Advantages of traceability software for food manufacturing

Posted by Glynn Williams on 18 Aug

manufacturing

When you think of food safety, the first thing that comes to mind is probably traceability. Traceability is vital to the integrity of supply lines in the food industry as it allows issues to be identified, isolated and removed from circulation.

Traceability is growing in importance, not just for meeting regulatory requirements but also to ensure that the level of trust customers put into their food suppliers can be maintained. Food health scares and inappropriate ingredient sourcing have been at the forefront of the public consciousness in recent times. To be a trusted food manufacturer, you should always know where your product has come from, how it was processed, and where it is going.

It can be a cumbersome process that harms efficiency, taking up valuable time, and administrative effort. It might have been the case with paper-based methods, but electronic systems and software, tracing can be a part of a manufacturer's supply chain management with minimal additional effort. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for manufacturing often features built-in systems for managing traceability. There are several advantages to managing traceability electronically.

Increased Efficiency

An intuitive traceability system will always help your business efficiency by allowing you to quickly identify and resolve food safety issues before they become a critical problem. An electronic solution, however, can go much further. In addition to reducing the time for recording and reporting traceability information and the productivity saving this represents, the data gained on your supply chain process can help your business to streamline the process and identify cost-saving areas.

Reduced Risk

Being able to access critical data quickly and efficiently in the event of a product recall can be vital in reducing the overall effect and any losses incurred as a result. Not only does this reduce the risk to public health in the event of contamination, but it also reduces the risk of litigation and costly manufacturing shutdowns. These might be worst-case scenarios for food manufacturers - but traceability can also help resolve day to day issues such as disputes with suppliers or customers by allowing you access to detailed, up to date, supply chain data. Also, being able to show you have a robust traceability system in place can help reduce manufacturing insurance premiums due to the risk mitigation factor.

Regulatory Compliance

All governments apply their own set of food safety standards to manufacturers and suppliers operating in their national markets. Each country often has different regulations, but most have minimum tracing requirements, an efficient electronic tracing solution will ensure your business can access the most demanding international markets.

Customer Trust & Brand Reputation

Transparency is more important than ever to food manufacturers. Beyond essential information like additives and allergy advice, customers now want to know where your ingredients came from, the quality, and whether they were ethically sourced. The data gained from tracing can help your business make informed decisions regarding suppliers, letting you feed this information back to your customers, and assisting in building your brand reputation.

Less Waste, Reduced Costs

Traceability applications as a part of your manufacturing ERP software can assist your food business with inventory management. Having this data allows for inventory visibility across your business, including stocks, locations, even freshness. It can help cut down on waste and reduce shrinkage, and it can also allow for the more efficient direction of resources for production. As inventory can represent up to half of a manufacturer's invested capital, the potential for savings in wastage and efficiency are massive.

Although traceability software a standalone system, it can also be found, in built-in to manufacturing ERP software. By having a built-in and integrated solution, it can provide the complete track and trace functionality that food manufacturers require.

WinMan ERP software can provide food manufacturers with full traceability and help with the management of the whole operations. Get in touch for more information about our scalable Food ERP solution.

>> Find out more about our Food and Drinks ERP Solution

Topics: Manufacturing, Batch Process, Process Manufacturing, Quality Control, Food Manufacturing

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