The food and beverage industry is defined by its ability to quickly pivot according to the needs of its customers. Nowhere is this innovation more evident than the technology challenges manufacturers and distributors face every day. In the Food and Beverage sector, the real risk is food safety and potential recall. Combatting this starts and ends with finding ways to constantly improve food safety.

Here are five technology challenges facing manufacturers and distributors in the Food & Beverage industry:

Real-Time Control

In an industry where there is very little margin for error, it’s paramount that manufacturers be able to make adjustments to their processes in real-time if they want to reduce risk. For example, identifying a food-safety issue early in the manufacturing process allows the opportunity to halt and correct production and thus reduce losses of time, money, and reputation. It all starts with built-in redundancies that enable manufacturers to stop the line and find solutions quickly.

In the case of contamination, foodborne illness, or another offense that may warrant a recall, a long feedback loop simply won’t cut it. Solving the challenge of real-time control at your organization is the first step to ensuring food safety. This capability is very much within reach. SAP Business One provides the comprehensive software tools needed to manage production and inventory issues in real-time. Attivo can help you deploy these resources into an integrated solution that lets your team catch errors as they happen and avoid costly repercussions.

Producing Within Tolerance Limits

Manufacturers have a very specific window of tolerance when producing food products. “Out of bounds” conditions of any given quality metric may result in a product that does not meet the client’s specifications or government regulations. Maintaining rapid production with a narrow tolerance is easier said than done.  Some production errors just cannot be remedied, and an expensive batch of ingredients must be scrapped.

The truth is, Quality Management is often implemented in a highly manual, paper-based method. This method is too inefficient to manage production processes and leaves room for errors during the production cycle. There is a better way. With Attivo’s help, your business will have access to an integrated ERP system that includes real-time quality management software, empowering you to go paperless and eliminate human error while improving your manufacturing operations.

Labeling

With the sheer quantity of products leaving manufacturers daily, the risk of mislabeling and slowing down the distribution cycle is very real. Supply chains live and die by their level of efficiency. In today’s global supply chain, labeling is a critical process that cannot be overlooked. It’s the glue that holds everything together…from handling and shipping within your own warehouse to the logistics management of your customer.

A comprehensive labeling software is critical to controlling compliance with the USDA, your customer, their EDI requirements, etc.  Attivo’s tailored solutions provide the tools you need to ensure all of your inventory and shipments are properly labeled and meets the rigors of your customer’s requirements, as well as nutritional and allergen standards.

Automation

The truth is, employees cost a lot of money. From salaries and benefits to production problems due to human error, manual labor carries significant costs. Automation changes all of that by removing the human component from non-essential tasks. Instead of focusing on time-intensive tasks, your workforce is free to address more revenue-driving aspects of the job.

The trick is finding a technology partner that understands your location’s unique needs and creates a fitting solution for them. One of the many benefits that come with Attivo’s ERP solutions is the optimization and automation of your business. It’s why we were recently recognized by CIO Review magazine for being among the Top 20 Most Promising ERP Solution Providers – a distinction that imbues a great amount of trust in our industry.

Data Collection

There are thousands of measurable data points that are a direct result of your business processes every day. At Attivo, we believe in constantly improving efficiencies to create a best-case scenario for our clients. In order to do that, we rely heavily on data collection, using sophisticated software to parse through large amounts of information and find solutions to complex problems in the supply chain.

SAP Business One gives users access to capabilities like automated shop floor data collection and machine and labor efficiency reporting.  The result? Regular assessments and recommendations that pay off big time for your organization’s bottom line. The job of process improvement is never complete. Being able to gather and interpret the data gives us the ability to find and prioritize the improvement opportunities that will make the biggest difference down the line.

All of the technology challenges facing the Food & Beverage Industry we’ve listed above can be addressed by a fully integrated ERP system that is tailored to solve your business’ unique challenges. At Attivo, we’re committed to helping our clients unlock their full potential, providing a whole suite of innovative solutions custom-built to keep up with this fast-paced industry.

Transitioning your on-premise servers to cloud hosting is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to further improve your Food & Beverage business processes. Try our free ROI Calculator to see how much you could be saving.

At Attivo, we understand the food and beverage industry is ever changing and requires businesses to constantly stay informed of industry updates. We’re committed to helping our clients unlock their full potential, providing a whole suite of innovative solutions custom-built to keep up with this fast-paced industry. Regain your competitive edge and control over your business today. Give us a call today and schedule a complimentary analysis at 877-428-8486 or contact us online.