Tracing the Beef, Winning Awards
15 November, 2006
category: RFID
Atlantic Beef Products Inc., a producer-owned federally inspected beef processing facility, scored a big award for its mobile computing solution developed by Psion Teklogix (which makes stuff for wireless data collection, imaging, and RFID).
Atlantic won this year’s Canadian Information Productivity Award (CIPA), Exceptional Innovation Award in the Innovation category, for its Psion add-on, designed to improve food safety measures.
Cattle are traced at each stage of processing – through packaging and delivery.
Atlantic Beef, Merit-Trax and Psion Teklogix Win 2006 CIPA Exceptional Innovation Award
Atlantic Beef Achieves Beef Traceability with joint Rugged Mobile Computing Solution
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO – (MARKET WIRE) – November 15, 2006 – Psion Teklogix (LSE: PON), a global provider of solutions for mobile computing, wireless data collection, imaging and RFID, is pleased to announce that Atlantic Beef Products Inc., a producer-owned federally inspected beef processing facility, has won this year’s Canadian Information Productivity Award (CIPA), Exceptional Innovation Award in the Innovation category, for a mobile computing solution developed by Psion Teklogix and Merit-Trax Technologies. The innovative solution is designed to improve food safety measures at Atlantic Beef’s newly installed abattoir in Albany, Prince Edward Island, by increasing product traceability and meeting rigorous beef export requirements.
Atlantic Beef processes approximately 500 cattle and produces over 300,000 pounds of beef per week for Atlantic Canada’s top distribution channels, including Atlantic Superstore and Co-op Atlantic. With its new mobile computing solution, Atlantic Beef has established traceability of its cattle at each stage of processing from packaging to delivery.
“CIPA is delighted to recognize both Psion Teklogix and Merit-Trax for helping Atlantic Beef automate the tracking of its products to improve overall safety measures,” said Norm Kirkpatrick, president and CEO, CIPA. “Atlantic Beef’s ability to provide 100 per cent traceability shows how innovation can deliver increased operational improvements for Canadian business, and ultimately boost overall efficiency.”
Atlantic Beef is using Psion Teklogix 7035 freezer hand held mobile computing devices with Merit-Trax Technologies’ Trax-IT® software suite on the abattoir floor, in freezer units and loading docks. The software enables the 7035 hand held device to capture data in real time and streamline information for invoicing, food labeling and shipping.
“This success was the result of three teams working together, and we are thrilled to be recognized by CIPA with this honor,” said Paul Arsenault, controller, Atlantic Beef Products Inc. “With the help of Psion Teklogix and Merit-Trax, we were able to achieve the highest level of traceability and data capture possible, and we’re now primed to enter the global export market.”
The flexible ergonomics of Psion Teklogix 7035 hand held computers resulted in seamless employee training and implementation. Atlantic Beef workers are providing superior results by harnessing the 7035 hand held’s rugged design and Trax-IT® software’s versatile features. The new mobile computing solution has enabled the company to achieve greater efficiency with its workers while increasing overall productivity and revenues.
“Psion Teklogix is truly a market leader in mobile computing devices and we are proud to have received this award with them,” said Bob Aubertin, director of sales and marketing for Merit-Trax Technologies. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Psion Teklogix to ensure Atlantic Beef maximizes the benefits of the Albany deployment.”
“We are honored to be recognized by CIPA for the work we did with Atlantic Beef,” said Ron Caines, Americas President, Psion Teklogix Corp. “Together with Merit-Trax, we were able to provide a Canadian market leader with a tailor-made mobile computing solution that provides the traceability functionality required for international exporting.”
