Up at Dawn Bakery
About Up at Dawn Bakery
UAD is a Baked Goods Manufacturer of mini muffins for many major brands. They are a high-volume production facility that employs approximately 100 employees working typically 24 hours a day 5-6 days per week.
With a focus on delivering a safe quality product, the QC Team is responsible for a multitude of inspections, quality control checks, analytics, and verification activities. This generates a large volume of paper documents. The Director of Quality Control was looking for a cost-effective, easy-to-use software system that could digitize the mountains of paperwork and provide easy tracking of critical documents to comply with regulatory and customer requirements with remote access to support the 24-hour production demands.
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The Need for a Spanish Mobile App
The diversity of the staff added additional challenges with a predominantly Spanish-speaking workforce as well as an impending transition in reporting structure and hierarchy in the Food Safety and Quality Department to younger in-house, more permanent workforce and leadership.
The Director of Quality Control had reached out to several software companies and was making a final selection to present to Senior Management when she stumbled upon FoodReady during some unrelated late-night research. Impressed by the easy-to-use software whose primary focus is on food safety regulatory requirements, she reached out to FoodReady for a demo. During the demonstration, she was impressed by FoodReady’s no-pressure, informative approach.
Up at Dawn’s decision to implement the Food Ready software became more apparent when comparing apples to apples. There was no added cost for software add-ons that were not needed.
The fact that FoodReady has a Spanish language version of their mobile app was a huge selling point for Up at Dawn.
Reduced Labor Hours
Looking for a Food Safety Software Solution
UAD was experiencing a transition from a food safety consultant to an in-house permanent manager. It was the perfect opportunity to make a shift to a technology that could grow alongside UAD, support its evolving environmentally conscious initiatives, as well as appeal to younger generations moving up in the workforce.
A Food Safety System That Grows With You
“The hierarchy of our food safety/quality control team was changing, and we wanted a system that would grow with us. Being a newer company as well, FoodReady was the perfect companion. As a company grows, needs ebb and flow and changes, FoodReady has been more than accommodating to that. The software effortlessly keeps track of all of our changes to stay in compliance with the regulations set forth by the BRC standard for Documentation.”
“ No more endless spreadsheets to stay on top of. Implementing the FoodReady software while being in transition staff-wise, allowed me (the new QC Manager) to make the system fit my way of working instead of making me fit into the previously implemented the Food Safety Program. I believe this has been instrumental to my success here thus far.” Up At Dawn Quality Manager, Erika Wood
Favorite Software Features
“Up at Dawn uses checklists the most often. I love how much paper usage I have eliminated since switching over to using an app. Having the standard operating procedures readily available on the app has made them more accessible for reference than living in binders on a bookshelf.”
“Prior to my arrival at Up at Dawn, it was difficult for a consultant to monitor those less-than-daily tasks getting completed on schedule. Now it is effortless for me to use the task manager to assign them and ensure they’re not forgotten or lost in the hustle. The push notifications really make a difference in getting things done.”
Erika Wood, Up at Dawn Quality Manager
How Has FoodReady Reduced Costs?
“Having FoodReady has reduced the need to have two of me on staff. I would need another person just to handle the paperwork alone. That’s a major cost savings right there, not to mention the environmental impact and reduction in the cost of paper used daily.”
“Up at Dawn is currently experiencing a savings increase with continuous improvements in technology that enables further streamlining of processes for better efficiency and food safety,”
Erika Wood
Up at Dawn Quality Manager
Up at Dawn Passes Their BRC Audit With a Final Score of AA+
“Denice was instrumental in leading us through a smooth transition from a dated paper system and was on-site to provide guidance and support to our new QC Team during the actual audit; all factors that contributed to a successful audit and final score of AA+,”
Erika Wood
Up at Dawn Quality Manager
What Do Up at Dawn’s Employees Think About Using the Mobile App?
“All of our QC, from operators to mixers to maintenance to logistics use the FoodReady mobile app. The majority of our staff use the Spanish version. They have told me that it’s as simple as any other app they have on their phones. The app is very user-friendly and easy to navigate, even for the most technology-averse. It was a little bit of a struggle at first adapting to new ways of doing things but now, especially with the Spanish version available, it’s almost second nature,” said Erika Wood, UAD Quality Manager.
Why Does Up at Dawn Recommend FoodReady?
“Having everything I need to access at my fingertips. Gone are the days of searching file after file for one particular document or form. During an audit, I don’t need to bring over binder after binder of paper files. Anything the auditor may ask for is right in the system, either on mobile or through the website. It’s a breeze. Not to mention you don’t need to clean up those binders and file things away again after!,” said UAD Quality Manager Erika Wood.
FoodReady Process
Up at Dawn Bakery worked with FoodReady Consultants and software to achieve their food safety goals.
Digitized Current SOPS
Up at Dawn first digitized their SOPs so they could meet SQF Edition 9 requirements.
Digital Checklist Builder
Up at Dawn’s current checklists were updated and uploaded into FoodReady making them digital and eliminating cumbersome paper checklists. This has been instrumental in streamlining their process flows.
Implemented Task Manager
Used for multiple QC inspections and analytical data collection.
Inventory Management
Ingredient inventory added to FoodReady creating an expanded naming convention for finished products and works in progress.
BRC Audit Preparation and Recertification
FoodReady consultant Denice Beccard and FoodReady software assisted Up at Dawn’s preparation for their surprise BRC audit. Up at Dawn’s final BRC score was a 98% improvement over the previous year - from an A to AA+.
Batch Monitoring
Customized batch monitoring process created in FoodReady to accommodate Up at Dawn’s 24-hour continuous processing.
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