Food Manufacturing Software
Food manufacturing software is often tasked with handling two different types of manufacturing processes: discrete and process manufacturing.
Creating the food product entails converting raw materials into finished product, at times creating by-products and co-products in the process.
Manufacturing food products such as bread, cakes, cookies, crackers, beverages, etc. requires the application of recipes that combine raw materials in different proportions. When combined, other saleable items are sometimes produced. These are co-products. One example is the production of egg whites in cases where the recipe only uses the yolks. And some recipes create waste, or by-products, logged in the inventory as negative values. One such instance is the oil used to cook something which is eventually discarded.
In addition to accounting for these co-products and by-products, food inventory products have varying expiration dates. Producing a high-quality finished product relies on accurately tracking raw materials for freshness to ensure a fresh product is delivered to the customer.
Traceability Software for a Manufacturing Business
An integral part of managing perishable food products is having traceability features built into your inventory management software. Food traceability is essential for compliance with Food Safety Modernization Act and the Safe Quality Food Standards, regulated by the FDA in the United States; Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) in Canada; Food Safety Act 1990 in the U.K; the Biosecurity Act 2015 and Food Control Act 1192 in Australia; and other regulatory bodies worldwide that require strict adherence to safety protocols when handling food products. Food manufacturing traceability software features can save a business millions of dollars and contain a problem with the potential to risk the company’s reputation. Ultimately, if a business can quickly mitigate a contamination problem, track down affected products quickly and communicate transparently with customers and consumers, it will earn the trust of its distributors and retailers and safeguard its reputation.
Bottling, Canning, Bagging, Bottling, Labeling, Boxing and Other Packaging
Once the food or beverage product is ready to be packaged, the discrete manufacturing functionality is required. At this stage, the business tracks additional raw materials and steps to prepare the goods for fulfillment. These stages are all tracked and traced through SOS Inventory software.
End-to-End Food Inventory Software
From the time ingredients are received through delivery of product to the customer, there are many different processes to track. Being able to log every type of inventory – from raw materials, work in progress, finished goods, packaging, etc. you need food inventory software capable of handling every step of the way.
Food Manufacturing for a Small Business
SOS Inventory accomplishes all the above masterfully for food manufacturing companies:
- The ability to create assemblies – convert raw materials to finished goods while also adding co-products to inventory and subtracting by-products.
- Traceability – track the path of all products forward and backwards to see the provenance of a product and its components, from receipt from suppliers through delivery to customer. Detailed reports track raw materials, and every action taken in production and delivery, location date and time. Lot and batch tracking allow the business to search each group of products and quickly identify those which may have been impacted. Recalled products can be limited to recalling a single lot or batch, rather than recalling a day’s or perhaps a weeks’ worth of production so saving vast amounts of money.
- Track expirations – Reduce waste and ensure only fresh product is used by tracking expiration dates.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing Software
Food and beverage manufacturers work with recipes that may require quantities entered in decimal points to reflect the ratios of raw materials needed to produce the finished product. Many inventory software programs don’t have this feature and many that do don’t do a good job at managing recipes and formulas.
The ability to easily swap out ingredients to create variations of a product makes production of different flavors or variations manageable for small business owners. When recording a build or process transaction, you can remove the input item (such as flavoring) and add a new line with the substitute ingredient and its quantity.
Extensive reporting features allow manufacturers to deep dive into costs to see where they are losing or making money to make quick decisions about maintaining or changing suppliers to protect quality while controlling costs. To meet its own strict requirements, the manufacturer must carefully vet suppliers to be aware when allergens are used to avoid contamination and label products properly when exposed to them. This process takes time; the sooner the company can identify an issue, the sooner it can act. This is a vital feature of any food processing software.
SOS Inventory is the ideal food manufacturing software offering end-to-end operations management beginning from supplier delivery until customer delivery and every stage in between. Your business can save money, gain greater manufacturing control, and produce reports instantaneously for regulatory compliance. Why not get started with your free trial today?
