Food and Beverage
Food and beverage manufacturers and distributors face a variety of challenges not experienced by other industries. The combination of changing consumer demand, shelf space constraints, and ever increasing government regulation and recall concerns is forcing more and more food producers and their food distribution partners to migrate from entry level food software to more robust ERP solutions.
In the food and beverage industry, food manufacturers come in a variety of sizes. From small, family-owned producers of ethnic foods to large, publically held conglomerates, the food industry is diverse. While the size of the organizational mix is distributed, the software requirements of food producers and food distribution companies are not. All food manufacturers and their associated distributors must be able to safely produce product and efficiently manage their manufacturing process and distribution channel, while staying in full compliance with government regulations. From rigid recall management and audit controls, to forward and backward lot tracking, food processors must have robust ERP software with functionality that is specific to their industry.
Food and Beverage Software Requirements
- Process manufacturing software capabilities
- Formulations and recipes
- Scalable batches
- Yielding
- Flexible units of measures
- Multiple packaging options per SKU
- Bi-directional lot control and tracking
- Product grades
- Expiration date tracking
- Recall management
- Commodity pricing
- Route accounting
- EDI
- Bar-coding and RFID
- Audit trails and reporting
The below identifies the generalized functional strengths of each of the listed ERP solutions for distribution within the food and beverage industry. Our ERP software selection process leverages more detailed information from our database to conduct a more thorough assessment of software fit with each client’s business requirements.
ERP Software Packages for Food and Beverage Distribution
| Food and Beverage Software Functionality | IBS | Apprise | NetSuite ERP/CRM | Batchmaster Food | Infor Sx | Ross Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) | High | High | Medium | High | High | High |
| Customer Relationship Management (CRM) | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| PM | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Usability | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Advance Shipment Notice (ASN) | High | High | Medium | High | High | High |
| Auto Pricing and Auto Scheduling | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Bar Code Capability | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Document Management System | Medium | High | High | High | Medium | High |
| Contract Manufacturing | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Contract Warehousing, Inventory Management and Tracking | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Sales Forecasting | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Sales Planning | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Salesforce Management and Tracking | Medium | Medium | High | Low | High | High |
| Product Management and Tracking | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Commission Management | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Account Management and Tracking | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Marketing Promotion Campaign Planning | High | Medium | High | Medium | High | High |
| Promotion Management and Tracking | High | Medium | High | High | High | High |
| Discount and Rebate Processing | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Regulatory Compliance (FDA, etc.) | High | Low | High | Low | High | |
| Label Management | High | Medium | High | High | Medium | Medium |
| Quality Systems - Lot Tracking, Batch Traceability, Recall Management | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) | High | Low | High | Low | High | |
| Customer Feedback Tracking | High | High | High | High | High | High |
| Reporting for Finance and Accounting in the Food Distribution Industry | High | High | High | High | High | High |
Panorama’s ERP consultants are aware of the potential pitfalls of ERP selection projects and can help hedge against project cost overruns, software that is misaligned with business needs, and lack of return on investment. The ERP team has industry specific expertise that helps facilitate a successful ERP selection project and measurable business improvements.
Recent Articles and News Related to Food and Beverage Software
- Columbia Nutritional Service Secures cGMP with ProcessPro Premier ERP
- Making Food Safety a Business Priority – How Technology Helps Keep Consumers Safe
- VAI Sponsors Leading Food & Beverage Industry Event for C-Level Executives
- Plex Systems Offers Online Demos for Precision Metalformers, Food and Beverage Processors
- SYSPRO ERP Choice of Famed Ice Cream Manufacturer, Confectioner
- Ready Foods is Ready for Future Growth with ProcessPro Premier ERP
- CDC Software’s CDC Factory Solution Improves Plant Productivity at the Second Largest Coca-Cola Bottler in North America
- Lawson Software and Logica in Partnership
- Plex Online Demo for Medical Device Manufacturers and Food & Beverage Producers at Free Webinars
- Jelly Belly Candy Company to Kick Off Food Industry Seminar Series Hosted by Lawson Software
- CDC Software Announces Availability of New Product Lifecycle Management Solution for Ross Enterprise that Shortens Time to Market, Ensures Product Compliance, Enhances Productivity and Reduces Costs
- SYSPRO Welcomes Proposed FDA Regulations
- CDC Software Closes Two Seven Digit Deals in Third Quarter and Reports Increasing Sales Visibility
- Intersnack Plans to Expand CDC Software’s CDC Factory Solution to 10 Additional Plants Across Europe to Accelerate Operational Excellence and Improve Competitive Positioning
- Royal Sausage Selects DEACOM for ERP Lot Tracking, Catch Weight Management
- CDC Software's CDC Factory Solution To Be Implemented at Lakeside Foods, a Privately Held Private Label Food Processor
- Lawler's Desserts Lays the Foundation for Sweet Success with ProcessPro Premier
- Dutch Food Manufacturer Agrico Selects Lawson for Food & Beverage
- American Paper & Twine Turns to Infor to Manage Growth
- J.R. Watkins Live on Lawson QuickStep Enterprise Solution
- SABMiller Latin America Looks to Reduce Costs and Improve Service Levels with JDA Solutions
- Aurora Organic Dairy To Implement CDC Software's CDC Factory Solution To Remain Cost Competitive by Targeting 10 Percent Efficiency Gains in less Than a Year
- Plex to Demonstrate Plex Online at Food Safety Summit and Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference
- Olam International Gains Unified Financial Oversight and Achieves IFRS-Compliant Reporting Using SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Performance Management Solutions
- Land O’Lakes, Inc. Implements Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- SYSPRO ERP and Astute Management Enable Honest Tea to Half Inventory Levels
- Three Things to Consider When Evaluating Food Distribution Software
- CDC Software Launches Trace Express
- CDC Software Signs Binding Term Sheet to Acquire a Business Intelligence Solutions Provider for Manufacturing
