How Whitewater Brewing Co. Optimized Operations & Traceability
Understanding the Challenge
As one of the thriving craft breweries in Canada, Whitewater Brewing Co. faced a unique set of challenges. The brewery's Production Manager Curtis Barr explains, "We were hit with a food compliance standard in 2020, requiring us to have our finished product entirely traceable."
The lack of a reliable framework for managing this responsibility made the task daunting.
"We were required to have all of our finished product entirely traceable...We didn't really have a reliable framework set out to tackle this type of issue," shares Curtis; referring to the CFIA mandate on traceability requirements for Breweries in Canada.
Whitewater Brewing Co. was not alone in this challenge. Many food processors and manufacturers are under increasing pressure to meet food safety and traceability regulations.
Implementing The Solution for Food and Brewery Traceability
"Caddy came and chose us and were more than willing to work with us in developing something that we could look to implement across the entire board for our brewing industry,” shares Curtis.
Using Caddy, Whitewater Brewing Co. found a solution to its CFIA requirements for food traceability.
The app allowed them to monitor their products and processes in real time, reducing manual paperwork and providing digital access to crucial data.
The transition to digital enabled a top-down approach that provided unprecedented detail and visibility into their production process.
”The traceability allowed us to follow our product from basically the inception of our ingredients all the way through to our final can...we never could just see it all and have that digital information readily available for us as soon as problems arose."
Caddy did more than track ingredients. It also helped reduce human error, an often overlooked but significant aspect of the production process. Curtis shares how the platform’s predefined recipes and measurements eliminated the potential for mathematical errors, boosting productivity, and enhancing employee accountability.
"Caddy has taken its quantifiable measures and really eliminated that space for human error, which is a great piece of ease on not only my mind, but the efficiency in which I can operate from day to day," Curtis explains.
Experiencing the Benefits of Better Traceability and Operations Practices
The changes to the team’s food safety and quality operations were transformative for Whitewater Brewing Co.
Curtis identified traceability as the most valuable feature of Caddy, explaining, "The ability to see not only every ingredient but at which time it was put in, how much was put in - it's become a great asset to us. The convenience of having all this information in real-time was a game-changer.”
In terms of audits or potential product recalls Curtis expressed confidence in the capabilities of the Caddy app.
He highlighted the precision and speed with which they could trace back to a specific product batch if needed, reducing the potential stress and disruption such events could cause.
"If we were audited and it was a specific SKU, we could find it within minutes. That's not just the can itself. That's every ingredient that went into making that product."
The positive impact of Caddy extended beyond the production floor.
Implementing Caddy also streamlined numerous other operational processes for Whitewater. Operational improvements included quicker, error-free shipping and receiving processes, real-time feedback and approval capabilities for managers, and offered accurate, up-to-the-minute inventory data, making tracking and managing stock levels and associated costs easier.
Customer Support That Goes Above and Beyond
Whitewater Brewing Co.'s success with Caddy was not solely due to the software's capabilities.
The Caddy team's customer support played an integral role in the smooth implementation and ongoing use of the app. From the initial setup and training to ongoing troubleshooting and updates, the Caddy team was always ready to assist.
”I've dealt with other tech companies in the past… it’s always been you call them, you wait, they call you back. You have this very convoluted phone conversation while trying to diagnose your issues. The support from Caddy has been 100% anytime…”
The Way Forward
Curtis was gracious when asked whether he would recommend Caddy to other growing breweries, food processors, or manufacturers, attributing their enhanced operational efficiency and compliance to the app.
Curtis believes the efficiency gains from using Caddy could fuel their future expansion.
"…it has made us more efficient. And if you're more efficient, you can produce more; if you can produce more, you can sell more. So in a roundabout way, it has definitely helped us grow."
In conclusion, with Caddy, Whitewater Brewing Co. has met its food safety and compliance needs and set a new standard for efficiency in its operations.
Caddy presents an innovative and effective solution for businesses in the food and beverage industry looking to streamline their processes, increase efficiency, and ensure full compliance with food safety standards.