New AI Assist Buttons, Xero Software Integration, and Multi-Facility Management Upgrades
We help food manufacturers move their business forward and grow into larger world-class operations that handle multi-facility management seamlessly. For the Icicle team, this means a commitment to technological innovation, and that includes the rapidly growing potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that are now becoming widely available. We’ve been looking for ways to implement AI features that will help our users turbocharge their daily work and relieve the burdens of documentation management. This latest feature update includes the new “AI Assist” button, which is the first fully AI feature in Icicle ERP.
Picking up where our last update left off in July, we cover new releases through the end of October, including expanded multi-facility management abilities, a new integration with the cloud-based accounting software Xero, and other cool upgrades based on excellent user feedback from the Icicle community.
We’re starting to roll out a new “AI Assist” button to streamline documentation and other workflows
When was it released? The “AI Assist” button started appearing in Icicle in October 2023
What does it do? The first AI feature in Icicle ERP is a new “AI Assist” button, which Icicle users will now see when creating new procedures and defining hazards for ingredients, materials, and packaging.
When you create a new procedure, all you need to do is add a name (like “Daily Sanitation Procedure”) and the AI Assist button uses that information to generate suggested text for standard fields (like “Purpose” or “Reassessment Procedures”) that users can edit to suit their needs.
To define hazards for ingredients, materials, and packaging, Icicle already had a Smart Hazard Suggestions tool (“show suggestions” icon) in the Hazards pane on every Details page, which users could click to generate suggested hazards based on Icicle’s extensive database. The new AI Assist pane uses the even larger data sets of new AI technologies to boost the results. For example, if you are defining hazards for an ingredient like ground beef, the AI Assist button will suggest common hazards like E. coli.
We’re excited about launching these AI features because it can help streamline workflows and save you from having to research answers from scratch. But remember that the AI Assist button (and the Smart Hazards Suggestion feature) provide you with common answers to common questions – a qualified professional should always check the results and modify them to make sure they meet requirements for your specific operations, processes, facilities, products, etc.
Where did the idea come from? The Icicle development team is keen to experiment with all the possibilities of AI-technology. If you have ideas, don’t hesitate to submit a request!
It’s easier to move through production stages (with more automation options)
When was it released? October 29 2023
What does it do? Formulas (or recipes) are configured directly in Icicle with the FlowChart Designer, which lays out each step in the manufacturing process. Users can create timers to count down (or up) for particular steps in the process; for formulas that require longer timeframes (days or longer), you can also specify stages. We’ve redesigned the Stages pane on the Production Run Details page to allow users to move more easily between stages.
Simply click or tap the “up” and “down” arrows to manually advance to the next stage, or go back to the previous stage. Icicle will show you when the last stage was completed (date and time) as well as how much time has elapsed in the current stage. You can also proceed to the next stage directly from the Production Runs List page.
That’s not the only change we’ve added to stages. You are now able to input the number of (whole) days per stage from the Formula Details page, and adjust them as needed for any particular production run. If human verification is not required, Icicle will automatically advance the production run to the next stage at the specified time.
Icicle will also automatically send out alerts and assign tasks during production runs based on these preconfigured settings for stages. Note that this automated option is only available for formula stages that do not require human verification (and that have stages defined in the formula).
While processes are defined in the product formula, Icicle’s flexibility allows users to make adjustments for particular production runs when needed, directly from the Production Run Details page. Production processes can be customized to particular production lines or facilities, too (making multi-facility management that much easier).
Where did the idea come from? Thanks to UP Vertical for working with us on the evolution of formula stages for production runs!
Comments on inspections and production runs are searchable
When was it released? September 20 2023
What does it do? Icicle has a search field in the main menu, which can be used to search for item attributes (like names). Thanks to a great suggestion, we started adding comments to the search results too. That means that you can type a word, phrase, or sequence of numbers and see the results across your Icicle account. The results contain clickable links, so you can go straight to the item you’re looking for.
Right now, only comments on inspections and production runs will show up, but we expect to see that list expand as more user requests come in!
Quick tip: To search for a specific phrase (two or more words in that order), simply use quotation marks to tell Icicle that you’re looking for the exact result.
Where did the idea come from? Big thanks to John from The BE-Hive for pointing out this opportunity!
Icicle ERP now supports complete food production, inventory, and logistics for seamless multi-facility management
When was it released? October 7 2023
What does it do? We’re excited to announce that we’re expanding Icicle’s capabilities for users with multiple facilities on their account! You can now record specific inventory information per facility within the same account, as well as inventory for multi-facility management. The changes include:
- A new “facility” field has been added to interfaces across the application, which is pre-set to the default facility associated with your company account.
- A new Facilities pane has been added to the details pages for products, ingredients, materials, packaging, and parts. You can edit facility information directly from this pane.
- Facility information has also been added to reports (like Receiving Reports).
- To see inventory that is “in transit” between two facilities, go to the Inventory page and use the filter options to select a facility and show locations. The results will show inventory that is on the way to the selected facility.
- If you have more than 100 inventory locations, Icicle will allow you to search inventory locations in the dropdown lists (just type the first two letters to show results).
If you only have one facility on your account, there should be no significant changes to your workflows. Note that relevant information from the main details pane like “default inventory location” and “default production location” is migrating to the new Facilities pane. On Product Details pages, the new Facilities pane replaces the Production Facility pane.
Where did the idea come from? Much appreciation goes to the team at Keith’s Quality Foods (especially Dave) for their input as we build out features for multi-facility management! Ramiro from Nichirei Sacramento also helped us move this project forward.
