Industry consolidation, evolution in feed science behind French formulation software model

Raw material buyers and nutritionists are the target of newly developed feed formulation software from French company, A-Systems. 

The Versailles based producer is to launch the software, Allix3, at the EuroTier trade show in November.

“We designed the software program from scratch, and it has taken us about three years. The research efforts took account of the evolution in feed science over the past 10 years, as well as the consolidation of the industry in that time which has resulted in companies with global subsidiaries and challenges in managing huge amounts of data on raw materials, “CEO of A-Systems, Bruno Duranthon, told FeedNavigator.

The software allows for quick retrieval of data, precise calculation, more accurate modelling, and integration of non-linear effects in the formulation process , said the firm.

“A feed formulator looking to find out information from a database such as the amount of wheat containing 12% protein, for example, can retrieve that data now in seconds,” continued Duranthon.

The software, he said, also ensures optimization of the flow of raw materials in a feed mill.

Its Allix software, said the French firm, is used by over 3000 users, in more than 60 countries, by companies of all sizes.

Multilingual functionality 

The Allix3 program is said to be easy to integrate into a range of computer environments and can be tailored to both large scale and SME scale feed manufactures. “It has a multilingual functionality meaning a company’s nutritionist operating out of a Chinese or Latin American subsidiary is able to use the same formulation software,” said the CEO.

The advanced data management of Allix3, said the French group, provides automatically updated filters and lists allowing for the easy and reliable extraction of large amount of pertinent results.

Using customizable charts, users can highlight the relevant information in a range of reports, it added.

The software has been trialed with around 20 users in Europe, Asia and South American, with feedback on interface use “very positive”, said Duranthon.

“What we want to stress, though, is that while the rate of ROI on such software is important, we also have a rapid response time in built into our service model, to ensure timely support for feed formulators and nutritionists, “ said the CEO, adding that such a service model is critical, but one often overlooked by competitors.