Toshiba Tec has partnered with MH Systems and HPort to provide a solution that will give a complete analysis of nutritional data for each pupil based on their daily purchases in the school restaurant.

The integrated catering system will initially be installed in 44 secondary schools in Essex, allowing the schools to manage menu planning in line with government nutritional standards, which have been introduced this month.

Recent government figures show that by the time children reach secondary school, 32.6 per cent of them are either overweight or obese - a figure that has risen by almost one per cent in a year. In order to combat this dangerous trend, the UK government has introduced a number of measures in schools, one of which is the guideline for nutritional standards in menu planning, which was first introduced into primary schools last year.

The guidelines cover 14 specific nutritional values and items, such as the number of daily portions of fruit and vegetables.

From this month, these standards have been extended to cover all secondary schools with the aim that by 2011, all schools should be able to provide detailed reports on pupils’ choices, the results of which will be included in OFSTED reports.

School catering managers in Essex, keen to meet the September deadline, worked together to find an integrated catering solution. Having reviewed numerous software packages on the market, they selected HPort Standards and Education software linked to MH System’s Chips catering software and Toshiba ST-A10 EPOS terminals.

Sheila Verrall, catering manager of Philip Morant School, said: “We were very proactive in our approach, as we needed to ensure that we had plenty of time to implement and test the system in order to be ready for the 2009 guidelines. We chose the HPort software due to its ability to link to Chips on the Toshiba ST-A10 tills, providing us with a totally integrated and easy-to-manage catering solution, with the added benefit of a ‘cash-less’ environment, and by standardising the system it also enabled us to link to the Local Authorities (Essex Food Services) Team.”

The system will provide the average weekly nutritional data for the range of food products available to each pupil. Schools will then be able to provide information on the nutritional content of this range of food products compared to the nutrient standards. This valuable data will be critical in educating children about nutrition, showing the problems that can occur from a lack of certain nutrients and suggesting food sources for a balanced diet.

The software aims to educate the organisation about diet and the combinations of food that create a balanced eating plan. Pupils also have the opportunity to develop their own ‘eat well plate’ and can leave feedback via surveys and questionnaires about the menu options and food choices within their school.

The HPort software contains nutritional information on each of the products purchased from catering suppliers, as well as generic information from the UK nutrient database. This allows catering managers to develop recipes and menus with the required levels of vitamins and nutrients. Once developed, the system will highlight items, for example with high fat content, and quantities and ingredients can then simply be tweaked on each recipe, ensuring a balanced menu. A unique preview facility ensures the balancing process only takes minutes instead of hours.

Sales products are then uploaded to the Chips software and when a transaction takes place at the till, the nutritional data relating to menu choice is recorded with the potential for further analysis. The system also provides the facility to monitor financial data and meets the needs of the 2009 statutory food-based Nutritional Standards.

LANDMARK ACCOUNT

Landmark Systems has announced a new development in its KEY Accounts software, by establishing a link with Farmade Management Systems’ Gatekeeper product.

Gatekeeper is Farmade’s flagship crop management system, so the link with KEY Accounts will mean that farmers, agricultural and rural companies can benefit from a reduction in duplication errors and achieve better accuracy in their accounting and crop-recording requirements.

Specialising in the property and rural business sectors, Landmark Systems provides software solutions, predominantly in the management of property and accounts, through its KEY range.

The KEY Accounts software is not only designed around the needs of an accountant, but is also a management tool enabling the user to generate information such as cash-flow reporting, budgeting and year-on-year analysis. Suited to the multi-enterprise farming or rural business, integrating the KEY Accounts software with Gatekeeper means that data is entered into both systems from only one source. For example, information entered into Gatekeeper when a product had been delivered will be highlighted once an invoice is ready to be paid. The payment details added into KEY Accounts will then automatically be saved in Gatekeeper, saving time and making it an essential tool for companies that wish to diversify.

Nigel Parsons, managing director of Landmark Systems, said: “We previously provided a link with MultiCrop, which proved popular with many of our rural and agricultural customers and as a result, more and more wanted the equivalent link with Gatekeeper, highlighting the popularity that an integrated system has.

“The development of the KEY Accounts and Gatekeeper link is totally unique, as no other accounts package can provide the integration. The link between the two programs means that the user will be able to avoid duplication of records and will save time and effort over the previous use of two unlinked programs.”

ASIANA CENTRALISES

Asiana Ltd, a leading importer and distributor of all-Asian foods, has deployed a centralised IT network to optimise its online sales operations, order handling and payment processing.

The network has improved communications across the company’s four sites, optimising its UK operations and ensuring a more streamlined business process from sales processing through to logistics and delivery.

The solution from network operator TFM Networks centralises all business applications and runs all voice and data communications between sites. The network also provides Asiana with a dependent connection for all time-critical orders received through its online EPoS store, helping to meet customer requirements.

Network reliability was an issue for Asiana and the advantage of the TFM Internet VPN solution is that it is a business-only network, ensuring Asiana has the bandwidth it needs to guarantee timely order processing and prompt distribution.

