Toledo, OH -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/31/2006 --AutomationMedia (www.automationmedia.com) is a website devoted to news, articles, reviews, a QA forum and knowledgebase about Automation and Controls Engineering with an emphasis on important new technology information. Naeem Ismat is the editor of this leading technology website.

Authored by leading manufacturing journalist, Thomas R. Cutler, the impact of regulatory compliance is profiled in the recent feature. According to Cutler, “By the end of 2006, all food manufacturers must meet compliance with the Bioterrorism Act, including companies with fewer than 10 employees.”

The bottom line is that documentation of lot traceability is not an option — it’s now the law. According to Rebecca Gill, vice president with Technology Group International, a leading food ERP vendor based in Toledo, OH, there are key lot traceability functions that are essential but are lacking in many of the ERP vendors claiming market segmentation competency. Gill includes the following functions as critical:
• Full tracking of raw material lots through manufacturing
• Full tracking of finished-good lots through shipment to customer
• Complete reporting on lot genealogy, showing all usage of lots in from vendor, through manufacturing job, and to end user
• Ability to query end-user sales order and see all raw material and finished good lots used for specific shipment
• Ability to query lot from vendor or manufacturing and see all end users to which lot is shipped
• Ability to track lot properties with allowable “criteria” for each lot

There are other important functionalities that support food manufacturing audits and quality assurance but are not a direct response to the Bioterrorism Act. Some of these are:
• Automatic quality assurance of incoming products
• Tracking of original country for raw materials
• Complete data warehouse for 24/7 ad hoc reporting

About Technology Group International, Ltd.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Technology Group International is a proven technology leader delivering Tier 1 application software functionality at a price performance level that can be readily accepted by organizations of all sizes. Specializing in software solutions for small and mid-market manufacturing and distribution companies, TGI’s integrated Enterprise Series software suite is a complete business process management solution. The product offering includes Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Warehouse Management System (WMS), Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS), Decision Support System (DSS), Business Intelligence, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and eCommerce. TGI implements, maintains, enhances, and supports its packaged distribution and manufacturing software solutions directly
and via its channel partners.

Technology Group International
www.tgiltd.com
Rebecca Gill
rgill@tgiltd.com
800-837-0028