--- title: "Best Food Manufacturing Software - 2026 Reviews & Pricing" description: "Find the best Food Manufacturing Software for your organization. Compare top Food Manufacturing Software systems with customer reviews, pricing, and free demos." source_url: "https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing-software-comparison/" page_type: "subcategory" language: "en" --- [Home](https://www.softwareadvice.com/) / Food Manufacturing Software Software Advice offers objective insights based on verified user reviews and independent product and market research. When our advisors match you to a software provider, we may earn a referral fee. # Best Food Manufacturing Software of 2026 Updated November 9, 2026 On this page 1. Popular Comparisons 2. Buyers Guide 3. Related Software Filter products 104 results ### Compare Products Showing 1 - 25 of 104 products #### Company Size - Self-Employed - 2-10 - 11-50 - 51-200 - 201-500 - 501-1000 - 1000+ #### Pricing Options - $$$$$ - $$$$$ - $$$$$ - $$$$$ - $$$$$ ### Compare Products Sort by **Recommendations**: Sorts listings by the number of recommendations our advisors have made over the past 30 days. Our advisors assess buyers’ needs for free and only recommend products that meet buyers’ needs. Vendors pay Software Advice for these referrals. **Reviews**: Sorts listings by the number of user reviews we have published, greatest to least. **Average Rating**: Sorts listings by overall star rating based on user reviews, highest to lowest. **Alphabetically (A-Z)**: Sorts listings by product name from A to Z. ### [NetSuite](/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.2/5 - Reviews: 2,086 - Best for: Enterprise businesses - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview NetSuite is an AI-powered cloud-based business management suite that incorporates ERP, financial management, CRM and eCommerce functionalities into a unified platform, helping [Read more](/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/) ##### What users love - Deep system tailoring options - Comprehensive and scalable functionality - Centralized financial operations platform ##### To take in mind - Steep learning curve and complexity - Complex and rigid reporting tools - Slow and inconsistent support experience #### Features ##### Best rated features - Aging Tracking: 5/5 - "What If" Scenarios: 5/5 - Knowledge Base Management: 5/5 - Vendor Master Data Management: 5/5 [See all features](/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/#key-features) --- ### [SAP Business One](/accounting/sap-business-one-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.3/5 - Reviews: 346 - Best for: Small businesses - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview SAP offers an ERP system that assists food and beverage manufacturers in optimizing production, increasing efficiency and reducing inventory to streamline and improve the overall [Read more](/accounting/sap-business-one-profile/) ##### What users love - Comprehensive inventory control tools - Tailored for SMB growth needs - Flexible integration and customization ##### To take in mind - Significant costs and licensing fees - Outdated and unintuitive interface - Frequent slowdowns and crashes #### Features ##### Best rated features - Quotes/Estimates: 5/5 - Activity Tracking: 5/5 - Production Management: 5/5 - Financial Analysis: 5/5 [See all features](/accounting/sap-business-one-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Sage X3](/manufacturing/sage-x3-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Reviews: 176 - Best for: Value for money - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Sage X3 is a powerful ERP software solution designed for midsized national and global manufacturers, distributors, and after-sales providers and can establish a foundation for your [Read more](/manufacturing/sage-x3-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Supplier Management: 5/5 - Multiple Projects: 5/5 - Serial Number Tracking: 5/5 - Profit/Loss Statement: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Data Visualization: 1/5 - Performance Metrics: 1/5 - Real-Time Reporting: 1/5 - Enterprise Asset Management: 1.8/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/sage-x3-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Cetec ERP](/manufacturing/cetec-mrp-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.5/5 - Reviews: 53 - Starting price: $50.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Cetec ERP is a manufacturing enterprise resource planning software built for small and medium sized businesses. Cetec ERP's cloud-based software is designed to help these companies [Read more](/manufacturing/cetec-mrp-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Warehouse Management: 5/5 - Compliance Management: 5/5 - Change Management: 5/5 - Nonconformance Tracking: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Maintenance Management: 2/5 - CRM: 3/5 - Work Order Management: 3/5 - Barcoding/RFID: 3/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/cetec-mrp-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $50.00/month - One flat per-user price covers the Cetec ERP platform, cloud infrastructure, maintenance, and access [See full pricing details](/manufacturing/cetec-mrp-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [BatchMaster