From packet to pastry

The idea of tracing every ingredient from packet to pastry seems overwhelming when coupled with the notion that there are over 300 products at Simmons Bakers…

…but the idea that KTP Associate Sue Hinchcliffe, the development of this traceability system was just one part of her job at Simmons.

Simmons Bakers, an expanding manufacturer of mainly bakery and confectionary style goods, took on their first two Associate KTP programme with LSBU. "We went into an area of supply whole-sale that demanded we work to BRC (British Retail Consortium) standards. We didn't have BRC, we were never required to have it before," Simmons Director Peter Williams re-called.

Sue led the Simmons team through the establishment of new health and safety systems including Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP), control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), cleaning schedules and material traceability methods, allowing the bakery to achieve BRC standards at a higher level. “Traceability is very difficult to achieve in this sort of business. Because we’ve got so many raw materials and so many different products, but Sue got a manual system going and with the second Associate Kit we got it computerized which made things much quicker and much more accurate. We had to achieve these things and it has worked out well with KTP,” said Ian Matthews, Simmons Managing Director.

The computerized traceability system now allows Simmons to trace products from raw ingredients to tasty buns, breads and cakes on bakery shelves and is a key element in the everyday operations of the bakery. Second Associate Kit Nguyen, also worked toward computerizing many of the bakery's paper-based systems and introduced a Disaster and Emergency Plan which saves Simmons £50k annually on insurance premiums. Since completing the KTP Simmons have increased sales each year, opening a number of bakery outlets. Simmons remains a competitive force against the likes of Gregg's, Starbucks, and other major retailers.

Ian feels the KTP allowed Simmons to evolve quickly and efficiently. "We were not very well tuned into bakery technology. For example we're talking about testing oil and absorption of fat in products, we know it can be done, but we don't know how to do it. The KTP was our way of acquiring that sort of technology, which is out of our immediate knowledge," Ian stated.

Alan Bent lead LSBU academic on the project said the KTP allowed Simmons to focus on implementing these required systems, while still being able to meet their daily product quota. "The KTP focused on things that needed developing and gave the company space to keep making their products. As Ian said these things had to happen but it would have happened much much slower. The KTP facilitated change; it's a pleasant environment at Simmons now."

Simmons have been so impressed by their first project that they are now embarking upon a second KTP to develop new products, improve efficiency and implement energy and water monitoring and waste reduction systems.