts of the supply chain is called vertical integration. It gives integrators – the companies who have integrated all the different parts under one umbrella – control over price and quality; and the economies of scale they have achieved have helped to drive down the consumer prices of meat. Vertical integration has also allowed the meat industry to become highly consolidated, controlled by just a few companies: As of 2015, the four largest companies in each sector controlled 85 percent of the beef packing industry, 66 percent of pork packing, and 51 percent of broiler chicken processing. 1 The slaughter and packing plants these few companies run operate on a tremendous scale: in 2015, 85 percent of beef cattle slaughtered took place in just 30 US slaughter facilities (of the almost 650), with more than half slaughtered in 13 plants. These top 13 plants process more than one million animals per year, which is approximately 2,800 cattle/day, 365 days/year. 2

Pre cooked lunch meat manufacturing app for food manufacturers of meatballs, luncheon, baloney, frankfurter, hot dog, taco meat, sausage manufacturing: manages pre-cooked meat inventory, pre-cooked meat quality control, orders & production, sales & shipping for reduced pre-cooked meat weight.


Pre cooked lunch meat manufacturing app:
For food manufacturers of meatballs, luncheon, baloney, frankfurter, hot dog, taco meat manufacturing: manages pre-cooked meat inventory, pre-cooked meat quality control, orders & production, sales & shipping for reduced pre-cooked meat weight.
[Meat Packing (Australian) edition of farmsoft - download brochure here]
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Processed Meats: Convenience, Nutrition, Taste
Pre cooked lunch meat manufacturing app
Pre cooked lunch meat manufacturing app
Processed meat and poultry products like bacon, hot dogs, sausage, ham and other deli meats are great American traditions and iconic foods. In fact, bacon is often called the ultimate “conversion food” because it tempts even the strictest vegetarian. Processed meat and poultry products are commonly called “convenience meats” because they have already been prepared for easy and safe consumption by consumers. These products are offered in a variety of choices so the consumer can make the best food decision for their lifestyle.
Ninety six percent of Americans make meat and poultry products part of their diets. But recently, questions have arisen about processed meat and poultry products. What are they? How are they different from fresh meat and poultry products? Are they safe and nutritious? This consumer guide aims to provide the facts about processed meat and poultry products. It also offers a guide to the many choices available in the meat and poultry case today. In this way, armed with information, you can make the best choice for you and your family. 

Cured meat, ham, salami manufacturing app for maximum quality cured meat manufacturing, 100% accurate food safety & inventory control. App guides users through the food cured meat manufacturing process including.  Cured meat, ham, bacon, salami manufacturing
Cured meat & ham manufacturing app
Cured meat & ham manufacturing app
Cured meat refers to any meat that's been preserved through the removal of moisture. By eliminating moisture from meat, it takes on new textural properties that are not conducive to the growth of bacteria. The most common way of achieving this is by using salt to draw the moisture out and create a new, more shelf-stable substance known as “cured meat.”

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[Meat Packing (Australian) edition of farmsoft - download brochure here]
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People have been curing meat for centuries, mainly as a way to preserve their food. Especially before the days of refrigeration, most cultures found ways of curing meats through processes that remove moisture from the food through the use of salt. And you’ll still find specialty meat shops in Italy or other parts of the world that cure their meats in cellars or other cool environments that aren’t necessarily refrigerated.
While there are certain types of meats that will only cure properly if stored at room temperature, most meats should always be stored in cold environments, like walk-in refrigerators.
How to Cure Meat (ham, salami, bacon, prosciutto) with Salt
Salt was once more valuable than gold. Since it has the power to prolong the shelf life of otherwise perishable foods, it’s no wonder why. The centuries-old practice of curing foods with curing salt is simple to do and has been perfected over the years to create some of our favorite and well-known delicacies, from prosciutto to pepperoni.
Dry Curing Ham, Salami, Bacon, Prosciutto:
To dry cure meat with salt, cover it entirely in salt for a full day. In order to make sure the meat is completely covered, fill a container with salt, place the meat on top, and pour more salt over until it’s buried. You can also add some flavorings (like celery seed and black pepper) at this point, if you want.
Equilibrium Curing
If you’re worried about wasting so much salt, there is another (more modern) method you can try. First, weigh the meat. Apply 3% of that weight’s worth of salt onto the meat, covering evenly and thoroughly, then use a vacuum sealer to seal everything up and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 5 days. This technique is called “equilibrium curing.”
No matter which method you choose, the basic result should be pretty much the same. Once the meat has had ample time to sit, you’ll notice that the texture will change dramatically. It should become tougher and dryer.
Warning Signs
If you notice a foul odor at any point in the process, that means that the salt was not properly applied and bacteria has begun to grow. There’s no real way to salvage meat after rot has begun, so if you find any indications of bacteria, it should be discarded right away.
Adding Flavors
After the meat is somewhat dehydrated, the fun part begins: adding flavors! There are endless combinations of herbs and spices you can use to create your very own signature cured meats, such as prosciutto. Simply shake off the majority of the salt (it’s okay if some stays on the outside) and coat the meat in your spice mixture.
Hang It to Dry Ham, Salami, Bacon, Prosciutto:

