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Sustainable Beef. Built by Cattlemen. Powered by Technology.

Emydex is proud to announce the successful go-live of its Production Management (MES) and Quality Management (QMS) software systems at Sustainable Beef, a newly launched state-of-the-art beef processing facility in North Platte, Nebraska, USA.

After months of collaboration on design, validation, and testing, the Emydex North American team arrived on site in May 2025 to oversee the final setup, configuration, and support for the system’s first operational phase. This milestone marks the deployment of our newly developed Emydex Beef Industry Standard software solution across the plant. It strengthens our partnership with one of the most forward-thinking beef processors in the United States.

About Sustainable Beef

Founded with a vision to bring transparency, efficiency, and shared value to every part of the beef supply chain, Sustainable Beef’s North Platte facility now employs over 850 local people and is designed to process up to 1,500 cattle per day at full capacity. The plant is projected to contribute more than $1.2 billion annually to Nebraska’s economy, underscoring its commitment to community-driven beef production and regional growth.

Initial Contact

The journey began in March 2023, when Sustainable Beef’s project consultants selected Emydex as their MES partner, citing our proven ability to integrate with modern, complex plants and deliver robust, scalable solutions. This was no ordinary implementation. The entire business, including construction, equipment, people, and processes, was being built from the ground up. Agility, deep industry knowledge, and adaptability were essential throughout the project cycle.

Requirements Analysis

Most requirements analysis was conducted remotely via online workshops, mapping the ‘expected future state’ of a plant still under construction. Challenges included undefined SOPs and uncertainty to hardware locations, as many staff were hired only close to go-live. Emydex visited the plant in November 2024 to review key processes and touchpoints, incorporating US-specific requirements such as Packers and Stockyards Act compliance and USDA grading processes into our solution.

 

Implementation & Testing

Leveraging our new Beef Industry Standard design and reusable components, Emydex minimised custom development and accelerated timelines. The Emydex Beef system delivered to Sustainable Beef required few development changes, with configuration and training managed by an Emydex team of project managers, business analysts, and software engineers on site. Rigorous testing, including dry runs of the kill floor chain using ‘orange cows’ (orange builders’ buckets) ensured system stability and readiness for live operations.

Kill Chain Testing

 

Operator Training

System Go-live

In June 2025, Emydex supported Sustainable Beef through a phased go-live approach, starting with core MES and QMS functionalities. Our on-site team worked side-by-side with plant personnel to:

  • Validate real-time data flows across grading, ERP, and labelling systems.
  • Provide hands-on training for operators and supervisors.
  • Troubleshoot and fine-tune integrations with MEQ grading, Vande Berg Scales, and Business Central ERP.

The first cattle were processed under the new system without disruption – a testament to the collaborative effort and meticulous planning by both teams.

Customer Perspective:

Go-live today was a success! There were tense moments, but overall, today went very well. The hundreds of hours dedicated to this aspect of the plant opening and operating paid off.  Our initial goal was achieved. ”

Kris Smith, Manager of Information Technology – Sustainable Beef, LLC

Post Go-live: Driving Continuous Improvement

Since go-live, Sustainable Beef has rapidly scaled production, recently surpassing 1,300 head in a single day. Emydex continues to provide:

  • Remote and on-site support to optimise workflows.
  • Performance monitoring to ensure system reliability.
  • Integration enhancements, including connections with FPEC for trim products and EDI updates for major customers like Walmart.

These efforts ensure Sustainable Beef remains at the forefront of traceability, efficiency, and compliance, setting a benchmark for the US beef industry.

Customer Perspective:

We’re moving from reactive mode to steady development. The system is central to our operations and is helping us ramp up production efficiently.”

Manager Sustainable Beef, LLC

A Foundation for the Future

With production ramping up and systems delivering real-time insights, Sustainable Beef stands as a blueprint for transparent, efficient, and community-focused beef processing. For Emydex, this project represents a significant milestone in the United States and a reference point for future growth in the region.

 

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Emydex Visits Silver Fern Farms Te Aroha and Pacific Plants

During their latest operational tour across Australasia, Emydex CEO David McMahon and General Manager – Australasia Shane Hayes visited two Silver Fern Farms (SFF) beef processing plants in New Zealand: Te Aroha and Pacific (Hastings).

The visits reinforced the strong partnership between Emydex and New Zealand’s leading red meat processor and highlighted the continued evolution of digital transformation across the SFF network.

Strengthening a Proven Partnership

Silver Fern Farms has been working with Emydex since 2020 to modernise production management, traceability and data visibility across its beef plants.

