Alchemy Systems
Mobile-enabled Tools to Ensure Food Safety

Food and beverage executives are recognizing the advantages of cloud, mobility, and data analytics technology to improve business conditions and drive future growth. However, amid expanding regulations, growing customer demands, shrinking margins and multi-cultural workforces, it becomes extremely challenging for the organizations to keep up with the latest trends. Formed to address the key intricacies associated with the food industry, Alchemy Systems, an Austin, Texas-based company, offers innovative solutions and custom services to support food organizations and engage with their workforces to foster safety and productivity. The company works hand in hand with food growers, manufacturers, processors, packagers, distributors, retailers, and quick service restaurants (QSR) to fortify a culture of operational excellence. “We are creating innovative tools and services to optimize the workforces within food organizations,” says Jeff Eastman, CEO, Alchemy Systems.

The company provides programs for retail and quick service restaurants, which focus on fully optimizing their workforces through a system that integrates learning and development, performance management, and continuous communication. Mobile-enabled solutions allow restaurants to document how they are following processes and procedures through standard monitoring. “We deliver mobile tools that allow supervisors to effectively observe the workforce and document on the job training,” explains Eastman. “Our system integrates operational data from QSR locations and point of sale devices to provide performance information viewable on a real-time dashboard,” adds Eastman. The platform is also utilized to document customer interaction. Customer reviews are routed to supervisors immediately so they may take appropriate actions to solve concerns as they occur.

For growers, manufacturers and distributors, Alchemy has built flexible programs for group-based training, kiosks, e-learning, and on-the-floor supervisor/employee interaction using digital and printed resources. These tools and the cloud-based reporting platform help support compliance with global food safety standards (Global Food Safety Initiative) and approved food safety schemes such as Safe Quality Food (SQF), British Retail Consortium (BRC), and FSSC2200.

Moreover, Alchemy offers a complete comprehensive library that explains critical safety standards to workers from dealing with allergens to hand washing to lock out tag out procedures.

We deliver mobile tools that allow supervisors to effectively observe the workforce and document on the job training

Alchemy’s Creator application allows organizations to modify library content to match their own policies and procedures or build their own courses to play on the Alchemy platform. “We have subject matter experts to provide professional services to customize their systems based on the customers’ needs,” says Eastman.

Alchemy’s learning management system can be integrated with an organization’s existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to get real-time access to the information related to training. “We provide information at the customer’s fingertips. There is no paper involved in the entire process of aggregating information,” says Eastman.

Alchemy’s strongly acclaimed solutions have been instrumental in helping many food organizations solve challenges and increase efficiency. One of Alchemy’s customers, Vanee Foods Company, a manufacturer of entrees, gravies, sauces, soups, and dry mixes, needed to strengthen their safety program, while at the same time, improving British Retail Consortium (BRC) certification scores. Vanee partnered with Alchemy to achieve its objectives. Alchemy’s group-based training platform, interactive remotes, and food industry specific courses enabled Vanee to engage its employees and ensure comprehension. The courses were exclusively designed and customized to effectively train the front-line workers. As a result, Vanee witnessed a 36 percent reduction in customer complaints and earned an “A” on BRC audit results with no HACCP deviations, food borne illness outbreaks and allergen testing defects.

In the coming years, Alchemy has plans for an even more robust, globalized platform to expand operations internationally and pursue new segments in the food industry. “We constantly re-invest and challenge ourselves to get better with each passing day,” concludes Eastman.