Food manufacturing app for IQF grains: manage entire grain IQF good manufacturing process, production, packaging, sales & shipping: QC, inventory, invoices.  IQF meat & poultry processing app
Most of our poultry products are frozen down with the IQF-method, but what does it really mean and why does it benefit you? You get the answer to that question here!

[Meat Packing of farmsoft - download brochure here]
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Fresh poultry from frost
IQF stands for Individual Quick Freezing, and as the name suggests, it is a method where you quickly and efficiently freeze the products individually.
This gives a very short and fast freezing time, which ensures that the products are completely fresh when they arrive at your kitchen – all the way until you thaw them from the bag, prepare them and serve for your guests.
At the same time, the freezing process is so effective that no larger ice crystals are formed, which potentially can damage the meat cells. The meat thus preserves its natural taste and authentic structure, as well as the nutritional content is maintained, including all the good vitamins and minerals.
Did you know that our Chicken Supreme is frozen in a special freezing tunnel, which freezes the meat to -18 degrees in just 15 minutes. That’s what you call fresh poultry from frost!
Flexible and cost-effective cooking
Since our poultry products have been frozen individually, it also gives you the advantage that the products do not cling into one large ice block but can be picked up individually from the bag.
This makes it more flexible for you, as you can easily and quickly take up the number of products you need to use in your kitchen. This contributes to a more cost-efficient cooking and less food waste.
So, with IQF you do not only get fresh poultry from frost, but also more flexibility in your kitchen!
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Growing consumer demand for ready to eat meals across the globe is propelling the individual quick freezing (IQF) industry, and the increasing availability of non-seasonal food commodities is expected to have a strong influence on the individual quick freezing (IQF) industry. Furthermore, the development and expansion of retail food chains in the advanced countries are also predicted to influence the individual quick freezing (IQF) industry significantly. Increasing government initiatives to minimize food wastage is forecasted to produce more possibilities for key players in the industry.
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The benefits of this method of preparing frozen food are that the process isn't time-consuming. The exact time depends on the type of IQF freezer and the product. The short freezing prevents the formation of large ice crystals in the product's cells, which makes the product to be in its shape, color, smell, and taste after defrosting, to a far greater extent. An added advantage of IQF technology is its ability to separate units of the products during freezing, which produces higher quality product compared to block freezing. This advantage is also vital for food sustainability, as the consumer can defrost and use the exactly needed quantity. The greenhouse gas discharges during the production process are one of the main restraining aspects of the industry.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND TRACEABILITY FOR THE MEAT AND POULTRY INDUSTRY
Automate and maximize your inventory management

Food safety standards, consumer concerns about where food comes from, demand forecasting… the challenges you face are significant. That’s why we’ve created digital solutions with features specifically tailored to your industry. With our solutions, you can:

Track live animals along the entire supply chain to meat cuts in real time
Interpret data from the slaughter floor to processing
Use this data in the event of a post-production feed recall
Transmit slaughter or processing information directly to government agencies or federations
Identify the origin of the meat pieces in each package as they leave the plant to meet the highest standards for export markets.
Our software is perfectly suited to the particularities of the meat industry and can be integrated into your ERP system or existing equipment.

