Success Story
Bake Works
Cutting Edge Bakery Automates, Supporting Future Growth While Reducing Costs
Based in Washington state, Bake Works is a family run, cutting edge bakery specializing in responsibly produced baked goods since 1996. Their top quality products include jumbo cookies, gourmet shortbread, innovative gluten free products, sports nutrition bars, and power-packed Zac Omega bars. Their products feed millions of school children around the country, and they provide wholesale orders for any custom or high-quantity need.
Bake Works’ large-scale production capabilities and robust facilities allow it to create and distribute its own brands while helping other brands manufacture and distribute their own products. Their extensive experience in the industry allows Bake Works to work in tandem with clients who want to create entirely new products and brands.
- Accurate inventory balances create fewer errors in production and shipping.
- Integration with QuickBooks saves time and creates a more efficient accounting department.
- Shop floor mobile scanners and label printers easily record the flow of product.
The Challenge
Bake Works’ manual systems strained under the pressure of higher volumes and a faster paced operation. The team knew automation would be key to supporting them as they grew in the future. They initiated their project with ParityFactory to achieve greater accuracy and efficiency in inventory management and to improve their tracing capabilities.
Bake Works had several challenges with their entirely manual operation. All bills of lading and pick tickets were being typed or hand-written and then transferred to Excel spreadsheets for tracing. There was no availability of real-time information on product, which didn’t support production planning or tracing. Counts were subject to human error and information wasn’t flowing quickly or easily from factory to office or vice-versa.
Labor savings were also a major consideration for Bake Works. The man-power and time required to track product caused the company to spend money that could have otherwise been saved or spent elsewhere. Without automation capturing the data from case labels, lot tracing proved extremely difficult and costly.
The Solution
ParityFactory was integrated in all areas of production, from receiving through shipping, providing a comprehensive materials control solution. Plant operators are equipped with mobile scanners and label printers to easily record the flow of product. With increased speed and accuracy, labor costs are reduced, and lot tracing is a breeze.
Keeping everyone on the same page is no longer an issue as ParityFactory’s real-time inventory information feeds directly into QuickBooks. The office staff and plant staff have the same accurate information at all times. This allows the team to better understand costs, improve visibility of critical plant metrics, view instant lot tracing, and eliminate pen and paper counting.
Operations are better supported after the implementation of ParityFactory. The jobs of accounting, purchasing, and sales are all made less complicated and more efficient by the accurate, real-time data. Time that was previously spent collecting, entering and verifying manual data for accounting, inventory control and tracing efforts can now be spent elsewhere. This reduces labor costs and creates a far more efficient and reliable process. Bake Works can now confidently plan for current and future growth.
The Results and Benefits
- Production planning became easier with less time needed to calculate production amounts.
- Inventory balances are more accurate, creating fewer errors in production planning and shipping planning.
- Tracing is complete and reportable from receiving through shipping, reducing time spent on traces.
- Labeling and shipping errors are greatly reduced due to live data validations, resulting in happier customers.
- Shop floor workers’ jobs are easier, allowing them time to focus on improving their teams and processes.