New Features: Simplify Operations and Expand Opportunities

At Icicle Technologies, we are always innovating and bringing new benefits to our community of users. Not only do we work to make Icicle better, but we listen to you to solve your problems and make work — and life — easier. Check out twelve of the recently released features, including enhanced Certificate of Analysis generation.

Pass/Fail Quality and Process Specifications

When was it released? August 22 2016
What does it do? We added the ability to include Pass/Fail (Boolean) Quality and Process Specifications to handle specs that include subjective attributes such as “Is the color between dark and medium blue”. This will make it easier for companies to manage quality checks during production runs.
Where did the idea come from? The credit for this idea goes to Stephen. Thanks!

Enhanced Certificate of Analysis Generation

When was it released? August 22 2016
What does this new feature do? Icicle now includes enhanced Certificate of Analysis generation infrastructure, which allows users to include the company logo and many more fields such as acceptable ranges. This fixes the problem of providing a complete picture to prospective customers in order to open new markets.
Where did the idea come from? A major benefit to many users, this idea also comes from Stephen.

Tasks and Inspections for Production Runs

When was it released? August 23 2016
What does this new feature do? Icicle users now have the ability to create Tasks and Inspections in relation to Production Runs so that users can schedule tasks and keep records of checklist-type inspections related to specific runs.
Where did the idea come from? Thanks to Monica for this idea!

GS1 Company Prefix Override

When was it released? September 5 2016
What does this new feature do? There is now an optional GS1 Company Prefix override at the product level, which enables barcodes to be generated correctly when a company has more than one GS1 company prefix or is producing product on behalf of another company (i.e. white labeling).
Where did the idea come from? Satinder, you get this one!

International GS1 Country Code and GTIN-13 Barcode Support

When was it released? September 12 2016
What does this new feature do? Icicle now provides support for GS1 Country codes and GTIN-13 barcodes to accommodate companies outside North America where the country code is explicitly included in barcodes.
Where did the idea come from? Big thanks to Jenny, who asked the question that led us to build this functionality.

New Production Runs Functionality

When was it released? September 18 2016
What does this new feature do? Companies now have the ability to produce precursor products (e.g. dough) and add those products to inventory as ingredients to be used in the production of other products (e.g. ten types of bread). This simplifies and more accurately reflects the production processes of many businesses.
Where did the idea come from? This idea came from two separate Icicle users, Monica and Jenny from the baking industry.

Enhanced Product Specification Sheet

When was it released? September 30 2016
What does this new feature do? Users can generate an enhanced Product Specification Sheet to include images of the product, the company logo, and additional product attributes. This will help companies generate promotional materials that can be given directly to buyers and open new markets.
Where did the idea come from? Elena asked for this immensely useful feature, and her request was then followed by several others.

Search and Pagination for Task Lists

When was it released? October 18 2016
What does this new feature do? The master task list interface now has search and pagination functions for easier use and better organization. This better enables management of large teams with many task assignments.
Where did the idea come from? You can thank Jenny for this added convenience (we do).

Automatic Calculations of Ingredient Quantities

When was it released? October 25 2016
What does this new feature do? We added the notion of a yield to formulae so that required quantities of ingredients can be automatically calculated during production runs. This makes it easier for people managing production runs, helps keep inventory accurate, and helps avoid errors during production that can result in products having to be rejected or reworked.
Where did the idea come from? Thank you Tim!

Temperature Field for Shipping Records

When was it released? November 2 2016
What does this new feature do? Shippers can now record temperatures of trucks leaving the facility in order to complete the temperature monitoring of goods throughout the production process. This reduces the potential for spoilage and loss.
Where did the idea come from? Working in the dairy industry, Wendy showed us how important this feature could be.

Visual Editors for Procedures

When was it released? November 9 2016
What does this new feature do? This feature allows users to use colours, fonts, bullet points, tables, and more in procedure documents. Adding this feature makes it easier for users to customize documentation according to their in-house practices.
Where did the idea come from? Two users asked for this feature: Ruth and Tim. Thanks!

Specification Field for Ingredients

When was it released? November 21 2016
What does this new feature do? Companies can now keep track of detailed specifications of ingredients provided by third party suppliers. This ensures that ingredients received meet the minimum product specifications to ensure product quality.
Where did the idea come from> Sheryl, thank you for this suggestion!

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Once again, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank all our users who share their ideas and challenges with us throughout the year.

Did this article make you think of something new? Do you have an experience to share? Leave a comment or contact us at support@icicletechnologies.com.