SafetyChain Expands Integration Tools for Food Manufacturers

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — SafetyChain, a plant management platform for food and beverage manufacturers, announced a new set of capabilities designed to help manufacturers get more from their existing technology investments. The release introduces three new tools — the Documents API, Record Attachments API and Power BI Connector v3.1.0 — that extend SafetyChain's existing integration capabilities into places where data exchange between systems has still required manual work, said the company.

Connecting business systems on a manufacturing site, such as an ERP, a warehouse platform, a lab system or a reporting tool, is an ongoing challenge in food and beverage operations, said SafetyChain. Even where integrations are well-established, some of that exchange still falls back to people, such as exporting reports into spreadsheets or manually moving documents from one platform to another, the company said. SafetyChain has historically offered APIs to connect those systems, and this release extends coverage into two places where manual handling has persisted: documents leaving SafetyChain for external reporting and analytics tools and supporting files coming into SafetyChain records from other systems.

Consolidating Documents into One Central Repository.

Manufacturers that store documents within in the SafetyChain platform, such as supplier certifications, compliance records, uploaded files and quality questionnaires, will now be able to use the Documents API to give reporting platforms, dashboards and data warehouses a direct line into their document library, pulling records automatically and on a schedule. This function is designed to allow teams preparing for an audit to pull all documents for a specific supplier or location in a single step, said SafetyChain.

Direct Filing to Quality Records.

Upon completing a quality check, the Record Attachments API will allow the paperwork that goes with it to be matched automatically with the correct quality record on SafetyChain’s system. This is designed to help manufacturers running label verification programs, said SafetyChain. A label verification application can capture the images it needs, do its comparison and file the results into the SafetyChain record.

The same pattern works for lab results coming from a testing platform, production documents from an ERP, or supplier files from a procurement system, said SafetyChain.

Full Microsoft Power BI Integration.

Power BI Connector v3.1.0 is designed to strengthen the connection between SafetyChain and Microsoft Power BI, making it easier for manufacturers to bring quality, production, food safety and operational data into a single reporting environment, said SafetyChain. By combining SafetyChain data with information from ERP, maintenance, warehouse and supply chain systems, teams can build broader operational dashboards and gain a more complete view of plant performance, the company said.

When tracking quality trends across multiple facilities, monitoring supplier performance, analyzing production outcomes or preparing management reports, manufacturers can use Power BI to surface insights from SafetyChain data alongside information from the rest of their technology stack. The updated connector provides a stronger foundation for these reporting and analytics workflows as data volumes continue to grow, said SafetyChain.

“Manufacturers shouldn't have to choose between specialized systems and operational visibility," said Geoff Nelson, VP of product development, SafetyChain. "Critical information often lives across multiple applications across the business. By expanding the ways SafetyChain connects with those systems, we're helping manufacturers create a more connected technology environment where quality, food safety, production and supplier data can come together to support better visibility, faster decisions and stronger operational assurance." 

Availability.

All three capabilities are available now.

The Documents API is included with Essential and Advanced packages. The Record Attachments API is included with the Advanced package and available as an add-on for Essential customers. Power BI Connector v3.1.0 is available now and replaces prior versions of the connector.