With both Te Aroha and Pacific live on Emydex, all six SFF beef primary butchery sites are fully completed.

David McMahon commented:

“These visits reaffirm the strength of our collaboration with SFF and highlight the real impact that digital transformation can have on plant performance, visibility and decision-making across the network.”

Insights From the Plant Floor

The visits allowed the Emydex team to observe production flows, terminal usage and operator interactions directly on the factory floor. This hands-on engagement ensures that future improvements, refinements and upcoming deployments can be aligned with the operational reality of each site.

Shane Hayes added:

“It was great to meet the plant teams in Te Aroha and Pacific and see firsthand how they’re using Emydex day-to-day. Their feedback is essential as we continue to improve and scale the solution across new species and plants.”

The Emydex team would also like to acknowledge the support received during the visits. Special thanks to Jeff Hulena for travelling to shadow both plant tours, and to Dylan Marsh for accompanying the Pacific visit. We also appreciate the time and insights shared by plant managers Namu Searancke-Henderson at Te Aroha and Cory Hogg at Pacific, who hosted the team on site.

Go-Lives at Pacific and Te Aroha

Both plants have successfully gone live on Emydex MES as part of Silver Fern Farms’ multi-year digital transformation programme, supported by strong collaboration between SFF and Emydex teams.

Pacific (Hastings)

The Pacific site completed its transition from a legacy CRS system to Emydex through a structured deployment, including a custom liveweight solution tailored to the site’s requirements and the rollout of SFF BI V2, providing enhanced data insights.

SFF’s Chief Transformation Officer, Matt Ballard, praised the progress, describing the milestone as a significant step forward for the beef network.

Te Aroha

Te Aroha was the fourth SFF beef primary butchery site to adopt Emydex MES, a deployment that has since proven highly stable and effective across all plant operations.

Its long-term performance continues to demonstrate the adaptability of the Emydex platform to different operational layouts and species-specific workflows.

Looking Ahead

With the beef network nearing completion, the next phase will focus on expansion into venison and lamb, continuous improvement initiatives and further standardisation across the SFF group.

The New Zealand plant visits strengthen collaboration and ensure both teams remain aligned as SFF advances its long-term digital transformation journey.

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Learn how Emydex can support your plant’s digital transformation with robust MES, traceability and production control solutions.

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Silver Fern Farms Pacific Site Goes Live with Emydex Beef Processing Software

The successful implementation of Emydex software at the Pacific (Hastings) site marks another important milestone in the five-year partnership between Emydex and Silver Fern Farms (SFF). This is the sixth primary butchery site for beef processing within the SFF network to go live with Emydex’s traceability and production control systems. 

A trusted partnership in New Zealand’s red meat industry 

Silver Fern Farms is one of New Zealand’s leading red meat companies, recognised for its focus on quality, sustainability and innovation. Since 2020, Emydex has worked alongside the SFF team to deliver tailored software solutions that optimise operations, enhance visibility and support data-driven decision making across the company’s beef processing plants. 

Custom deployment for a site with unique requirements 

The go-live at Pacific followed a structured deployment approach, beginning with the transition from the legacy CRS system to Emydex. Barrel testing was conducted in advance to simulate real animal processing and ensure system readiness. 

Due to the specific layout of the Pacific site, liveweight data needed to be captured before the stunning stage. To accommodate this, Emydex designed and implemented a custom indicator terminal that replicates the standard liveweight functionality while integrating seamlessly into the existing process. 

Efficient delivery and strong collaboration 

As with previous deployments, the Pacific rollout was executed smoothly, with only minor issues quickly resolved by the combined efforts of the on-site and remote support teams. This go-live also included the rollout of SFF BI V2, the latest version of Emydex’s business intelligence platform. The updated solution enhances access to production insights and enables faster, more informed decision-making across operations. 

Positive feedback from the SFF team 

Feedback from Silver Fern Farms has been extremely positive. Matt Ballard, Chief Transformation Officer, shared: 

Great Moment! Our legacy CRS system is now retired across all our six beef only plants! Keep going team!” 

This successful go-live reinforces the strength of the partnership and the shared commitment to continuous improvement across the SFF network. 

Looking ahead 

The successful go-live at Pacific confirms the effectiveness and adaptability of the Emydex platform across Silver Fern Farms’ operations. The implementation has proven to be both efficient and beneficial for on-site teams, reinforcing the strength of the ongoing collaboration. With all six beef processing sites now live or nearing completion, the focus will soon shift to supporting Silver Fern Farms as they prepare to roll out Emydex systems across new species, including venison and lamb, in the near future. 