SECTORS

MULTISPECIES
Our solution optimizes your traceability and auditing processes while reducing data entry and risk of error. In addition, it ensures a reliable exchange of information with financial systems, agencies or federations. Your declarations are automatically transferred to Attestra SimpliTrace.


PORK
With the 2000 classification integrated in our solution, manual data entry is a thing of the past. Each animal is accurately tracked from birth to slaughter. Your declaration is automatically transferred to the government agencies in order to receive your premium quickly.


POULTRY
Our solution features industry-specific functionalities, including transport management: all data are integrated into our system (number of chickens per box, mortality rate, animal health criteria, etc.); chicken supply: our application takes into account the most rigorous criteria such as the lifespan of the birds, their weight, etc. in order to facilitate management; and demerit management: in the event of a recall, you can trace each step.



Farmsoft’S MEAT AND SEAFOOD WMS EXPERTISE



Optimising Storage, Handling & Movement of Chill & Frozen Meat and Seafood Products



Chill Picking 3PL warehouse operations including those involved the handling of fresh, chilled or frozen meat, seafood or poultry – be they manufacturers, distributors or 3PL Logistics businesses – face some of the most unique and stringent handling challenges of any industry. Unpreserved product has only a relatively short life storage life. Perishable products must be refrigerated, frozen, dried promptly, or cured. The handling of such products is particularly prone to the growth of micro-organisms that can result in foodborne illnesses, or even death. Consequently, strict regulation and legislation must be adhered to in all regions.


Challenges in Chill Picking Meat and Seafood Warehouse Operations:
Product Safety & Quality Demands
Strict Regulatory Compliance
Management of Variable Weight Items
Serial Item Tracking
Traceability Throughout Product Life Cycle
Auditability
High Volume Product Movement


seafood distribution softwareMicroorganism growth is a temperature-dependent process, temperatures must be maintained, and a full audit trail of temperatures kept. Such products are usually variable weight items until in retail packs. Products can arrive fresh on mixed pallets, can be blast frozen mixed, sorted by SKU by Best Before Date or kill date, stored at -18°C or less, and shipped frozen or be tempered – or even microwaved – before shipping. And operators must, at all times, be able to demonstrate complete traceability throughout the entire process.



Meat distribution Software – Chill & Frozen 3PL Warehouse Operations

Meat distribution software that has full Real-Time Stock Traceability, Visibility & Control
Blind Receipting Against ASN File
Auto Receipt on QC Hold – Quality Inspection
Serial Item Tracking of Variable Weight Items Throughout
Mixed Pallets to Blast & Plate Freezing
Extraction from Freezer – Pallet Topping Function
Foreign Object Metal Detecting
Product Tempering – Microwaving
Product Weighing – Labelling
Product Sleeving – Date Coding & Labelling
BRC Accredited Processes
Forced Air & Rapid Air Processes
Co-Packing & Re-Packing
DEFRA Approved Export Services Controls
Customs Approved Bonded Facilities
USDA Meat Import Services & USDA ID Sites






READ MORE IN OUR WAREHOUSE OPTIMISATION CASE STUDIES



Our customers rely on our robust, modular and patented In-DEX WMS Warehouse Management Software suite to run efficient and revenue enhancing operations. They have direct access to an industry and technology expert pool spanning over 25 years’ operating across the Chill & Frozen Food business sector.


INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IN THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY | Farmsoft
Person holding opened space gray iPad

Familiar with the food service industry? Then you know the competition is fierce and the industry can be daunting. According to a Cornell report, about 59 percent of restaurants fail within the first three years, which is a cumulative statistic that includes chain restaurants and independently owned restaurants. Independent restaurants tend to fail more within the first three years at a rate of 61 percent.

Diving deeper into that statistic, the going is at its toughest for the smallest establishments. Overall, restaurants with fewer than 20 employees fail more often within the first year than other service businesses, Forbes notes. On average, restaurants with 5 or fewer employees last 3.75 years while other startups of the same size last 4 years.

