The Ultimate Guide to Food and Beverage Manufacturing Software

The food and beverage industry is responsible for turning raw food materials into products that line grocery store shelves. From processing the ingredients into a food or beverage to packing and distributing the final product, there are a lot of steps and businesses involved along the way.

As if the process wasn’t complex enough, there are strict regulations and expiration dates that make managing a food and beverage manufacturing business more challenging. Fortunately, there are food manufacturing software solutions that can make it easier to handle your enterprise resource planning (ERP).

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of food ERP software, including the advantages of using it. We’ll also cover the best practices for implementing the solutions and some answers to frequently asked questions. By the end, you should know more about how food production software can transform the way you manage your business and its resources.

Understanding Food and Beverage Manufacturing Software

Food and beverage manufacturing software is a tool that helps companies in the F&B industry. Specifically, it automates the tasks within the business and helps to manage other aspects, including financial management, human resources, and quality assurance. In fact, the following are just a few examples of the benefits and tools that you’ll find on ERP software for food manufacturing:

• Lot tracking and traceability
• Batch production
• Quality management
• Formula and recipe management
• Planning and scheduling
• Single and multi-site management
• Regulatory compliance and reporting
• Warehouse and inventory tools
• Food safety solutions
• Allergen reporting
• Cash flow management
• Fixed assets

If you go to search for food and beverage ERP software, you’re sure to find many vendors with products that fit the description. Sage 100 cloud is just one example of a popular product. BatchMaster, Deacom, and Aptean, Food and Beverage ERP are just a few more of the top software choices.  Another clear leader in the industry has been Sage X3. 

Though there are several different options when it comes to choosing an ERP software, it’s important that you take special care to choose the right product for your specific needs. Each brand of software solution has its own benefits and drawbacks.  Kerr Consulting has deep experience in food and beverage manufacturing.

To start, you will want to consider the cost to make sure it fits your budget. This includes the cost of deploying the product and retraining employees, as well. You should also ensure that it has the capabilities and tools you use regularly. Finally, we recommend that you use software that is built for the size of your company and the users you will have.   Kerr Consulting has a history of implementing Sage X3 for food suppliers, and we can help you optimize and streamline your operations.

The Advantages of Implementing Food and Beverage

No matter which of the software options you prefer, you are sure to experience many changes in the way you do business. In fact, there are several advantages to using ERP solutions that target the food and beverage industry. As you become more familiar with the different tools and how to use them, you are sure to notice many positive changes.   Here are some examples of improvements you'll realize by utilizing Sage X3:

• Improved efficiency and productivity
• Better tracking and traceability of products
• Increased transparency and accountability for all transactions
• Enhanced quality control and regulatory compliance
• Better management and analysis of key data
• Increased profitability across multiple business areas

Common Challenges and How Food Beverage Manufacturing Can Help

The whole point of using food manufacturing ERP software is that it can help you tackle challenges specific to your industry. When you deploy an ERP software like Sage 100, you expect to see immediate improvements in the areas you struggle with most.

Managing Complex Supply Chains

The supply chain that delivers your raw materials can be vast and complex, with vendors from around the globe shipping raw ingredients to your manufacturing facility. Any bump along the way can not only set you behind schedule with your production and shipments, but it can also cost you a lot of money as you try to find other options.

Fortunately, the supply chain tools in F&B ERP software can give you greater insight into your supply chain by tracking inventory and product profitability. It can even help you reduce waste, which is great for business and the environment! 

Maintaining Accurate Inventory Levels

Even if you have hundreds of ingredients, an ERP solution like Sage 100 can offer improved traceability so that you can accurately track inventory levels. These software tools allow you to implement an effective barcode system that can help you record, identify, and trace ingredients.

Ensuring Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance

The government has a lot to say about how F&B manufacturers handle their products, and for a good reason. With an ERP solution, you can ensure food safety by implementing traceability tools. These features allow you to quickly identify which products may be contaminated and where they went after they left your facility so that you can address recalls head-on. They also allow you to maintain compliance with the rigorous food safety standards set by the government.

Meeting Customer Demands and Preferences

Trends are always changing, especially when it comes to food, but you can stay on top of the latest when you utilize food and beverage ERP tools. They are incredibly responsive and able to adapt to changes in demand and preferences on a dime. They can also help you gain more insight into how trends, global events, and economic crises can impact your business.

Streamlining Production Processes

There are many different aspects to running a food and beverage manufacturing company. Not only do you have to manage recipes, compliance, and your supply chain, but you also have to worry about the financial and human resource aspects of it all. Fortunately, ERP software is a one-stop shop, so it can keep all of your business processes in one place for a more streamlined approach.

Best Practices for Implementing Food and Beverage Manufacturing Software

It would be nice if implementing food costing software were as easy as installing the first product you find, but that’s not the case. If you want to get the most out of your ERP for food manufacturing, then you’ll want to follow these tips.

Conducting a Thorough Needs Assessment

An assessment is the very first thing you should do when you are thinking about implementing food and beverage manufacturing software. ERP for food industry can vary from business to business, so your needs may look different than other companies, even if they manufacture the same products. If you do an audit of your ERP practices, you will find the areas you lack and use those as a guide when choosing the right software.

Evaluating software Options and Choosing the Right One

It’s crucial that you take your time to select the right ERP software for your food and beverage manufacturing company. There is no shortage of options, and they each come with their own benefits and features. Once you have a better idea of what tools you require, you can limit your search to products that fit your needs. However, your budget, software integrations, and business size should also play a role in selecting the right software.  We can help you evaluate Sage X3, Sage Intacct, Sage 100 and Sage 300 to see which might be a good fit for your organization.

Setting Clear Goals and Objectives

Before you even deploy the ERP software of your choice, you should sit down and discuss your goals and objectives. These should include ways to address the issues you discovered in your initial assessment, but they should go beyond that. You should also look at all of the tools you now have at your disposal and discuss the best ways you can make use of them.

Ensuring Seamless Integration with Existing Systems

If you want to make your processes more seamless, you should use software that can integrate with your existing systems. This can cut back on training times, and it can allow you to customize your software to fit the exact needs of your business. Integrations with your accounting, HR, and customer service tools may prove to be especially useful.

Training Employees on How to Use the Software

Once you deploy your preferred food and beverage ERP software, you shouldn’t just turn your employees loose. If you want to get the most out of your new investment, it’s recommended that you take the time to train all of your users on the software so that they understand the different tools and how to use them most effectively.

Monitoring and Continuously Improving Processes

The process of implementing new software never truly ends because you should continue to monitor and improve the way you utilize it. You may start to notice areas where your employees need more training, or you could see that you aren’t getting enough benefit out of certain tools. Taking the time to make these assessments is crucial for getting the most out of your ERP software solution.

Find out More About Food and Beverage Manufacturing Software

Are you interested in finding out more about how you can select the right food and beverage manufacturing software? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Kerr Consulting is an end-to-end service administrator that specializes in cloud technology and business applications. Therefore, you can count on our consultants to advise you through the process. Call our office to schedule a meeting with our knowledgeable professionals or submit our online form to request more information.