Berner Food & Beverage and TraceGains to Discuss Strategies and Processes

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) --12/01/2011 -- Reducing supply chain disruptions through better supplier collaboration helps both sides lower costs and raise quality. With advanced control of their suppliers and their ingredient supply chain, innovative processors and manufacturers are leveraging Lean principles for cutting inventory levels, improving cash flow, and enhancing their bottom line.

On Wednesday, November 30th, 2011, join Troy Grove, CIO of Berner Food & Beverage, Inc., and Gary Nowacki, CEO of TraceGains, Inc., for a free webinar to learn how to:

• Accelerate acceptance of in-spec shipments for better operational efficiency.
• Move closer to just-in-time (JIT) inventory for improved cash flow.
• Automate purchase order acknowledgement for better manufacturing scheduling.
• Scorecard suppliers based on how ingredients affect your finished-goods quality, cost, and customer satisfaction.
• Implement an automated continuous supplier audit process to show trends and provide early warning.
• Drive partnerships through transparency and shared decision-making.

Troy Grove will discuss how Berner Foods & Beverage accelerated acceptance of in-spec shipments, moved closer to just-in-time inventory, automated purchase order acknowledgement, built a supplier score card, added a continuous supplier audit process, and gained a supplier partnership tool.

Signup for the webinar is available at http://bit.ly/ujg064.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, sourcing, and compliance managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, cheese processing and manufacturing, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, breakfast cereals, dietary supplements, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), Convenience Foods, and Cheese Sauces. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Better Lean Manufacturing and Just-in-Time Inventory

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/18/2011 -- Supplier non-compliance, raw material latency, and supply chain disruptions leave food manufacturers with no choice: they waste money and resources on inventory levels that are too high. With advanced control of their suppliers and their ingredient supply chain, innovative companies are now leveraging Lean principles for cutting inventory levels, improving cash flow, and enhancing their bottom line.

Through automated supplier risk management, companies now achieve multiple benefits:

• Minimized supply chain disruptions through continuous monitoring of supplier on-time deliveries. Automated review of all certificates of analysis to insure 100% compliance with ingredient specifications, and alerts manufacturers to any impending problems before the ingredients even reach the dock.

• Reduced safety stock, less spot-market buying, fewer rush freight expenses, and improved cash flow.

• Instant highlighting of supply chain disruption impacts and potential future problems with suppliers and ingredients in graphic dashboards so manufacturers can immediately take action on the most urgent problems.

• Automatic sending of eNotification to the manufacturer and their suppliers alerting both to take action immediately.

• Automated P.O. acknowledgment to insure shortages and negative surprises are reduced or eliminated.

On October 26, TraceGains will be hosting a webinar (http://bit.ly/onhuiT) to discuss how existing customers are leveraging TraceGains' software-as-a-service in their Lean initiatives to achieve just-in-time (JIT) inventory and maximize cash flow.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, sourcing, and compliance managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, cheese processing and manufacturing, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, breakfast cereals, dietary supplements, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), Convenience Foods, and Cheese Sauces. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Webinar series covers compliance and supply chain issues in the food industry.

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/22/2011 -- TraceGains' summer series of webinars is gaining widespread industry attention. The company has partnered with its customers and industry experts to cover relevant topics such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), GFSI compliance, ingredient and raw material risk, and foreign supplier verification, to alert and educate the industry on relevant topics that can affect performance, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Guests have included Jack Kennedy, Vice President of Operations at The Chelsea Milling Company—makers of Jiffy Mix™--and Jessica Wasserman, noted industry expert and lawyer in Washington, D.C., focused on advising food businesses and industry associations on import and export issues.

Most recently, TraceGains hosted a webinar for the petfood industry, covering specifically section 301 of the Food Safety Modernization act concerned with foreign supplier verification requirements. Jessica Wasserman and Gary Nowacki (CEO of TraceGains) discussed the current language of the law and automation that can be brought to bear to easily achieve compliance.

On August 24, 2011, the company will be co-hosting a webinar with Greg Rowe, supply chain manager at TraceGains customer Ottens Flavors to discuss specific issues in the flavors industry and how TraceGains has aided Ottens in minimizing risk and avoiding problems before they reach customers.

Interested parties can register for the free webinar by visiting http://bit.ly/r7fsRJ. Additional information about TraceGains solution is available at the company's Web site or email can be sent to mms@tracegains.com.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, sourcing, and compliance managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, cheese processing and manufacturing, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, breakfast cereals, dietary supplements, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), Convenience Foods, and Cheese Sauces. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Are You Prepared for New Foreign Supplier Verification Laws

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/05/2011 -- Under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), food manufacturers and processors who import food ingredients and raw materials will be required to implement a Foreign Supplier Verification Program, essentially mandating that foreign suppliers undergo the same rigor and scrutiny as domestic ones. This risk-based monitoring and preventive-control program shifts the burden of proof to importers who must then confirm their goods made from or with these imports are in compliance with U.S. laws and regulations.