The good news is the food service industry is growing. From 2015 to 2016, Data USA estimates the restaurant employment rate grew by nearly 2 percent and is expected to grow by 0.6 percent over the next 10 years. Worldwide, the food and beverage industry is growing at a rate of 5 percent, according to Plant & Food Research.

That means there are opportunities for restaurants and the industries that supply them to jump ahead of the competition through advanced inventory management. A leg up on logistics is particularly important for independent restaurants and small farms that face stiff competition. Food service excellence often comes down to juggling inventory logistics — including agricultural supply, hospitality products, and shipping — alongside the art of hospitality, the finesse of marketing, and the culinary craft. To say this is a lot is an understatement.

From farm to table, if you’re a small-to-medium-sized business in the food service industry, you can likely benefit from free inventory management software. The software streamlines your inventory process so you can compete with big business and have more time for the passion of ownership. Here’s a look at how Farmsoft’s cloud-based solution can work for you.

AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING
Farms, ranches, and feedlots have to keep track of many different moving parts just to maintain a steady workflow. This includes cultivating crops, caring for livestock, purchasing and maintaining equipment, monitoring the health of their assets, and keeping up with other miscellaneous supplies. On top of all that, according to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, there’s an “ever increasing consumer demand for food quality and safety and animal welfare.” Farms and ranches have to be incredibly efficient with inventory in order to meet consumer demand for quality, safety, and humane animal treatment.

In 2012, according to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), 80 percent of consumer food dollars went to post-harvest manufacturers while 17 percent went to farmers. These numbers are staggering compared to 1950 when 40 percent of dollars went to farmers.

This means farmers are now tasked with producing food to meet higher demand at slimmer profit margins. The demand for organic food has grown about 20 percent annually, and, along with that, the NAS reports that “food sold directly from farmers to consumers is a small but growing segment of the market.”

When it comes to the food service industry, organic farms and small farms must have advanced inventory management in order to serve niche markets and supply a growing restaurant industry. Food costs have dropped to around 10 percent of the average American’s disposable income, meaning more people are able to eat out.

The manufacturing side of this picture collects the lion’s share of the American food dollar because many foods need to be packaged and prepared before they’re shipped to restaurants all over the world. Manufacturers aggregate, store, and process foods. Manufacturers include meat packers, bakeries, and farmer cooperatives. Small-to-medium regional manufacturers and local cooperatives can benefit from free inventory management software to cut down on costs.

HOW A CLOUD-BASED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CAN HELP AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES
Farmsoft’s cloud-based solution lets farmers and other agriculture professionals manage inventory directly from a smartphone. If you’re in the field or traveling, you’ll have easy access and the ability to coordinate with at least four other people, all via one app. For livestock managers, you can easily input stock data, cycle shipments out, track locations, and view transactions with meat packers.

Meanwhile, crop managers can track seed and harvest cycles, log shipments in and out, and minimize order processing costs by ordering the right quantities at the right times based on prior data. Farmsoft integrates with QuickBooks Online so that when it comes time to crunch numbers there’s no redundant data entry.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORTATION
As we noted earlier, 80 percent of the consumer food dollar goes to the post-harvest process, and distribution takes a great deal of that dollar. Food distributors who are able to keep track of every item have an advantage because they know when and why losses occur.

Farmers and ranchers produce about 1 trillion pounds of crops, but by the time those crops make it to restaurants and retailers as food and beverage products, there has been a considerable loss of weight. Post-harvest, about one-third of product weight is lost, and some of that loss comes down to spoilage during shipping. In 2010 alone, $161.6 billion worth of food was lost.

Fresh produce and meat are valuable to the food service industry, and wholesale distributors are faced with a real challenge when it comes to warehousing and transporting valuable, fresh product that can spoil quickly. That being the case, efficient inventory management is essential. Distributors who minimize loss during transportation stand to make more money.

HOW A CLOUD-BASED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CAN IMPROVE FOOD TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
When it comes to distribution and food industry inventory management, a single word captures what you’re after: speed. The best inventory software allows you to quickly catalog every item, create new items, and track items from warehouse to vendor. Moreover, this software allows you to export data so you can analyze trends.

Speed is crucial to food service. Distributors who can rapidly log and track shipments have an advantage, and when you never have to pay for the software to do it, you can spend money where it counts. The more cash you have available to spend on personnel and equipment, the better you’ll scale.

FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY
The USDA notes 31 percent of food waste and loss happens at the retail level. Restaurants, cafes, and cafeterias are particularly aware of the challenge at hand: if you don’t have enough inventory available, you won’t meet the demand of customers. But order too much and you waste money when food goes to waste.

A food service establishment can analyze industry data and search for case studies about other similar establishments of the same size. However, inventory needs for other establishments aren’t necessarily predictive of your own, especially when you’re running a small-to-medium-size niche establishment. The best way to minimize waste and maintain enough supply is to constantly keep tabs on inventory, analyze trends, and place orders based on statistical analysis. Keeping detailed, useful records of inventory can inform everything from portion size to what dishes go on the menu, and when to retire unpopular items.

Here’s the crux of the issue for food service: the fewer orders you place, the less you spend. Especially when you’re ordering produce and meat, maximizing inventory efficiency is crucial for maintaining a profit margin. The only way to do it well is to keep extremely accurate books and understand short-term, weekly trends, seasonal trends, and event-based trends in your area.

HOW A CLOUD-BASED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CAN SAVE YOUR RESTAURANT MONEY
Farmsoft’s free inventory management software allows you to scan items in and out with your smartphone. Once you’ve tallied sales numbers, you can export data via CSV files for further analysis. As you continue to analyze loss and sales trends over time, you’ll get a reliable picture of what your inventory needs will look like in the future. Then you can place large orders for items that you can store and repeat those small orders for perishable, fresh foods. This scientific approach to inventory management removes the guesswork and saves you money. Paper ledgers cost money, but Farmsoft is free from the get-go — and forever. Don’t pay until you’ve scaled your restaurant up to the size where you need additional services.

No more manual data entry — once tax time comes, Farmsoft’s software syncs directly with QuickBooks Online. Reduce waste, save time, and save money: that’s what running a sustainable food service business is all about.




 Why is Inventory Management Important for the Food Industry?
Having a robust, automated Inventory Management System, also referred as WMS (Warehouse Management System) is imperative to being successful in today’s hyper competitive food processing industry. On the other hand, not having a system in place can be challenging to remain fully compliant with the law and stay competitive in dealing with larger clients.

How Common is the use of Automated Inventory Management Systems in the Food Industry?
The food processing industry has evolved over the past couple of decades. A large shift from a manual inventory management system, such as pen and paper, to a fully automated system, has occured

throughout the food industry. So, if you’re thinking of starting a food processing business or taking your small business to the next level in the food processing industry you should absolutely consider using an automated inventory management system for multiple compelling reasons.

In another blog, I wrote in-depth about what a Warehouse Management System is and its application in the Food & Beverage Industry. You can read it here.

What are the Main Reasons for using WMS in Food Processing Industry?
As a processor grows their operation, they will experience an ever-growing need for a streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective way to manage their inventory. This can only be done by automating the inventory management process. Inventory Management systems provide a comprehensive approach to recall management, visibility, and efficiency. This is done through automated technology that communicates from the plant-floor to the office in real-time.

Reason 1: Recall Management
Recall Management is one of the most important variables that a food processor needs to control within their operation every single day. Food recalls are a serious business threat to meat and poultry processors in North America. Each food recall can carry a heavy cost, and inherently bring large risks that affect the entire business.

An automated inventory management system like the Farmsoft Symphony WMS allows a processor to do a quick and comprehensive recall. It is important to have inventory visibility, from raw material receiving to finished goods shipping. This not only adheres to government regulation, but allows a processor to expand their market, meet supplier requirements for larger-scale distributors, and saves time and money.

Moreover, inventory management systems can communicate with members of your supply chain and can provide access to information about the products in real-time. This provides heightened visibility and allows you to track certain shipments, should a problem arise. There is a significant amount of data being shared that can provide insight into safety, shipping, and overstock issues.

Inventory management systems not only enhance Recall Management standards, but they also amplify a processor’s ability to perform sales and order fulfillment.