ERP](/product/551248-BatchMaster/) - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Reviews: 17 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview BatchMaster is an AI-powered ERP for small and mid-market process manufacturers. Purpose-built and scalable, it gives formula-based manufacturers in food and beverage, chemicals, [Read more](/product/551248-BatchMaster/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Order Management: 5/5 - Quality Control: 5/5 - Inventory Auditing: 5/5 - Data Import/Export: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Production Scheduling: 2/5 - AI Copilot: 3/5 [See all features](/product/551248-BatchMaster/#key-features) --- ### [MRPeasy](/manufacturing/mrpeasy-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.5/5 - Reviews: 173 - Starting price: $49.00/month - Best for: Ease of use - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview MRPeasy is a versatile cloud-based ERP system for small and scaling companies (perfect for up to 200 employees). The software offers a complete ERP solution with robust production [Read more](/manufacturing/mrpeasy-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Alerts/Notifications: 5/5 - Multi-Currency: 5/5 - Parts Management: 5/5 - Kitting: 5/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/mrpeasy-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Starter - Price: $49.00/month - Users beyond 10 - it increases to $79/10 users ##### Professional - Price: $69.00/month - Cloud based plan that includes free updates ##### Enterprise - Price: $99.00/month - Most popular plan [See full pricing details](/manufacturing/mrpeasy-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Connected](/accounting/accountek-profile/) - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviews: 3 - Starting price: CA$649.00 - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Connected is a hybrid integrated accounting and enterprise resource planning (ERP) that caters to small and midsize businesses across various industry verticals and helps them to [Read more](/accounting/accountek-profile/) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: CA$649.00 [See full pricing details](/accounting/accountek-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine)](/erp/infor-syteline-profile/) - Overall rating: 3.8/5 - Reviews: 68 - Starting price: $180.00/month - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview SyteLine is an enterprise resource planning software created specifically for engineer-to-order, make-to-order, make-to-stock, and mixed-mode manufacturers. Customers in both [Read more](/erp/infor-syteline-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Scheduling: 5/5 - Real-Time Data: 5/5 - Demand Forecasting: 5/5 - Inventory Management: 4.1/5 ##### Worst rated features - Supplier Management: 1/5 - Document Management: 1/5 - Bills of Material: 1/5 - Order Management: 2/5 [See all features](/erp/infor-syteline-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Deacom ERP](/manufacturing/deacom-erp-profile/) - Overall rating: 3.7/5 - Reviews: 10 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview DEACOM has been involved in the manufacturing industry since 1995 and supports process manufacturers in a variety of segments such as food & beverage, cosmetics and others. The [Read more](/manufacturing/deacom-erp-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Financial Reporting: 5/5 - Financial Management: 5/5 - Accounting: 4/5 - Activity Dashboard: 3/5 ##### Worst rated features - Manufacturing Planning: 1/5 - Reporting/Analytics: 1/5 - Expense Tracking: 2/5 - Enterprise Asset Management: 2/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/deacom-erp-profile/#key-features) --- ### [TrakSYS](/manufacturing/traksys-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.5/5 - Reviews: 39 - Starting price: $1,999.00/year - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview TrakSYS is a modular, enterprise Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) solution platform that enables you to optimize the way you run your manufacturing operations. The TrakSYS [Read more](/manufacturing/traksys-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Capacity Planning: 5/5 - Inventory Management: 5/5 - Order Management: 5/5 - Scheduling: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Preventive Maintenance: 4/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/traksys-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Essentials - Price: $1,999.00/year - Core tools for single-plant KPI management. ##### Growth - Price: $4,999.00/year - Enhanced data and analytics for scaling digital operations. ##### Premier - Price: $10,999.00/year - Advanced MES use cases with many integrations. [See full pricing details](/manufacturing/traksys-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Datacor ERP](/inventory-management/chempax-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.3/5 - Reviews: 78 - Starting price: $4,000.00one time - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Datacor ERP (formerly Chempax) is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) application designed specifically for chemical process [Read more](/inventory-management/chempax-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Material Requirements Planning: 5/5 - Safety Management: 5/5 - Serial Number Tracking: 5/5 - Chemical Management: 