Movember 2024 at OAL in aid of the Northamptonshire Charity Stroke Team Charity

This Movember, our team supported the Northamptonshire Healthy Charity by growing moustaches and raising awareness for their vital work.

Together, we raised a fantastic £2,820.00 to help support the Community Stroke Team with their amazing work!

This campaign has been about more than just questionable moustaches – it’s been about making a real difference. Every penny donated goes towards vital projects helping people and their families work through illness and the road to recovery.

Andy’s Story

Support for Stroke survivors is a cause very close to our hearts.

Last year, our colleague Andy, a popular presence in the office, suffered a stroke. Thanks to the exceptional support from medical services, especially the Community Stroke Team, Andy was able to achieve his primary goal of returning to OAL, a journey that has inspired us all.

This year, we rallied together to support the Community Stroke Team at the Northampton Health Charity and the invaluable work they do.

Every generous donation went towards helping people and their families work through illness and the road to recovery.

“I'm very proud of our team for taking on Movember to raise money for the Stroke Team!” enthused OAL Managing Director, Jake Norman. “If you've been lucky enough to work with Andy Sillence, you'll know he is Mr Sunshine Yellow. Following a stroke last year, we've been astounded by the grit and determination he has shown to return to work and we're thrilled to have him back! It was an obvious choice for us to raise money and awareness for the charity that supported him this Movember.”

About the Northamptonshire Community Stroke Team (CST)

The Northamptonshire Community Stroke Team (CST) is a respected service that focuses on delivering high-quality, tailored rehabilitation for stroke survivors. Their multidisciplinary team, including physiotherapists, occupational and speech therapists, rehab assistants/practitioners, and nurses, collaborates to help patients recover from, illness and regain independence.

Find out more about the amazing work the Community Stroke Team does HERE.

3 Key Takeaways from PPMA 2024: Showcasing the future of automation in food manufacturing

Our team exhibited at the PPMA 2024 show at the NEC, Birmingham in September. We showcased a number of cutting-edge automation technologies that are helping food manufacturers automate their food production lines. Here’s our 3 key takeaways from a very busy show:

1 - Automation is king!

Across the three days, we spoke to 782 food industry professionals.

Their feedback was clear: the industry is hungry for automation!

From fresh produce to bakery, each sector is suffering with labour availability and rising costs. People recognise automation can help and they’re looking for solutions.

It was great to share how we’ve helped food manufacturers like Worldwide Fruit and Agrana on their automation journey.

2 - AI-powered vision and 3D laser technology took centre stage!

If you fully automate your production lines, no human eyes will see your packs or products!

You’ll be reliant on technology to verify the quality of every pack.

We demonstrated how AI-powered vision technology is a game changer for inspection and a key enabler in their automation journey.

In the first demo, “Right Product” verification; the camera checks that the right product is being packed, for instance, detecting the difference between lasagna and a pasta bake.

The second demo, showed our 3D laser scanning solution showcased how we can create a 3D profile of every dough to eliminate defects and measure critical quality attributes like volume.

Jake Norman, OAL's Managing Director speaking with Camilla Young, Programme Lead for GS1 powered QR codes

3 - Leading the “Second Barcode Revolution”

Barcodes are changing!

We hosted a seminar with GS1 on the “Second barcode revolution” and how best to implement dynamic QR codes on packaging.

The change will require manufacturers to print key production information including batch numbers and date code information on pack.

We have proven solutions that can help you meet the GS1 requirements fast.

Read more about the introduction of dynamic QR codes in The Grocer article here.

OAL will be exhibiting at PPMA 2025. We look forward to welcoming you back next year as we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and provide the solutions that help drive the industry forward. Stay tuned for what’s to come—next year’s stand will be one you won’t want to miss!

The Grocer: The Second Barcode Revolution

OAL’s Managing Director, Jake Norman, was featured in a recent article by George Nott on “The Second Barcode Revolution” for The Grocer.

George’s report gives a fantastic overview of the power of these next-generation QR barcodes and why adoption is rapdily accelerating across the retail sector. 

Please click on the button below to read the feature in full:

OAL appoints Nick Taylor as Operations Director

OAL, a market leader in automation, robotics and digital transformation solutions for the food manufacturing sector, has appointed Nick Taylor as its new Operations Director. Nick will be responsible for scaling business operations to meet the growing demand for OAL’s solutions.

Nick, far left, at a recent site visit to OAL's customer, Worldwide Fruit

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Nick to OAL,” said OAL MD Jake Norman. “Nick has extensive experience across all facets of food manufacturing and will ensure we continue to delight our customers as the business expands.”

Previously, Nick led Capital Investment at KraftHeinz, Telford and served as Site Director at one of Hovis’s manufacturing sites. Over the course of three decades, he has held operations and engineering roles at manufacturers, including Bakkavor, Coca-Cola Enterprises and KraftHeinz.

OAL was founded in 1993 by Harry Norman and quickly developed a strong reputation for pioneering the latest technology to solve the challenges faced by the food industry. From integrated MES/SCADA factory control systems to AI cameras verifying product packaging, date coding and robotic weighing systems, OAL has become the partner of choice for food manufacturers on a digital transformation journey.

Visit OAL at the PPMA Show on Stand A54, 24-26 September 2024

OAL leads “Second Barcode Revolution” roll-out to cut food waste

OAL, a leader in food manufacturing automation, is delighted to announce the launch of its latest software solution for creating, printing and verifying data-rich, on-pack QR and 2D codes designed to meet consumer demand for greater transparency of ingredient origins and methods of production. The software allows unique traceability and manufacturing data to be incorporated into on-pack 2D codes, improving consumer experience to identify allergens, significantly enhancing food safety and reducing food waste by up to 40%.

The OAL solution enables the creation, inline printing and verification of on-pack QR/2D codes containing critical information such as best-before date, allergens and batch data. The solution is in conformance with the GS1 Digital Link standard enabling consumers to access detailed product information in what is being called the “second barcode revolution”, while also enabling retailers to manage inventory more precisely, quickly identify expired products and provide consumers with detailed product information. OAL install inline camera technology to verify the integrity of every QR/2D code printed.

Leveraging GS1's barcode technology, OAL aims to enhance supply chain efficiency and product traceability. The OAL QR code solution stemmed from an initiative led by Tesco to reduce food waste in the supply chain. Tesco’s new initiative allows packs to be scanned by smartphones, and at the point of sale, sharing more information with consumers than the finite space on pack and standard barcode can offer.

Jake Norman, Managing Director, OAL, comments, “Our automated control systems already collect and store huge amounts of traceability data to ensure food safety. We know at a pack level the exact time and raw materials that have been used to make each product controlled by our system. The use of QR codes and the GS1 Digital link is a great way to expand the use of this data to grant consumers the transparency they’re urgently seeking and drive down food waste.”

OAL has pledged to support all manufacturers in integrating a range of QR/2D codes to their process, facilitating seamless data sharing and improving food safety. This comprehensive data ensures product authenticity and simplifies recall processes. OAL’s printer agnostic solution can integrate and control all printer brands. The solution can be retrofitted to existing packaging lines. The solution is available now for new and existing customers.

For more information, please visit https://www.oalgroup.com/gs1-new-barcode