Tampa, FL – December 16, 2009 -- Pilgrim Software, Inc.,  a world-leading provider of Enterprise Compliance and Quality Management (ECQM) software solutions, in association with Aberdeen Group, today announced the release of "Food Safety and Traceability: Keeping Consumers Happy and Healthy," the latest research by Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS).  The study correlates specific business capabilities and technology enablers to higher operational performance within the food industry.

The research study examined how Best-in-Class food manufacturing companies are working to reduce the impact of food safety incidents, lowering the number of recalls, and improving the customer experience.  The result reveal how these manufacturers collaborate with suppliers, gain intelligence on Quality metrics, and produce compliant products.

"Food Safety is one of the most pressing issues in the industry today and at the heart of it we find traceability and closed-loop quality management as key technology enablers,” said Matthew Littlefield, Senior Research Analyst at the Aberdeen Group. “Food Safety is truly an end-to-end business process, starting at raw materials, moving through manufacturing operations, to distribution, and finally ending at the point of consumption. Best-in-Class organizations are ensuring that food safety is maintained across all of these processes by moving beyond just lot level traceability to using Enterprise Quality Management Systems for building quality and compliance into all of these processes.

"Top manufacturers are automating data collection, establishing role-based visibility and investing in technology across the overall technology stack to improve product and process traceability across the enterprise," Littlefield added.

“In response to food safety issues, Congress and the Senate have passed bills calling for higher food safety standards. These new rules and regulations meant for public safety and overall consumer benefit carry a cost of added safety compliance in 2010 and beyond,” said Nikki Willett, Pilgrim’s Vice President of Marketing and Regulatory Affairs.

“Today we’re seeing a growing focus among food and beverage manufacturers,” she continued, “to proactively combat risk by implementing automated solutions to ensure food safety, curtail the potential for recalls, and boost overall consumer satisfaction. Companies that are proactive in dealing with these issues now throughout the product value chain (farm to fork), and focus on implementing new safety solutions, will reap the rewards of greater efficiency and lower cost.”

The study further revealed that organizations that have not begun to focus on ensuring customer satisfaction through a comprehensive food safety and traceability program will be at a competitive disadvantage and will forego the benefits of 98 percent on-time and complete shipments, 89 percent Overall Equipment Effectiveness rate, 99percent production compliance, and a two-hour track and trace response time.

A complimentary copy of the full Aberdeen report is made available due in part through the cooperation of Pilgrim Software. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, click here, or visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=6034.

 

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions. For additional information, visit www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 854-5200.
 
About Pilgrim Software, Inc.   
Pilgrim Software, Inc. is a world-leading provider of Enterprise Compliance and Quality Management solutions for global organizations. Named 2007 & 2008 North American Enterprise Compliance & Quality Management Company of the Year by Frost & Sullivan, Pilgrim helps organizations manage industry and regulatory compliance, reduce manufacturing costs and improve customer satisfaction. For more information, visit Pilgrim Software’s website at www.pilgrimsoftware.com.