i3 - Sustainable Food Management II

Status

completed

Summary

The food industry is a prime example for resource intensive production. The main factors in this respect are raw material consumption from agricultural production and labour utilisation in food processing. In addition to these cost-driving aspects, the food industry is to consider requirements of hygiene food quality as well as environmental standards. Costs, hygiene risks, food quality and environmental pressure have a strong influence on the sustainability of businesses in the food-processing sector. Only if each of these heterogenic constraints is fulfilled to a minimum the survival of an enterprise is guaranteed. A single-issue optimisation can have negative effects on the compliance with the other requirements and thus endanger sustainability.

It is from this particular point that the project at hand takes its start. The development of an integrated management model that allows for corporate management according to the mentioned parameters of sustainability is at the centre of the project. (integration of management areas)

In addition to the integration of the management areas, the influence of other economic actors on corporate sustainability shall be taken into account and evaluated in the project. Upstream and downstream processes of food processing along the value chain (agriculture, retail trade) as well as an interregional production network are at the centre of interest from this particular point of view. It is the aim of this integrative step to foster traditional regional networks against the trend towards national and international purchase and production. The latter is controlled by raw material prices only and therefore omits relevant aspects of sustainable supply chains. (integration of the value chain and the region)

One essential instrument within the project is the computer aided modelling of the material, substance and energy flows induced by food processing. This already standardised method (for instance LCA, input output balances) has to be extended by the modelling of "risk flows" for food quality and hygiene (a novel approach) in order to make the integration of the additional management aspect possible. The model shall cover the value chain as well as production networks.

Indicators for the assessment of the different aspects of corporate sustainability in the food industry will be developed. In the field of finance and environment readily available methods can be used. Still, these have to be checked for suitability for the food industry and - if necessary - be adapted. Sustainability indicators for hygiene and quality have to be developed.

The bringing together of data processing and assessment of the different fields in a computer model makes visible the interrelations between the diverse factors. Ex ante (simulation) as well as ex post assessment (controlling) makes sustainable management against the backdrop of the different constraints (food quality, hygiene, environmental carrying capacity and monetary solvency) possible and at the same time allows for the optimisation of single factors. Data sources for the management model are corporate IT systems as well as IT systems of other economic actors (suppliers and customers). (IT integration)

Project management

Walter König
Tel.: +43 (0) 3334/31310-25
E-Mail: eberhard.feichtinger@feinkost-schirnhofer.at

Christian Laschet
Tel.: +43 (0) 3334/31310-87
E-Mail: controlling@feinkost-schirnhofer.at

Project or cooperation partner

• Audit Software GmbH
  DI Dr. Jochen Gassner
  DI Franz Wiedenegger
• archimedes partner für entwicklung - OEG
  Ing. Günter Magdits
  Birgit Klein
• Hygienicum GmbH
  Dr. Michael Stelzl
  Mag. Christian Kummer
• Intact GmbH
  Franz Rauch
• Dr. Ingrid Perz
  Gerhard Rose

Schirnhofer GmbH
Karl Schirnhofer
Kaindorf 298
8224 Hartberg
Tel.: +43 (0) 3334/31310-20
Fax: +43 (0) 3334/313195
E-Mail: sonja.weber@feinkost-schirnhofer.at