5/5 [See all features](/inventory-management/chempax-profile/#key-features) --- ### [IFS Cloud ERP](/product/3243-IFS-Manufacturing/) - Overall rating: 3.9/5 - Reviews: 30 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Available #### Overview IFS Cloud is a composable enterprise software platform unifying Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), and Field Service Management (FSM) in a [Read more](/product/3243-IFS-Manufacturing/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Preventive Maintenance: 5/5 - Reporting/Analytics: 4.7/5 - Time & Expense Tracking: 4.7/5 - Task Scheduling: 4.5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Supply Chain Management: 1/5 - Project Management: 4/5 - Work Order Management: 4/5 [See all features](/product/3243-IFS-Manufacturing/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request [See full pricing details](/product/3243-IFS-Manufacturing/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Fusion Operations](/product/393147-Fusion-Operations/) - Overall rating: 4.7/5 - Reviews: 86 - Starting price: $2,000.00/year - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Fusion Operations is a manufacturing execution system that provides real-time data for production management. It helps manufacturers and fabricators, from small to large-scale, [Read more](/product/393147-Fusion-Operations/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Inventory Tracking: 5/5 - Performance Metrics: 5/5 - Data Catalog: 5/5 - Production Management: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Customizable Fields: 3/5 - Real-Time Notifications: 3/5 - Third-Party Integrations: 4/5 - Reporting/Analytics: 4/5 [See all features](/product/393147-Fusion-Operations/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $2,000.00/year [See full pricing details](/product/393147-Fusion-Operations/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [ERPAG](/scm/erpag-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.6/5 - Reviews: 346 - Starting price: $25.00/month - Best for: Customer support - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview ERPAG is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. It is suitable for small and midsize businesses in various industries, including automobile, retail, education, [Read more](/scm/erpag-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Order Tracking: 5/5 - Purchasing & Receiving: 5/5 - Historical Reporting: 5/5 - Asset Tracking: 5/5 [See all features](/scm/erpag-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $25.00/month - The plan offers a 30 days money back guarantee. [See full pricing details](/scm/erpag-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence](/manufacturing/mastercontrol-manufacturing-excellence-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.5/5 - Reviews: 213 - Starting price: $1,000.00/month - Best for: Traceability - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Manufacturing Execution System—Simplified with Life Sciences-Specialized AI. MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence (Mx) is an AI-driven digital manufacturing platform made to [Read more](/manufacturing/mastercontrol-manufacturing-excellence-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Real-Time Data: 5/5 - Shop Floor Management: 5/5 - Activity Dashboard: 5/5 - MES: 5/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/mastercontrol-manufacturing-excellence-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Aquilon ERP](/distribution/aquilon-erp-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.6/5 - Reviews: 51 - Starting price: $120.00/month - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Aquilon Software offers a combined manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, and financial management system that is deployable either on the cloud or on-premise. All modules [Read more](/distribution/aquilon-erp-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Document Management: 5/5 - Production Scheduling: 5/5 - Real-Time Data: 5/5 - Order Management: 4.8/5 ##### Worst rated features - ERP integration: 3/5 - Customizable Fields: 3/5 - Customizable Reports: 3/5 - Cost Tracking: 4/5 [See all features](/distribution/aquilon-erp-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Prodio](/manufacturing/prodio-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.8/5 - Reviews: 21 - Starting price: $97.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Prodio is a cloud-based production management solution designed to help small manufacturing enterprises such as tool shops, stonemason workshops, printing houses, carpentry, and [Read more](/manufacturing/prodio-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Scheduling: 5/5 - Status Tracking: 5/5 - Real-Time Analytics: 5/5 - Production Scheduling: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Gantt/Timeline View: 1/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/prodio-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: $97.00/month [See full pricing details](/manufacturing/prodio-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [SAP S/4HANA Cloud](/accounting/sap-s-4hana-cloud-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.3/5 - Reviews: 358 - Best for: Features - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a cloud-based and on-premise enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. It is suitable for small, midsize and large businesses in industries such as [Read more](/accounting/sap-s-4hana-cloud-profile/) ##### What users love - Robust real-time data handling - Versatile business system connectivity - Comprehensive financial process automation ##### To take in mind - Challenging and unintuitive interface - Steep learning and onboarding demands - Occasional lag and slow response #### Features ##### Best rated features - Dashboard: 5/5 - Enterprise Asset Management: 5/5 - Portfolio Management: 5/5 - Integrated Business Operations: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - BOM Creation: 2.3/5 - Distribution Management: 4/5 - Cost Tracking: 4/5 - Collaboration Tools: 4/5 [See all features](/accounting/sap-s-4hana-cloud-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Plan - Price: Custom - Pricing available upon request - Pricing not available [See full pricing details](/accounting/sap-s-4hana-cloud-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [SmartMon ](/manufacturing/smartmon-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.8/5 - Reviews: 16 - Starting price: €70.00 - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview SmartMon is a platform that combines features of a MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) system to optimize the efficiency and quality of [Read more](/manufacturing/smartmon-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Real-Time Monitoring: 5/5 - Monitoring: 5/5 - Data Visualization: 5/5 - Real-Time Reporting: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Production Management: 4/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/smartmon-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: €70.00 [See full pricing details](/manufacturing/smartmon-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [BEAS](/manufacturing/beas-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.4/5 - Reviews: 5 - Starting price: $10,000.00 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Beas Manufacturing by Boyum IT Solutions is a manufacturing solution built for SAP Business One. It covers the full production process, from quotation and pre-costing to planning, [Read more](/manufacturing/beas-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Bills of Material: 5/5 - Order Management: 5/5 - Quotes/Estimates: 5/5 - Accounting Integration: 4.5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Production Scheduling: 4/5 - Quality Management: 4/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/beas-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Infor CloudSuites (M3)](/manufacturing/infor-m3-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.3/5 - Reviews: 38 - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Infor M3 is a cloud-based ERP solution for global manufacturers and distributors with complex value chains. It offers analytics for multi-company, multi-country, and multi-site [Read more](/manufacturing/infor-m3-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Distribution Management: 5/5 - Import/Export Management: 5/5 - Supply Chain Management: 5/5 - Manufacturing Planning: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Mobile Access: 1/5 - Quality Control: 1/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/infor-m3-profile/#key-features) --- ### [LogicBox](/crm/logicbox-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.5/5 - Reviews: 48 - Starting price: $55.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Logicbox is cloud-based business management software that is suitable for small to midsize companies in a variety of industries. It offers a suite of business management [Read more](/crm/logicbox-profile/) #### Pricing ##### Simple Pricing - Price: $55.00/month - The plan may charge a certain set up fees. [See full pricing details](/crm/logicbox-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- ### [Asprova](/manufacturing/asprova-profile/) - Overall rating: 4.9/5 - Reviews: 9 - Starting price: ¥15,000.00one time - Free trial: Not available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Asprova APS is a production scheduling system designed for factories, enabling high-speed creation of multi-product and multi-process production schedules. It offers seamless [Read more](/manufacturing/asprova-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Scheduling: 5/5 - Reporting/Analytics: 5/5 - Drag & Drop: 5/5 - Automated Scheduling: 5/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/asprova-profile/#key-features) --- ### [Mar-Kov](/manufacturing/markov-profile/) - Overall rating: 5/5 - Reviews: 7 - Starting price: CA$159.00/month - Free trial: Available - Free demo: Not available #### Overview Mar-Kov provides the best manufacturing software for batch and process manufacturers in the market. Companies turn to Mar-Kov when: • Their business outgrows excel sheets and are [Read more](/manufacturing/markov-profile/) #### Features ##### Best rated features - Reporting/Analytics: 5/5 - Recall Management: 5/5 - Production Management: 5/5 - Order Management: 5/5 ##### Worst rated features - Cost Tracking: 4/5 [See all features](/manufacturing/markov-profile/#key-features) #### Pricing ##### Basic - Price: CA$159.00/month [See full pricing details](/manufacturing/markov-profile/#pricing-and-plans) --- 1 [2](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing-software-comparison/?