Reason 2: Enhanced Sales & Order Fulfillment Processes
Having detailed and real-time insight into inventory for sales and order fulfillment is paramount in the food processing industry. In a manual system, sales reps are forced to go through handwritten logs of inventory records to look for available quantity, oldest product, and other identifying variables to fulfill this order. This would then need to be communicated to the operators on the plant-floor to pick the product from the correct location and manually record the change. This system is prone to a litany of different operational flaws. These includes:

Brain Fog
Illegible Handwriting
Miscounting Product
Mistakes are inevitable and can happen across multiple touch points along the operation. For a small-scale operation, these errors can only be managed for so long. As a processor grows, its processes need to adapt to this growth.

An automated inventory management system drastically reduces these mistakes by combining a robust back-end software system that communicates with plant-floor hardware in real-time.
Barcoding and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology support inventory management by making the picking process more efficient. Inventory should be organized with barcoded storage locations and item numbers, which can be especially helpful for distributors with multiple warehouse locations. Systems that provide available information across all locations allow distributors to fulfill orders more quickly.

This provides the office with real-time visibility into accurate inventory levels. Inventory reports by location, warehouse, and movement within the facility allow the office to check inventory levels in real-time. Cycle counting, utilizing a FIFO system, and having controls such as QA locks are standard features that provide a processor with complete inventory control.

With an automated inventory management system, sales reps have the ability to create new and future orders based on accurate real-time information on consumable inventory. Sales reps can release the order down to the plant-floor to be picked and view progress on picking in real-time from a serialized inventory and location. The sales rep can then review the order, assign a truck to the order, and print off necessary paperwork such as a Bill of Lading, Manifest, Packing Slip, etc.

Not only does the inventory management system aid in the sales and order fulfillment process, but it enhances a food processor’s efficiency and productivity.

Reason 3: WMS Improves Efficiency and Productivity in Food Industry
With the right inventory management software at their disposal, procurement managers are able to integrate their inventory data with their supplier’s availability. This ensures that lead times are kept to a minimum and the lines of communication are open, clear, and free of misinterpretation. This leads to a decrease in an under or oversupply of inventory. Having an accurate inventory will reduce waste and also prevent delays in production due to inventory being out of stock.

Gain Full Visibility on All High-Risk Products in Your Inventory
When dealing with a product that has a short shelf-life, it is vital that inventory managers have the ability to track, trace and account for each inventory item. Visibility into the supply chain is exactly what an effective inventory management software solution is tasked to achieve.

Total visibility into the movement of each inventory item through the supply chain creates a ripple effect that generates greater efficiency and value along every touchpoint – from demand forecasting, through purchasing, manufacturing, distribution, and sales.

Gain Locate Items in Real-Time
Being able to locate each inventory item in real-time leads to a significant reduction in loss as a result of mismanaged, misplaced, and mishandled inventory.

Inventory can be kept at optimal levels thereby insulating the business against the risk of overstock and understock issues. These issues include: expired inventory, tied-up cash flow, missed sales due to stock-outs, and off-target forecasting and purchasing.

Optimize Shipping and Receiving Items
Inventory management systems can communicate with members of your supply chain and can provide access to information about inventory products in real-time. This provides heightened visibility and allows you to track certain shipments if a problem arises. There is a significant amount of data being shared that can provide insight into safety, shipping, and overstock issues.

Barcoding and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology support inventory management by making the picking process more efficient. Inventory should be organized with barcoded storage locations and item numbers, which can be especially helpful for distributors with multiple warehouse locations. Systems that provide availability information across all locations allow distributors to fulfill orders more quickly.

Processors should look towards an automated inventory management system as a long-term investment that will streamline plant-floor operations, improve back-end operations, and gain critical visibility into lacking areas.

How Farmsoft Technology’s Inventory Management system streamlines plant-floor operations

Are you looking for an inventory management system? Look no further than Farmsoft Technology’s WMS solution. Symphony’s Warehouse Management (WMS) software enables users to track inventory from receiving through to shipping. With the Order Management Application sales orders can be tracked from the entry of an order through picking, staging, and shipping with a single application screen. For fast and accurate warehouse management, Symphony WMS is an essential piece to any plant management system.

Interested in a demo? We would love to hear from you. Give us a call and our experts can help guide you through the WMS and implementation process.