See the most recent receiving date on the Inventory interface
When was it released? October 26 2023
What does it do? Many Icicle users receive the same item and lot multiple times, and need that information when managing inventory from the Inventory interface. When you filter the results to show locations and lot codes, the Inventory Date column now displays the most recent receiving date for items and indicates which items have multiple receiving records in red text (you can review and open all the receiving records from the Details page).
On a related note, in October we also added a new, sortable column to the Items pane on Inventory Location Details page that allows users to sort by the date the item went into inventory (received or produced) when making inventory adjustments. You can use the search filters to show only results with specific names and/or lot codes, too.
And since you can filter and sort information by facility as well, these feature upgrades reinforce Icicle’s powerful multi-facility management capabilities for users!
Where did the idea come from? Thanks (as always) to the team at Snow Cap for their feedback on this development!
Review costing for multiple products at once from the Production Input Report
When was it released? September 28 2023
What does it do? Icicle’s Production Run Input Report shows all raw materials (including precursor products), services, and labour consumed during production for the designated time frame, product, or facility, with costing information for each result. Thanks to user feedback, you can now select multiple products in the search filters to see exactly what you need in the results. (That’s another useful tool for multi-facility management too!)
Where did the idea come from? Thanks to Joanne from Made-Rite Meats for working with us on this one!
Gain even better insights with new reporting data for invoice reports and customer tags
When was it released? August 16 2023
What does it do? In the last Icicle feature update, we covered new abilities to trend sales performance with the Salesperson and Customer Tag fields. Icicle users can now search Invoices (on the Invoice List) and Invoice Reports by salesperson and customer tag in order to yield even more insights. Customer tags will also be included when you export Invoice Reports and Sales Reports to Excel.
Where did the idea come from? Thanks to Dave and Mark from Keith’s Quality Foods for these suggestions!
We’ve launched another cloud-based accounting software integration for Xero, enabled for multi-facility management
When was it released? August 2 2023
What does it do? Launching an integration with QuickBooks Online in 2022 marked a leap forward in Icicle ERP’s accounting capabilities, allowing small and mid-sized companies to seamlessly feed their purchasing, inventory, production, and sales data into the user-friendly, online accounting software. We’re pleased to announce a similar customizable, API integration with Xero, an increasingly popular cloud-based solution in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.
Icicle’s integrations with QuickBooks Online and Xero build on the core Procurement and Sales features by allowing users to create bills and invoices directly from purchase and sales orders, including all associated costs and taxes. All your data is synced and accessible for authorized users on any secure, internet-enabled device. This solution to your everyday business needs works with multiple facilities too, so you can integrate accounting into your multi-facility management system.
Where did the idea come from? Thanks to the star-users of this installment, the team at Keith’s!
Track non-inventory ingredients and materials
When was it released? August 31 2023
What does it do? Tracking your inventory is not only a crucial traceability requirement; it is also a key method for optimizing costs, enabling you to identify where you might be overspending or underspending. “Non-inventory items,” however, refer to ingredients and materials that can’t be tracked in the standard way. Some kinds of ingredients and materials, like air for compression systems, are used in production processes but don’t need to be stocked in inventory. They also aren’t always ordered through a supplier by specific quantities: materials like electricity or wash water often come from a direct supply via municipal services and are charged on a meter.
You can now indicate whether materials are non-inventory items in the same way as non-inventory ingredients. When this option is selected on the Materials Detail page, the item will not be counted in inventory or traceability records, or factored into reporting like shipping or purchasing suggestions. However, non-inventory items are factored into costing analytics and reporting.
Where did the idea come from? Another big thank you to Alicia from Keith’s!
Capture hierarchies for equipment beyond spare parts
When was it released? October 10 2023
What does it do? Icicle ERP can create and track complex hierarchies for things like ingredients, products (precursor products, byproducts), inventory locations, and more. When it comes to equipment, we added equipment parts to Icicle to help users track complete inventory and make sure they have the spare parts they need on hand.
However, “spare parts” in Icicle refers mainly to consumable parts that are changed regularly, like a belt that needs to be replaced every 1000 hours. A complex piece of equipment has many parts that are more like pieces of equipment of their own. For example, a blast freezer also has a conveyor system, control panel, fans, cooling units that also have their own components, and so on.
To capture the relationship between a piece of equipment like a blast freezer and component equipment, you can now select a “parent” from a dropdown list on the Equipment Details page. After you save your changes, any equipment that has a defined “parent” will show up on the parent’s Equipment Details page in the new “children” pane, where you can view, edit, and delete each one (without having to find them in the list first).
The Equipment List will show any “child” equipment underneath their designated “parent” item for easy reference.
Where did the idea come from? The credit for this improvement goes to Gerhard from Keith’s!
Users with Microsoft accounts can log in to Icicle with the single sign-on option
When was it released? October 29 2023
What does it do? A while back, we introduced a single sign-on option for Icicle users with Google accounts, which provides a simpler and more secure way to log into Icicle. Users with Microsoft accounts can now do the same. Make sure you’re logged into the Microsoft account associated with your Icicle profile first!
Where did the idea come from? Part of our usual development upgrades to make the daily work of food manufacturers easier.
You might be wondering what’s next. Our team has been busy with a bunch of exciting projects, including AI capabilities, UI improvements, and some pretty cool dashboard upgrades using new tech. Stay tuned for more and…
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Check out the last batch of new Icicle features from July, including our Allergen Database >>
