Rockwell Automation Deploys Plex Platform to Optimize Chocolate Shoppe Manufacturing Operations

Application Areas: Inventory Management, Production Tracking, Quality Control
Industry Sectors: Food and Beverage Manufacturing

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, a food and beverage enterprise operating four company-owned stores alongside distribution in 37 states and private label manufacturing, integrated a comprehensive smart manufacturing platform to overhaul its production tracking. The company deployed enterprise resource planning, manufacturing execution, and quality management software to replace paper-based processes and support continuous operational growth.

Operational limitations and data discrepancies
The manufacturer previously relied on two separate infrastructure systems to track production. These systems frequently failed to communicate, leading to mismatched data and administrative inefficiencies as staff attempted to verify information. Production metrics were recorded manually and entered into databases retroactively. Consequently, insights regarding on-hand ingredients and finished goods lagged by several days, which directly impacted shipping schedules. The lack of reliable, centralized data compelled the company to seek an integrated enterprise resource planning and manufacturing execution system capable of supporting its multi-faceted operations.

Selecting a centralized manufacturing system
Following an evaluation of available platforms, the company adopted a cloud-based smart manufacturing platform, specifically selecting the enterprise resource planning, manufacturing execution, and quality management modules from Plex. The selection was influenced by the platform's holistic business management capabilities combined with a dedicated manufacturing focus. A key technical feature driving the decision was the batch management functionality, which organizes and tracks groups of products with shared characteristics. This ensures consistency and maintains product standards required in food and beverage production.

Deployment and operational transition
The transition digitized the company's production, inventory, and financial data, making it instantly accessible via a cloud-based infrastructure. Quality tracking, previously managed on paper, shifted to a centralized digital repository. This single source of truth streamlined compliance with industry regulations, simplified customer-specific requirements, and facilitated audit preparations. The deployment also enabled direct communication with customers regarding quality checks during active product runs.

Quantifiable improvements and efficiency gains
The integration of the system yielded measurable improvements across facility operations. Inventory accuracy reached 95 percent, representing a 27 percent overall improvement. The platform facilitated an 18 percent reduction in raw material inventory and achieved a 1.1 percent outage rate, an 83 percent improvement from previous metrics. By digitizing inventory management, the system eliminated the need for employees to physically search the facility for materials, saving the team three to four hours daily. Furthermore, improved visibility into product loss and waste factors through the batch management module directly increased total production yield. Traceability procedures, which previously required hours to complete, are executed instantly, thereby improving shipping reliability and overall operational efficiency. The company plans to continue leveraging the platform to increase automation on the plant floor.

Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

www.rockwellautomation.com