Join CAT Squared's Jack Teague for his IPPE TECHTalk presentation Assessing a Business's Readiness for Smart Automation and Winning Stakeholder Support. The presentation will feature three main objectives:

At Purdue University's National Conference for Food and Agribusiness, speakers presented results of the University’s research study analyzing what data is collected across the food value chain, how it’s shared, and to what extent it is used to make strategic decisions. The study focused on five levels of the value chain: (1) Ag Input Manufacturers, (2) Ag Retailers, (3) Farmers, (4) First Handlers/Food Processors, (5) Food Manufacturers, and (6) Food Retailers. The event included panel discussions with representatives from each part of the value chain discussing trends they’re experiencing.

On March 29, members of the CAT Squared team attended the 2019 Blockchain Conference hosted by the Center for Blockchain Excellence at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. The conference included several keynote speakers including Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas. There were also breakout sessions with panels of blockchain innovators and opportunities for developers to break out their laptops and practice interacting with blockchain development platforms. However, of all the sessions we attended, the one I found most exciting was a discussion led by Golden State Foods (GSF) Chief Technology Officer Guilda Javaheri.

In last month's feature, we discussed various categories of data-management software systems used in manufacturing. This month, we’ll continue this conversation by more deeply defining the difference between ERP systems and MOM / MES systems and discussing how ERP integration with MES systems empowers manufacturers with real-time business intelligence to make better decisions.

CAT Squared is proud to announce a new partnership with  AIMMS, an award-winning vendor of Prescriptive Analytics software, and UniSoma, a leading provider of Advanced Planning solutions. The partnership will enable AIMMS, UniSoma and CAT Squared to provision prescriptive analytics applications for food processing and production companies.

In October 2015, Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International released their annual MES Product Survey. This is the 16th year MESA has published this report tracking trends in manufacturing execution systems (MES). This year, the report included feedback from MES suppliers from around the world who submitted data on 71 MES products, their services, technologies, quality, and industry focus. Of the 67 participating vendors, CAT Squared was the only solutions provider whose sole focus was serving the food industry.

For the fifth straight year, undeclared allergens were the leading cause of USDA recalls. Starting April 12, 2015, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) began ongoing, monthly testing and verification to determine whether facilities are accurately controlling and labeling the "Big 8" food allergens: wheat, shellfish, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk, tree nuts, and soybeans.