Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma can be applied to the snack and bakery industry—just like any other field—to analyze processes, cut down on unnecessary steps, and work to make the desired end result come about more efficiently and effectively.
Energy efficiency, automation, and ensuring a robust return-on-investment have been top-of-mind for snack food and wholesale bakery companies in the market for ovens and proofers, according to companies that make those machines, who say sales have been strong.
Snack food and wholesale bakery companies in the market for dough-handling equipment such as dividers, depositors, and rounders have been increasingly focused on machines that provide greater automation, along with the corollary efficiency and labor savings.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is extremely useful for snack and bakery companies, including its ability to track ingredients and other tasks, thereby making companies more efficient.
The simple answer is yes. Yes, there is a direct connection between the training of an employee and their ability to perform their job in an efficient manner.
An engineer’s perspective on cleaning efficiencies is scary on its own merit—and I’m certainly going to date myself here—but remember the old boil tanks sanitation was so proud and protective of?
The topic for this article, conveyor efficiency, offers unique viewpoints from both an OEM and a baker. With modern day bakeries having hundreds to thousands of feet of conveyor, this is certainly a moving subject.