SANTA CLARA, CA - January 25, 2001 ecFood, a solution provider for the food and beverage industry, recently released ecSpec, a customized specification communication tool that streamlines the online ingredient purchasing process. ecSpec mirrors and automates the complexities of communicating ingredient specifications between buyers and sellers to prepare for transactions including demand aggregations, auctions or proposals.
At the core of ecSpec are several sophisticated data management features including specification templates, standardized industry terminology, keyword-based or parametric searches and multiple users capabilities, version management control, web posting function and advanced security.
"ecSpec is a powerful time saver that provides buyers with a standardized method to communicate specific ingredient needs internally and also with their suppliers," said Dave Laukat, CEO of ecFood. "ecSpec informs suppliers in advance about what exact ingredient a buyer is seeking therefore adding great value for both parties. It also dramatically impacts communication in a multi-plant environment and all along the supply-chain."
A central feature of ecSpec is the ecFood specification templates. The templates provide an organizational foundation for both buyers and sellers to prepare items for online transactions. A buyer can either use the ecFood specification templates as they exist, or they can revise and save them as secure files that reflect their particular ingredient and recipe requirements.
Another highlighted aspect of ecSpec is its standardized terminology feature. Its template data, researched and written by food scientists, uses standardized food industry terminology. The specification templates are classified in extensive food ingredient ontology according to categories such as confectionary, grain products or sweeteners and include attributes including chemical, physical, microbiological, and food-specific certifications.
