Maintaining Traceability in the Food Industry

Raw ingredients needed for food and beverage products can change hands several times between the farm and the consumer. Reliable data and speedy communication both up and down the supply chain are paramount when protecting the consumer and traceability is also a big part of the process. Streamline traceability within the food industry by implementing a strong enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution.

Product safety initiatives are important when finished products leave a facility for stores and customer shelves, especially food and beverage products. Raw ingredients and food products can pass through several facilities before heading to the store and can be contaminated at any time leading to foodborne illnesses. When consumers become ill, businesses face unpopular attention which can erode trust and lead to loss of business and lawsuits in addition to costly recall procedures and fines or other penalties tied to the contamination. The transparency needed throughout the supply chain and the speed at which you need to respond to potential problems can’t be found in paper-based systems or aging systems. You need the power in an innovative ERP solution.

Today’s integrated ERP solutions offer a centralized location for all of your business data including financials, inventory and supply chain, manufacturing or distribution operations, and other core business processes. You can use real-time data to maintain visibility throughout your processes to protect your products and your customers. With the time-saving automation of lot traceability, you can track products by material, level, and suppliers and be confident that you can trace back faulty items during a recall if necessary. Data can also be used to show compliance with applicable rules and regulations, including track and trace records.

A robust ERP solution, such as Sage® ERP, can also support efforts to track direct store delivery and vendor-managed inventory, high-volume and low-volume items, and customized packaging needed for distributors. Sage ERP also supports electronic data interchange (EDI) for case or pallet tagging and radio frequency (RFID) and electronic product codes (EPC). Not only can you maintain closer attention to products that are coming and going from your facilities, you can use this data to further streamline operations, improving productivity and profitability.

Protect your customers and your business by gaining greater control and insight throughout your supply chain. Contact IWI Consulting Group to learn how Sage ERP can improve traceability and food safety.