ANGLIA’S LINKFRESH NAV SYSTEM HITS RIGHT SPOT FOR PRODUCE WORLD GROUP

This month, Anglia Business Solutions outlines its successful deployment of LINKFresh NAV at Produce World Group. The system has had a huge impact on the day-to-day running of the business, explains ceo William Burgess and his colleagues.

When £250 million turnover firm Produce World Group set out on its ambitious expansion plans three years ago, IT was seen as a key strategic aid.

As ceo William Burgess explains: “It is all too easy to lose control when in growth mode. Our internal systems needed to be first class to ensure that we had access to accurate and timely information through and beyond the growth phase. It was therefore vital that our due diligence during the selection process was thorough. In finally selecting LINKFresh NAV, we now know that we got it right.”

The group had two different legacy business management solutions in place at various subsidiaries. The requirement was to adopt a single, modern information platform to serve the needs of the group. “Having selected LINKFresh NAV, we could have deployed a different version in each subsidiary,” explains group finance director Ian Batkin. “However, in discussions with Anglia, a longer-term strategic view was devised and adopted. Dubbed Project Dynamic, the deployment involved the design of a comprehensive Produce World generic solution. While this initially would take longer, the theory was that the subsequent roll-outs would be quicker. Moreover, we would also be in a position to draw performance comparisons across our various subsidiaries.”

Once the strategy was agreed, a resource plan was devised to manage the roll-out, including significant amounts of training for users in all areas. Dedicated teams from Anglia and Produce World were selected and an operations room was equipped to house the team. The team worked to a blueprint produced by Anglia, where the requirements of the various subsidiaries were consolidated into a single design document.

“We set out with a clear vision of how the system would be designed and deployed,” explains IT manager David Jones. “The Anglia and Produce World personnel worked as one team to deliver the group application. Involving key experienced people from across the group was particularly important - their involvement in mapping working practices has also been key to the success of the project to present. The focus was on producing a solution that precisely met the business needs of the organisation, both in the short term and in the foreseeable future.”

The group solution consisted of a range of fully integrated applications that tackled all of the operational parts of the businesses within the group. It included Forecasting, EDI, Production Scheduling, Consignment Trading, Inventory Control, Lot Traceability, Growers’ Returns, Finance and Business Intelligence.

Touch screens were deployed in the packhouses to monitor progress throughout the supply chain, while providing vital feedback to supervisory staff. A range of powerful innovative mobile applications were deployed to manage inventory and perform quality control (QC) and other checks on the produce. Status reports on order progress were made available on LCD screens, while alerts were enabled to warn supervisory staff on possible supply chain glitches using mobile phones.

Once deployed and operational, the Produce World LINKFresh NAV solution made an immediate positive business impact, as Batkin explains. “With our legacy systems, it was very difficult to get a timely, totally accurate and consistent handle on costs,” he says. “Being a real-time system, LINKFresh provided us with full visibility of produce, packaging and labour costs as they were incurred. We were then able to detect and react quickly to anomalies accordingly. We were also able to consolidate financial information across the group. As a result, we have already made significant cost savings that justify our investment.”

Business unit director Jon Pollard also detected some valuable improvements as a result of the LINKFresh NAV deployment. “Being a real-time system made a massive difference to our stock management,” he says. “Previously, we were lucky if the stock was accurate once a day. Now, it is always up to date. We have also been able to make refinements to our operating procedures. These have helped us to better understand and manage our labour costs. The effort required on product traceability is also greatly reduced. What used to take eight hours is now reduced to about 15 minutes with LINKFresh NAV.”

Waste reduction is another area where the impact of the system has been felt. “One of the major issues in the fresh produce industry is waste,” says Burgess. “In this business, order fulfilment takes place on the same day as the order is received. Having too little produce means that you are short: having too much means that the surplus is thrown away. Getting it correct by having accurate and timely information has a positive overall impact.”

The system has also been well received by users. “The shop floor loves it: the technical people love it,” Pollard explains. “I have never been involved in an implementation that has got the benefits so quickly.”

Customers will have also noticed the difference, as Batkin says. “The major retailers operate a fines regime to penalise or discourage adverse performance,” he says. “Since implementing LINKFresh NAV, to my knowledge, we have not incurred a single fine.”

Customer satisfaction has also improved. Burgess says: “By having good information on which stock we have got in our supply chain, it gives us at least a half of a percentage point increase in customer satisfaction. This puts us at the head of the league table. This means that we get more growth with those customers.”

The system is now a key strategic aid in the future growth of the Produce World Group, as Batkin outlines. “Produce World is an ambitious business,” he says. “We will acquire other companies. The LINKFresh NAV system will enable us to do things consistently in an accurate and timely way across the group. This will give us visibility of the group as an entirety.”

LINKFresh NAV has now been successfully deployed in three of the Produce World subsidiaries. The latest implementation at Isleham Fresh Produce involved all aspects of the solution, from forecasting to despatch. The in-depth functionality of the system, coupled with the deployment skills of the Produce World team, meant that the solution was fully implemented within an impressive two-month timescale.

Burgess adds: “The LINKFresh NAV system has totally transformed Produce World. It means that we now have good information at the touch of a button. It was one of the best decisions that we have ever made.”