Foie Gras house uses bespoke ERP system to implement rigorous quality control 

A bespoke ERP system from food and drink IT specialist CSB-System is providing Feyel & Artzner, one of the oldest French Foie Gras houses, with a comprehensive cross-functional quality management and production system.

Thanks to this, the company is able to plan effectively, access vital business information, implement rigorous quality control procedures and take the right decisions at the appropriate time.

Founded in 1811 and now based in Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg, Feyel & Artzner’s recipes have been passed down by its chefs from generation to generation.

The high-quality products require constant attention throughout the production process to ensure the highest standards are maintained. The products are also subject to different national and international regulations and requirements. At the same time, it is important that production efficiencies are maximised.

Through its industry-specific software, CSB has integrated all parts of the Feyel & Artzner operations into a coordinated system covering purchasing, stock management, production planning, quality control, recipe optimisation and weigh price labelling, along with the availability of relevant sales and business data and multichannel sales support. This delivers full monitoring and control and ensures that information is readily available in real time.

The CSB solution simplifies planning and ordering to reduce inventory costs while ensuring the right raw materials are always ready when needed. Recipes are standardised and optimised to provide product consistency, including nutritional values.

Real time monitoring also enables any problems or weaknesses in the system to be quickly identified and rectified and provides security and transparency for full traceability.

Sales processes are simplified through paperless solutions via electronic data interchange (EDI). CSB’s Phonemaster technology provides onscreen support for telephone order processing, such as details of last orders, promotional pricing and accounts receivable information, for enhanced customer and vendor interactions.

As part of the fully integrated solution, CSB’s Quality Management and Lab Information system captures, evaluates and analyses quality-related data from all areas of the business to ensure that Feyel & Artzner’s high-quality products are tracked and monitored at every stage of the production process.

In addition to regular quality and hygiene checks during production, the system co-ordinates all external tests, evaluations and statistical quality control, including the scheduling of preventative quality assurance and long-term tests.

The system also enables Feyel & Artzner to meet all relevant national and international standards and directives for its products, depending on their final destination, including data management of environmental labels and provision for the required descriptions of business processes.

Another key element of the CSB system is its production optimisation software that maximises efficiencies by allowing Feyel & Artzner to forecast and plan over a 12-week period. This calculates product quantities and raw material requirements, provides a detailed inventory and then co-ordinates downstream operations.

The result is a fast and reliable planning process that avoids bottlenecks in production and optimises the use of both equipment and labour. The system also helps to reduce inventory costs and tied capital. Set-up times and costs have been reduced while capacity has increased.

The fully integrated nature of the CSB solution has been a key benefit, explains David Santoli, Feyel & Artzner’s head of IT: “We were looking for a complete vertical software. CSB-System has allowed us to eliminate standalone solutions and to have reliable information in real time. This enables us to take the good decisions at the right time.”

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