Such a supply chain, supplier, and ingredient risk monitoring program must verify that upstream food safety practices are being adhered to, else criminal prosecution of the importer is a possibility. Verification requirements include monitoring of and detailed record keeping for shipments, lot-based certifications of compliance, presence of a HACCP plan, and a minimum two-year record-keeping retention period.

In addition, the Food Safety Modernization Act even requires that under some circumstances an entity from the country from which a food or ingredient is being imported certify that the shipment is compliant with U.S. laws and regulations.

By popular request, on Wednesday, April 6th, TraceGains will be repeating its Foreign Supplier Verification Program webinar, with added coverage on Section 301 of FSMA, and its requirements and impact on business. Joining TraceGains on this webinar will be Jessica Wasserman, President at Wasserman & Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy focused on the global food, beverage, and agriculture sector, with a specific expertise in food safety law and regulation.

Content covered in the webinar will include how to:
• Interpret Section 301 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (what you need to know).
• Perform risk-based foreign supplier verification activities.
• Monitor shipments and lot-by-lot certification of compliance.
• Automate review of inspections, hazard analysis, testing, and sampling of shipments.
• Automate records storage and maintenance for the mandated 2 year minimum.

Interested parties can register for the webinar at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/355317766.

For additional information, email can be sent to mms@tracegains.com.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, and sourcing managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, cheese processing and manufacturing, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, large restaurant chains, breakfast cereals, dietary supplements, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), Convenience Foods, and Cheese Sauces. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

A look at importation requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act and their business implications.

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/10/2011 -- The clock is ticking. Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, food manufacturers who import food ingredients will be required to implement a Foreign Supplier Verification Program. This risk-based monitoring and preventive-control program shifts the burden of proof to importers who must then confirm their goods made from or with these imports are in compliance with U.S. laws and regulations.

Such a supply chain, supplier, and ingredient risk monitoring program must verify that upstream food safety practices are being adhered to, else criminal prosecution of the importer is a possibility. Verification requirements include monitoring of and detailed record keeping for shipments, lot-based certifications of compliance, presence of a HACCP plan, and a minimum two-year record-keeping retention period.

In addition, the Food Safety Modernization Act even requires that under some circumstances an entity from the country from which a food or ingredient is being imported certify that the shipment is compliant with U.S. laws and regulations.

On Thursday, March 3rd, TraceGains, Inc., will hold a 30-minute webinar detailing the business impact of the Food Safety Modernization act on US-based importers, and offer thoughts on how to achieve the following:

• Perform risk-based foreign supplier verification activities.
• Monitor shipments and lot-by-lot certification of compliance.
• Automate review of inspections, hazard analysis, testing, and sampling of shipments.
• Automate records storage and maintenance for the mandated 2 year minimum.

Interested parties can register for the webinar at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/895395846.

For additional information, email can be sent to mms@tracegains.com.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, and sourcing managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, cheese processing and manufacturing, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, large restaurant chains, breakfast cereals, dietary supplements, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), Convenience Foods, and Cheese Sauces. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Solution also helps manage SQF Level 3 audit requirements.

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/21/2011 -- TraceGains, Inc., the industry leader in Supplier Risk Management that helps quality and strategic sourcing leaders in food and related industries automatically reduce costs and improve product quality, has been chosen by Berner Food and Beverage™ to implement an advanced supplier compliance monitoring program.

TraceGains' Web-hosted Supplier Compliance and Supplier Management applications automate receipt and analysis against ingredient specifications and business rules for all certificates of analysis (COAs) the company receives. Additionally, critical supplier certifications and qualifications, and their respective expiration dates are closely monitored as well, with corrective actions automatically issued as renewal dates approach.

"Berner Food and Beverage has chosen the Trace Gains solution to enhance supply chain, materials management, and quality," says Kimberly Weigle, Vice President of Supply Chain & Engineering. "We anticipate improved compliance with our SQF Level III requirements of materials prior to receipt, and are eager to attain the savings associated with the improved processes."

The new Supplier Compliance Monitoring Program enables Berner Food and Beverage to scorecard and benchmark suppliers, track purchase order acknowledgements, manage certificate expirations, and review all COAs, all without added headcount.

Says Gary Nowacki, CEO of TraceGains: "We are excited to be working with an industry leader like Berner. Our mission: to reduce costs and improve quality – automatically – fits perfectly with Berner's strategic objectives."

Berner Food and Beverage is a producer of processed cheese sauces (shelf-stable dips, spreads, aerosols, and jars), as well as energy, coffee and specialty beverages. The company also contract-manufactures products for private-label customers, including supermarkets, drug stores, membership clubs, dollar stores, food distributors, and foodservice companies.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, and sourcing managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, cheese processing and manufacturing, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, large restaurant chains, breakfast cereals, dietary supplements, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), Convenience Foods, and Cheese Sauces. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

How to automatically reduce costs and improve quality simultaneously.

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/09/2011 -- Multi-plant enterprises have unique risks and challenges, which include different suppliers for the same ingredient at different plants, different plants for the same supplier, and many other factors that can significantly affect finished-goods cost and quality. The emerging discipline of suppler risk management for enterprises turns food manufacturers' ingredient specifications into a powerful supplier monitoring and business process improvement tool.

