Blue Bell Creameries Finds New Ways to Streamline Operations

M-Files, the leader in knowledge work automation, announced Thursday that Blue Bell Creameries, a top ice cream manufacturer in the United States dating back to 1907, has enhanced its operational efficiency with the M-Files knowledge work automation platform.

Known for its diverse array of over 40 ice cream flavors, frozen snacks, and health claim products, Blue Bell needed a solution to streamline operations across their three manufacturing plants. The company faced challenges during audits, as locating necessary policies, procedures, charts, and forms was time-consuming and inefficient. The existing processes for Blue Bell for managing documentation were fragmented, with no central location for supplier documents, making it difficult to streamline essential procedures and manage approvals. Furthermore, the company desired improvements to its teaching and learning techniques for training across its large workforce.

To overcome these challenges, Blue Bell turned to M-Files for its robust knowledge work automation capabilities to centralize, standardize, and automate its processes. With M-Files, Blue Bell team members can now quickly find and use critical files—like policies, procedures, work instructions, training documentation—in the right business context. The platform provides a central location to digitally store and manage all documentation, eliminating the need to retain paper records. This has dramatically increased productivity and efficiency for Blue Bell and made it simple to ensure compliance and uphold the company's commitment to quality and food safety.

Blue Bell also transformed its audit workflows process by automating document reviews and approvals related to compliance, resulting in saved time and reduced costs. Now, when auditors request documentation, everything is quickly accessible, eliminating the tedious and manual task of searching for the required information. M-Files helps reduce business risk and ensure compliance for all types of manufacturers and organizations with automated document access rules, secure collaboration, and comprehensive audit trails. Its automated logging and compliance features enable adherence to company policies and industry standards, including ISO 9001, while customizable workflows simplify audits and risk management by automating follow-up actions and tracking. Manufacturers can quickly identify risks and address issues with automated preventive actions, ensuring operational integrity and peace of mind.

One of the most transformative aspects from the implementation of M-Files at Blue Bell has been the use of the M-Files mobile application on Android tablets and automated workflows to provide employees with efficient, easy access to training on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, and procedures from wherever they do their job. By enabling employees to complete their training directly on the production room floor, Blue Bell saves time and ensures that employees receive hands-on learning experiences in their actual work environment, heightening the effectiveness of the training. Management also has real-time visibility into training progress within documents, identifying overdue sessions, and pinpointing areas where employees need additional support.