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Australasia Tour 2025: Strengthening Partnerships Across ANZ

In Weeks 45 and 46 of 2025, Emydex CEO David McMahon will join our new General Manager for Australasia, Shane Hayes, on a two-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. Together, they will meet with customers and prospects to deepen relationships, gather market insights and explore opportunities to advance operations across the region.

This initiative goes beyond a traditional visit. It underscores Emydex’s long-term commitment to the Australasian market and opens new avenues for collaboration with industry leaders across meat, seafood and produce.

Why Australasia Matters

Australia and New Zealand are home to some of the world’s most advanced processors. From red meat to seafood, the region is recognised for its high standards, operational complexity and continuous focus on innovation.

For Emydex, Australasia is a growth hub where technology is tested at scale and partnerships are built on trust, transparency and long-term value.

Shane Hayes, General Manager for Australasia, notes:

Meeting our customers face to face helps build trust and deepen relationships. Having David alongside me speaks to the commitment Emydex has in the Australasian market.”

David McMahon, CEO of Emydex, adds:

Australia and New Zealand are key pillars in our global growth strategy. Processors here operate at a high level of complexity and innovation, which aligns perfectly with our platform’s strengths. My goal during this trip is to listen, learn and work together on solutions that deliver real impact.”

David’s presence alongside Shane reflects Emydex’s role in the region not just as a technology provider, but as a strategic partner invested in long-term success.

A Strong Foundation in Australasia

Emydex isn’t new to the region. We are already trusted by some of Australasia’s largest and most innovative processors.

From Silver Fern Farms and Wilson Hellaby in New Zealand to Harvey Beef and Sunpork Group in Australia, our solutions support operations across beef, lamb and pork processing.

With more than 120 live installations worldwide and a growing team on the ground, Emydex is well positioned to drive the next wave of digital transformation in the region.

This tour builds on that foundation by deepening relationships, gathering feedback and shaping solutions together with our partners.

What Customers Can Expect

During the tour, David and Shane will:

  • Visit customer sites across Australia and New Zealand

  • Explore new project opportunities with prospects

  • Share insights into Emydex’s evolving product roadmap

  • Gather feedback on regional priorities and future needs

  • Strengthen partnerships that drive long-term success

Across regions and sectors, from poultry to lamb, the conversations will be practical, relevant and focused on measurable outcomes.

David McMahon emphasises:

This tour is about listening carefully, understanding what matters most to our customers and shaping solutions together. Our presence in Australasia reflects a long-term vision to grow with the industry and support our partners in achieving their goals.”

Want to Meet David & Shane?

If you are a customer looking to share feedback, or a prospect interested in how Emydex can help transform your operations, this is the right time to connect.

 Book a meeting with David & Shane

Let’s discuss your goals, your challenges and how Emydex can help drive sustainable growth and operational excellence in your business.

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Emydex & Sustainable Beef. The Journey Goes Live

Supporting a modern beef processing operation in Nebraska

Emydex is proud to announce the go‑live of its software platform at Sustainable Beef, a newly launched beef processing facility based in North Platte, Nebraska, USA. After months of preparation and collaboration, the Emydex team was on site in June 2025 to assist with the final setup, configuration and support for the system’s first operational phase. This marks an important step in the deployment of our solution across the plant and a milestone in our partnership with one of the most forward-thinking beef processors in the United States.

About Sustainable Beef

Sustainable Beef was founded to bring transparency, efficiency and shared value to every part of the beef supply chain. The project was led by a group of cattle producers and investors with deep regional ties and a vision for long-term impact. The North Platte facility is expected to:

  • Process up to 1,500 cattle per day at full capacity
  • Employ over 850 people locally
  • Contribute more than $1.2 billion annually to the Nebraska economy

These figures reflect not just scale but a commitment to redefining community-driven beef production.

On‑site support during go‑live

During the visit, our team worked closely with Sustainable Beef operators to configure and test the platform in a live production environment. Key activities included:

  • Activating kill line traceability
  • Enabling end‑to‑end traceability reporting from intake through dispatch
  • Supporting inventory and quality control functions
  • Assisting with the use of plant-floor devices
  • Ensuring a smooth handover for autonomous system use

Our on‑site support ensured a seamless transition from planning to operation, with full process visibility from day one.

A growing partnership

Sustainable Beef is building more than a processing facility. It is creating a blueprint for transparent, efficient and community-focused beef processing. Emydex will continue to support this mission with scalable modules for production management, traceability, inventory control and compliance. With the successful go‑live now complete, the foundation is laid for ongoing digital transformation and operational excellence. Want to learn more about how Emydex supports beef processors with traceability, efficiency and compliance systems?
Contact us today to schedule a Demo.

