Global Ingredients Supplier Leverages Digital Management: A Case Study

“Customers no longer need to send an email or call an HB representative to get the information that they need,” VanTine says. “All needed information is at their fingertips through the web portal.”

Simplifying Records Management

Rather than maintaining rows of filing cabinets for pricing information and changes, now all of that data is stored electronically, VanTine says. Because the information is digital, executive team members can review and approve pricing via their mobile devices, helping to prevent any delays in getting quotes to customers. The enterprise resource planning system now has pricing updated daily.

Furthermore, project history is not only electronically stored in the repository—available to all with authorization—the organization is also now able to easily track research and development hours per project. This enables HB Specialty Foods to report success rates, hours spent per client, and new launches related to those hours.

“This tracking was not available before we deployed business process automation,” VanTine says. “It’s enabling data analytics, which has the potential to transform operations in ways never possible before. HB now has valuable data on which to base decisions about the time and resources to dedicate to new projects.”

Reaching Full Potential

HB Specialty Foods is still in the very early phases of its Laserfiche implementation, according to VanTine, who estimates that the organization currently uses the technology in about one-quarter of the potential areas it could be used. She expects the use of and the savings from the technology to double within the next year.

“Beyond our initial use, we see many other opportunities to implement these tools,” VanTine says. “The system has more than paid for itself in the first year. No more lost requests for disposals, new hires, or temp-to-permanent employee rollovers; no more delayed quality control documentation tracking and storage; no more delayed work order requests.”

VanTine expects to see better usage of the technology throughout the organization, especially in the accounting and legal areas, which are still using paper processes that are slow and cumbersome.

Customer service is expected to improve even more, with HB Specialty Foods planning to move all certificates of analysis through Laserfiche. This initiative will enable customers to retrieve the certificates as needed, without requiring a long request process. The company is also considering developing a web form to give customers the ability to submit purchase orders online.

“The possibilities are endless,” VanTine says.

Wacker is a technical writer for NBN Communications, a research and writing services company based in Massachusetts. Reach him at [email protected].