www.foodpackautomation.com
22
'26
Written on Modified on
Smart manufacturing platform improves production and inventory
Rockwell Automation implements Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform at Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream to enhance production visibility, quality management and inventory accuracy.
www.rockwellautomation.com
Rockwell Automation and Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company detailed the implementation of the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform during the Ice Cream & Cultured Innovation Conference, held in April 2026. The technical transition focused on replacing disparate, manual tracking systems with a unified cloud-based architecture to manage a digital supply chain encompassing over 800 distribution points and private-label manufacturing contracts.
Inventory Precision and Batch Management
The adoption of the Plex platform addressed data silos caused by two legacy systems that lacked interoperability. By implementing a central manufacturing execution system (MES), the facility achieved a 27% improvement in inventory accuracy, reaching a 95% precision rate. This shift to real-time data synchronization allowed for an 18% reduction in raw material inventory levels by optimizing procurement cycles against actual production demand.
Technical efficiency gains include:
- Reduction in Labor Overhead: Automated data capture reduced manual inventory management tasks by three to four hours per cycle.
- Yield Optimization: The integration of Batch Management functionality allows for the granular tracking of product loss and waste factors. This provides the measurable data necessary to adjust mixing and filling parameters to maximize output.
Quality Management and Regulatory Traceability
The Plex Quality Management System (QMS) replaced paper-based logs with a digital framework for compliance and auditing. Within the digital supply chain, traceability transitioned from a manual, multi-hour retrieval process to an instantaneous digital query. This capability is critical for meeting Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) standards and specific customer quality requirements.
The QMS facilitates real-time communication regarding quality checks during active production runs. By digitizing these touchpoints, the facility ensures that quality data is appended directly to the electronic batch record (eBR), creating a verifiable audit trail that supports industry regulation compliance and rapid audit preparation.
Future Automation Scaling
Following the successful deployment of the MES and QMS modules, the manufacturing operation is evaluating further automation of production line hardware. The goal of this technical roadmap is to link physical shop-floor assets directly to the smart manufacturing platform, further reducing the latency between physical production events and executive-level inventory data.
This implementation serves as a benchmark for mid-sized food and beverage producers looking to transition from manual, paper-heavy operations to an integrated, data-driven production environment.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
The Plex Quality Management System (QMS) replaced paper-based logs with a digital framework for compliance and auditing. Within the digital supply chain, traceability transitioned from a manual, multi-hour retrieval process to an instantaneous digital query. This capability is critical for meeting Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) standards and specific customer quality requirements.
The QMS facilitates real-time communication regarding quality checks during active production runs. By digitizing these touchpoints, the facility ensures that quality data is appended directly to the electronic batch record (eBR), creating a verifiable audit trail that supports industry regulation compliance and rapid audit preparation.
Future Automation Scaling
Following the successful deployment of the MES and QMS modules, the manufacturing operation is evaluating further automation of production line hardware. The goal of this technical roadmap is to link physical shop-floor assets directly to the smart manufacturing platform, further reducing the latency between physical production events and executive-level inventory data.
This implementation serves as a benchmark for mid-sized food and beverage producers looking to transition from manual, paper-heavy operations to an integrated, data-driven production environment.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