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Forresters Chicken Celebrates a Decade of Quality Management with Emydex

A Decade of Quality Management Excellence​

Over the past ten years, Forresters Chicken has leveraged Emydex’s Quality Management system to enhance accuracy, reduce human error, gain real-time insights into quality data, and improve traceability. This collaboration has significantly transformed Forresters Chicken’s operations, ensuring the highest standards of quality and efficiency in their processes.

Meet the Client

Established in 1972, Forresters is one of the largest suppliers of cooked, raw, and coated poultry in the United Kingdom. Based in Cheshire, the company provides retailers, food services, pub retailers, manufacturers, and catering butchers with frozen, chilled branded, and own-label chicken products. To maintain its reputation for high-quality standards, Forresters set out to enhance its quality management processes.

The Opportunity

With a growing client base and increasing production demands, Forresters required a more streamlined and robust approach to quality management. Existing manual quality checks were resource-intensive and prone to human error, especially as production volumes rose. Furthermore, limited real-time access to quality data hindered swift decision-making and posed challenges in meeting regulatory standards.

Forresters needed a comprehensive Quality Management System (QMS) that could automate quality workflows, provide real-time data, and integrate with their ERP system for seamless traceability and compliance tracking. Forresters had been operating an Emydex factory floor MES (Manufacturing Execution System) for production control, yield management and traceability reporting for many years, so it was a straightforward decision to extend our Emydex software footprint to include all of our Quality, Compliance and Food Safety Management processes.

What We Did

Working closely with Forrester’s management, our team worked with Emydex to develop and implement a customised QMS solution that aligned with Forrester’s operational goals. The implementation process was structured in two main phases:

1. Phase One – Digitalising Quality Checks
Forresters began by introducing automated digital checklists across the production floor, replacing paper logs and allowing quality checks to be completed via tablets at each workstation. Data is now collected on tablets running the Emydex Quality system in real-time, and any deviations from standards trigger instant alerts, allowing issues to be addressed immediately.

2. Phase Two – Comprehensive Quality Dashboard
In the next phase, Forresters deployed an Emydex quality system dashboard for management and supervisors, providing a centralised view of quality metrics across production. The dashboard consolidates data on batch compliance, audit trails, incident reporting, and corrective actions. Fully integrated with Forrester’s ERP system, it links directly to purchasing and inventory data, ensuring traceability from raw materials to finished products.

3. Automated Audit and Compliance Reporting
A key feature of the Emydex EQMS is its automated compliance reporting. The system generates real-time, auditable compliance reports accessible from any device, dramatically reducing the time required for internal and external audits. Issues are flagged and assigned for resolution, enhancing accountability across departments.

The Results

Since implementing the Emydex Quality Management system, Forresters has significantly improved operational efficiency and quality compliance.

Enhanced Accuracy and Reduced Human Error: Automated digital checklists have replaced manual entries, reduced errors and ensured consistency in quality checks across all lines.

Real-Time Quality Insights: Managers and supervisors can now view quality metrics instantly, enabling quick decision-making and proactive quality control.

Efficient Compliance Audits: Compliance reporting, which previously required days of preparation, is now generated instantly by Emydex, saving time and resources. Audit readiness has also improved, as records are automatically archived and easily accessible.

Improved Traceability: The QMS enables complete traceability from raw material intake to finished product distribution, facilitating stock rotation and maintaining quality at every stage.

Feedback from Key Stakeholders

Dwayne Chin, Head of Technical at Forresters, noted, “The Emydex QMS has been transformative for our business. Our team no longer spends hours sorting through paper logs; we can spot and address issues immediately. Compliance reporting that once took days is now ready in minutes, giving us more control over quality and peace of mind.”

John Acornley, Finance Director, added, “With the Emydex Quality system in place, Forresters have significantly reduced errors and improved our response times. The Emydex automated alerts keep our team informed, and the dashboard makes it easy to stay on top of production quality. It’s been a huge upgrade.”

Summary

The Emydex Quality Management System implemented at Forresters has streamlined operations and reinforced its commitment to delivering high-quality products to its clients. By enhancing workflows, improving traceability, and enabling instant access to quality data, the QMS has empowered Forresters to meet regulatory standards and confidently scale its operations.

Don’t wait! Embrace the future of quality management with Emydex’s Electronic Quality Management Software (EQMS).

If you want to learn more – contact Emydex in any of our global market offices in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or North America

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