Industrial PCs Better Serving the Challenges of the Food Processing Industry

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Nov. 17, 2015 - PRLog -- Strict quality control is just one of the many core competences of CAT², an innovative software company specializing in farm-to-fork traceability for the beef, pork, poultry, turkey, seafood, egg, and produce industries. CAT² exists to help their customers grow. Without being able to capture, package, and share data effectively, companies can quickly become burdened by inefficiency, redundancy, and disorganization. CAT² is able to overcome these customer challenges by offering all-in-one software solutions with the ability to capture and report data in real-time. Thanks to their multi-language, Microsoft Windows-based architecture, CAT² software can be configured on any PC-based hardware and integrated into a variety of customer ERP systems to assist in the sharing of data. CAT²’s dynamic software, hardware, and support services have helped them to become a single-source solution for their customer’s processing needs. With a highly qualified team of professionals with experience in project management, change management, system implementation, and training, CAT² is able to walk their customer through every step of the process. For their hardware needs, CAT² utilizes industrial touchscreen PCs from noax Technologies.

According to CAT²’s hardware manager, Brandon Butler, “With the other hardware manufacturers that we used in the past, we had really bad results that ranged from dead on arrival (DOA) units to frequent failures due to water ingress.” As a company that provides software solutions to customers with 24/7 operations, hardware failures that could interrupt production were no longer an option. In 2001, CAT² selected noax as their official hardware supplier. Since switching to noax PCs, CAT² has been able to help their customers overcome the challenges of dealing with equipment failures from high-pressure washdowns, exposure to chemicals, and the wear and tear typical of food processing facilities. According to Butler, “The noax units handle extreme conditions very well. We have had no issues with water leakage and no temperature-related failures. The enclosure is superb compared to others on the market. noax PCs are much more than a computer in a steel box.” To date, CAT² has delivered more than 120 noax PCs to their customers throughout North America and Europe. With protection ratings up to IP65 (NEMA 4), noax PCs can withstand high-pressure washdowns up to 1450 PSI of pressure in 176°F water. Featuring smooth surfaces free of gaps or joints where bacteria can grow, keeping noax PCs clean is not an issue. Thanks to CAT²’s exclusive use of noax industrial computers, CAT² customers are no longer concerned about downtime or hygienic standards. “noax benefits us in that our customers know that we provide good quality hardware and they do not have to worry about failures and downtime because of subpar equipment,” says Butler.

noax is committed to providing our customers with quality products that deliver long-term reliability. According to Stefan Schoeman, VP and CTO of CAT², “No monetary value can be put on what we do. CAT² does not just install new software and hardware into customer facilities and consider the job done. When we implement and install a new system for a customer, we see it as a partnership with the customer – we want to bond with the customer.” To understand the evolving needs of their customers, CAT², like noax, knows how important it is to maintain close relationships with their clients. Thanks to noax PCs, hardware failures are one less thing to worry about, allowing CAT²’s hardworking employees to focus their attention on providing their customers value, rather than coordinating repairs.

Most CAT² customer operations run 24/7. According to CAT²’s CEO, Vernon Smith, “For our customers, there is no such thing as a small breakdown. When it comes to hardware, they need absolute reliability. When it comes to service, they need results in days; not months.” The substandard support they received from their previous PC vendor was also a motivator for finding a new PC supplier. Units needing repair would often take over a month to be processed, forcing CAT² to keep costly spare inventory on their shelves. noax PCs provide up to 10 years of reliable, trouble-free operation in the most challenging environments. The reliability that CAT²’s customers have observed in the field has improved dramatically since switching to noax. Most CAT² customers cannot afford to wait for warranty repairs to be completed. When combined with the fact that many of CAT²’s customers are also located in countries with strict import/export policies. To solve this problem, CAT² decided to take advantage of noax’s partner training program. Since completing the training in 2013, CAT² is now an official noax-certified partner and is able to service noax PCs directly. According to Butler, “Being able to service our customers’ noax computers is highly convenient, although very little time is spent servicing noax PCs! Now, many concerns can be solved on-site. This is something our customers really appreciate.”

noax PCs are able to support CAT² and their customers on a daily basis. CAT² customers now have the opportunity to work with rugged and reliable noax industrial PCs that can withstand any type of harsh environment. CAT² is proud to work with noax, who shares their vision for long-term customer satisfaction and looks forward to years of continued partnership and success. According to Butler, “As long as CAT² customers continue to demand long-term solutions that deliver value to every level of their organization, CAT² will continue to only use noax PCs to deliver our software to the plant floor.” There is a successful future ahead for this noax partnership and for all future noax customers in the food processing industries.