Audit-Ready Anytime: How Rice Fruit Company Cut Audit Prep by 95%
After more than 100 years of operating in south-central Pennsylvania, Rice Fruit Company's Alexandra Roberts went from an overflowing inbox to verifying inspection images at softball games.
The Client
Rice Fruit Company is an apple packer and distributor for over 40 family farms on the Atlantic coast.
Since 1913, Rice Fruit has had family in mind. The company's shift from growing to packing and shipping remains a family operation through to the present, now under the leadership of company president Ben Rice. Their strong belief in using technology allows their facility to pack about 7 million bushels annually at the rate of 1,000 bushels per hour on two pack lines.
Sector
Apples
Headquarters
Gardners, Pennsylvania
Certifications
SQF, USDA GAP
Facility Size
285,000 square feet
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Physical paperwork meant mailbox clutter and difficult data analysis, slowing response times and limiting opportunities for improvement.
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Verification of completed forms was tedious, and language barriers made communication tricky.
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Shifting management responsibilities limited time available for manual input and task management.
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Customizable Records
The flexibility of the Provision platform allowed any of Rice's existing hardcopy forms to be digitally recreated, allowing non-technical users to quickly adopt the new platform.
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Comprehensive SupportThe customer support team at Provision offers more than pure technical know-how. Their familiarity with food safety and clients' needs gave them unique insight to provide configuration and training services for Rice.
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Supreme UsabilityThe maintenance department at Rice was uncertain about going digital; after seeing how usable and powerful the platform could be, they became the first department to adopt Provision.
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1.
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Task alerts keep daily activities in check, preventing missing or late records
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Automatic record sorting eliminates the need to prepare binders
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Searchable reports quickly pull up relevant data prior to - and during - audits
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2.
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Employees can access their records from any smartphone, laptop, tablet, or desktop computer - anywhere
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Pictures in records help to provide context and evidence for remote collaboration
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Embedded requirements prevent incomplete record submissions
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Workflows streamline multi-step reviews with notifications at each step
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Configurable smart rules instantly flag inputs that are out-of-spec in records
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Escalation alerts quickly notify and involve management in resolution
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Workflows can guide the data required for corrective and preventive action
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Linked records show clear paths from problem to solution
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Customizable reports allow for root cause and trend analysis on deviations
The New Generation of Food Safety
Now 84% more efficient at food safety documentation, Rice Fruit is able to move away from chasing paper and focus on risk management and continuous improvement.
Introducing Provision to their operations has not only saved time and stress; it's offered Rice Fruit a unique glimpse into the data that had previously been locked in binders and difficult to analyze. With the newfound visibility into the trends previously hidden in their documentation, the team at Rice Fruit Company is looking toward future generations of success with the help of smart tools from Provision.
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75%Time saved on data entry
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75%Time saved on team management
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90%Time saved on record review and verification
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95%Time saved on audit preparation