With easy-to-access and understand information for personnel from QA, Purchasing/Strategic Sourcing, and all the way up to the corporate suite, supplier risk management lets enterprises of all sizes make the correct decisions at the right time. Rankings and scorecards let businesses see immediately how well suppliers comply with specifications, how their certificates of analysis (COAs) compare to lab results, how suppliers have performed historically, how they are trending, and what acute risk they may represent to a company today.

On Wednesday, February 9th, at noon Mountain Time, TraceGains will host a webinar to explore how to monitor and control supplier risk at multi-plant enterprises, and how companies can illuminate, reduce, and predict supplier risk to gain a sustainable advantage. Critical questions such as the following can finally be answered in real-time:

• What is my risk today and how is it changing?
• Which supplier is creating the most risk for me at which plant?
• How does the risk from one supplier or group of suppliers compare with another group?
• When an ingredient is multi-sourced, how do suppliers compare and how are they trending?

Interested parties can register for the webinar at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/947699670.

For additional information, email can be sent to mms@tracegains.com.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for food company quality, purchasing, and sourcing managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification.

TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, large restaurant chains, breakfast cereals, and dietary supplements. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Solution reduces complexity and labor to manage ingredients procured for federal contracts, and for co-manufacturing leading brands sold to retailers and foodservice.

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/14/2011 -- TraceGains, Inc., the industry leader in Supplier Risk Management solutions that help procurement and quality assurance leaders to automatically evaluate raw material compliance and improve product quality, has been chosen by a leading co-manufacturer of Military MREs and shelf-stable foods to illuminate supplier and ingredient risk.

TraceGains' solution will help the company to discover, reduce, and predict risk amongst more than one thousand raw materials received from hundreds of suppliers. TraceGains automates the process for ensuring that ingredients are in compliance with the strict specifications that are part of its contractual obligations with federal military and civilian agencies, as well as with major CPG brands.

Using the Web-based service hosted by TraceGains, supplier Certificate of Analysis (COA) and Certificate of Compliance (COC) information for material shipments, plus other required supplier certification records—such as plant audits, insurance, etc.—are digitized and automatically processed against specifications, receiving dock entries, and any laboratory confirmation tests. All "mil specs" and co-manufacturing ingredient specs are uploaded and available online at any time. Potential non-compliances generate instantaneous alerts based upon the rules and actions set for the condition, resulting in substantial time and labor savings and the elimination of potential human error. The solution ensures not only that the received material is in compliance to specifications, but also that all supplier certifications are valid prior to acceptance.

Prior to automated supplier risk management, supplier performance evaluation and reporting has had to rely on manual document review and tedious spreadsheet development and data entry. The TraceGains solution provides the company's procurement and quality assurance teams with access to extensive electronic intelligence about ongoing raw material and supplier performance from data and information that is now automatically captured, consolidated, and analyzed. Reports and corrective action are just a few mouse clicks away.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, and sourcing managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains' system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, large restaurant chains, breakfast cereals, and dietary supplements. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Solution helps company measure and control ingredient and supplier risk across multiple manufacturing locations.

Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/04/2011 -- TraceGains, Inc., the industry leader in Supplier Risk Management solutions that help quality and strategic sourcing leaders in food and related industries to automatically reduce costs and improve product quality, has been chosen by a leading food manufacturer to help with British Retail Consortium (BRC) compliance, and to control supplier and ingredient risk across multiple manufacturing locations in the U.S.

TraceGains' Web-hosted Supplier Compliance and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Compliance solutions will help the company, which manufactures refrigerated salad dressing, dips, marinades, beverage, and dried spices for consumer retail, track and measure supplier performance and adherence to ingredient specifications, as well as supplier-performance metrics directly related to BRC compliance and its version 5 audit requirements.

As a major cheese supplier to Wal-Mart for some ready-to-eat foods, the company gains additional capabilities to ensure it conforms with Wal-Mart's stringent contract manufacturing requirements.

By gaining automated visibility on all inbound Certificates of Analysis (COAs), with immediate comparison to business rules, ingredient specifications, and laboratory results, the company can finally evaluate its suppliers based on business impact and return on investment, instead of exclusively relying on traditional metrics such as cost or on-time delivery.

"Scorecarding suppliers, ingredients, and raw materials across the enterprise, tracking PO acknowledgements, and managing supplier certifications expirations and COAs, all without added headcount, are the new best practices that enable today's agile enterprise to be even more competitive tomorrow, especially when there is no additional cost to their suppliers," Says Gary Nowacki, CEO of TraceGains.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains' Web-delivered Supplier Compliance and Supplier Impact subscription helps Quality, Purchasing, and Strategic Sourcing departments at food & beverage makers, restaurant chains, nutraceutical manufacturers—and any company challenged with raw material or ingredient variability—simultaneously reduce costs while improving quality – automatically. Suppliers are continuously evaluated and rank-ordered on new business-critical KPIs which go way beyond the traditional measures of cost and on-time delivery. This actionable intelligence can then be quickly leveraged for supply chain and ingredient optimization, as well as proactive risk mitigation. TraceGains is headquartered near Denver, CO, USA, with direct and partner offices throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm