Michael Angelo's Leads with ERP-Enabled Innovation
The cornerstones of Michael Angelo’s business are a commitment to quality using family recipes and a just-in-time production process that ensures freshness and lower costs. As the manufacturer of premium frozen foods and refrigerated products, the company operates on a strict schedule to make sure that fresh, high-quality ingredients are received, and products are cooked in small batches to specification, packaged and shipped to customers within 24 hours.
Two major events forced Michael Angelo’s to seek help in improving its already strong manufacturing capabilities: The company’s product line expansion and rapid organic growth, and the need to compete in meeting the consumer-driven demand for good tasting, quality prepared foods.
Michael Angelo’s turned to Ross Systems’ Ross ERP solution to improve inventory management, visibility into production data, and to more effectively manage all aspects of its growing business. Overall, Ross ERP has provided Michael Angelo’s with more accurate visibility throughout its supply chain, generating greater efficiency in production cycles. But as an added bonus, Michael Angelo’s dramatically decreased its time-to-market with new products, creating a competitive advantage.
“The heart of our business is clearly our more than 500 recipes, precisely formulated to replicate the family’s authentic meals,” reports Anass Bennani, MIS Director of Michael Angelo’s Gourmet Foods, Inc. “With Ross ERP’s recipe management, we have been able to bring a new product to market, from ideation to production within 45 to 60 days, without compromising on quality.”
In the past, it took up to six months to complete the process of moving a product from initial development into testing and distribution. New functionality in its enterprise system now helps meet the demand for new products from retail customers who are driven by the changing buying patterns of consumers. Additionally, the system helps as Michael Angelo’s updates product packaging with branding and graphics, giving them the ability to efficiently make the change in the production process.
The Ross applications have also enabled Michael Angelo’s to improve its relationships with existing customers, like Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart, while the system’s production capabilities are helping the company to expand into new markets, including retail and airlines. Since implementation, production efficiency and overall growth has increased significantly.
“We have a very good relationship with our retailers, many of which have scorecards on our performance such as completion of orders, accurate invoices, technical requirements such as using EDI and many others,” reports Bennai. “We consistently score high in all categories.”
Michael Angelo’s relationships with more than 400 suppliers have been strengthened as well: “These suppliers are critical to our business since our quality standards require fresh produce and high quality tomatoes primarily from California, and premium cheeses from Italy,” says Bennai. Suppliers need about a three day lead time to fulfill orders, and Ross ERP facilitates that with accurate up-to-the-minute planning data.
“There is no room for error in just in time and that is why you need a system that automates your processes and delivers accurate information,” closes Bennai. “Budgets are tight for all manufacturers, however, the investment in these areas will pay off quickly with the bottom-line benefits the system will deliver.”
FAST FACTS
Words of Wisdom
“Like most customers today, when they want a new product, they want it now, and we can do it much more quickly with Ross ERP.”
—Anass Bennai, MIS Director of Michael Angelo’s Gourmet Foods, Inc.
Company at a Glance
Since its founding in 1982, Michael Angelo’s has grown from selling its products in small local markets to placing products in large discount stores, like Sam’s Club, and major supermarket chains.
Lightening Speed Innovations
An enterprise resource planning system enables Michael Angelo’s to satisfy consumer demand for prepared foods, like Meat Lasagna, Chicken Florentine Calzone and Chicken Piccata, in less than 90 days.
Two major events forced Michael Angelo’s to seek help in improving its already strong manufacturing capabilities: The company’s product line expansion and rapid organic growth, and the need to compete in meeting the consumer-driven demand for good tasting, quality prepared foods.
Michael Angelo’s turned to Ross Systems’ Ross ERP solution to improve inventory management, visibility into production data, and to more effectively manage all aspects of its growing business. Overall, Ross ERP has provided Michael Angelo’s with more accurate visibility throughout its supply chain, generating greater efficiency in production cycles. But as an added bonus, Michael Angelo’s dramatically decreased its time-to-market with new products, creating a competitive advantage.
“The heart of our business is clearly our more than 500 recipes, precisely formulated to replicate the family’s authentic meals,” reports Anass Bennani, MIS Director of Michael Angelo’s Gourmet Foods, Inc. “With Ross ERP’s recipe management, we have been able to bring a new product to market, from ideation to production within 45 to 60 days, without compromising on quality.”
In the past, it took up to six months to complete the process of moving a product from initial development into testing and distribution. New functionality in its enterprise system now helps meet the demand for new products from retail customers who are driven by the changing buying patterns of consumers. Additionally, the system helps as Michael Angelo’s updates product packaging with branding and graphics, giving them the ability to efficiently make the change in the production process.
The Ross applications have also enabled Michael Angelo’s to improve its relationships with existing customers, like Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart, while the system’s production capabilities are helping the company to expand into new markets, including retail and airlines. Since implementation, production efficiency and overall growth has increased significantly.
“We have a very good relationship with our retailers, many of which have scorecards on our performance such as completion of orders, accurate invoices, technical requirements such as using EDI and many others,” reports Bennai. “We consistently score high in all categories.”
Michael Angelo’s relationships with more than 400 suppliers have been strengthened as well: “These suppliers are critical to our business since our quality standards require fresh produce and high quality tomatoes primarily from California, and premium cheeses from Italy,” says Bennai. Suppliers need about a three day lead time to fulfill orders, and Ross ERP facilitates that with accurate up-to-the-minute planning data.
“There is no room for error in just in time and that is why you need a system that automates your processes and delivers accurate information,” closes Bennai. “Budgets are tight for all manufacturers, however, the investment in these areas will pay off quickly with the bottom-line benefits the system will deliver.”
FAST FACTS
Words of Wisdom
“Like most customers today, when they want a new product, they want it now, and we can do it much more quickly with Ross ERP.”
—Anass Bennai, MIS Director of Michael Angelo’s Gourmet Foods, Inc.
Company at a Glance
Since its founding in 1982, Michael Angelo’s has grown from selling its products in small local markets to placing products in large discount stores, like Sam’s Club, and major supermarket chains.
Lightening Speed Innovations
An enterprise resource planning system enables Michael Angelo’s to satisfy consumer demand for prepared foods, like Meat Lasagna, Chicken Florentine Calzone and Chicken Piccata, in less than 90 days.