__ai_markdown=true&page=2)[3](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing-software-comparison/?__ai_markdown=true&page=3)[4](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing-software-comparison/?__ai_markdown=true&page=4)[5](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing-software-comparison/?__ai_markdown=true&page=5) ## Popular Comparisons [ NetSuite vs Sage 100 ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/accounting/netsuite-financials-accounting-software-profile/vs/sage-100cloud/)[ Sage X3 vs SAP S/4HANA Cloud ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/sage-x3-profile/vs/sap-s-4hana-cloud/)[ MRPeasy vs DELMIAWorks ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/iqms-enterpriseiq-profile/vs/mrpeasy/)[ MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence vs Fusion Operations ](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/103166-mastercontrol-manufacturing-excellence/vs/393147-Fusion-Operations/) Not only are food and beverage manufacturers closely regulated, they are also subject to heavy scrutiny by the news media. Multiple events across the globe have increased the public’s awareness of food and beverage manufacturing. More than one manufacturer has closed its doors after bad publicity about a tainted food product. Therefore, selecting the right food manufacturing system can help manufacturers avoid making costly mistakes—such as shipping food with spoiled ingredients—in their food production operations. One of the main benefits of food manufacturing software is that it helps food manufacturers ensure quality and accuracy in their products by providing extensive features for traceability and inventory management. The most important software functions for food and beverage manufacturers revolve around inventory, recipe management and quality assurance. Inventory management functionality should track not only amounts, but suppliers and batches as well. Each batch of ingredients must be documented from receiving through inclusion in a product and ultimately to delivery. This high level of monitoring is what allows products to be recalled in case of quality or safety issues. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) stipulates recommendations for recordkeeping and auditability in Title 21. General food and beverage ERP software offers general ledger and payroll as standard features. The accounts payable feature should track the batch numbers of all ingredients by each payment. Similarly, accounts receivable should track the batch numbers of sold products to customers. While many installations of food and beverage enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are still deployed on premises, there are a growing number of cloud-based systems for food and beverage manufacturing, particularly in smaller operations. The cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) model offers subscription pricing and reduces front-end investment in hardware that’s typical of a food processing software investment. In this buyers guide, we'll cover: - [What Is Food & Beverage Manufacturing ERP Software?](#WhatIsFoodBeverageManufacturingERPSoftware) - [Common Features of Food & Beverage Manufacturing ERP Software](#CommonFeaturesofFoodBeverageManufacturingERPSoftware) - [Market Trends to Understand](#MarketTrendstoUnderstand) ## What Is Food & Beverage Manufacturing ERP Software? The food and beverage industry faces various challenges, such as complying with food safety standards, checking ingredients, handling recipes, tracking expiry dates and predicting fluctuating demand. Managing all these facets manually can become difficult. Food and beverage ERP software helps companies automate these tasks and manage every aspect of the business including quality assurance, financial management and human resources. This type of software helps monitor food safety, respond to consumer trends and improve supply chain operations. Some popular food and beverage ERP software vendors include: - [IQMS MES Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/iqms-enterpriseiq-profile/) - [Fishbowl Manufacturing](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/fishbowl-inventory-manufacturing-profile/) - Microsoft Dynamics GP - Oracle JD Edwards – Manufacturing ## Common Features of Food & Beverage Manufacturing ERP Software Food and beverage manufacturers should evaluate whether the following functionality is present in the software they're evaluating: | Feature | Description | | --- | --- | | FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance | Strictly speaking, no software package can be 21 CFR Part 11 compliant because the rule stipulates administrative and procedural controls as well as technical implementation for electronic and hybrid record keeping. However, software can support 21 CFR Part 11 by completely implementing the technical requirements. | | Other government compliance | Systems should produce reports that are in compliance with the 2002 Bioterrorism Act and implement current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). They should also support reporting for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) management. It should generate any reporting required from federal, state and local authorities. | | Food traceability | Food and beverage manufacturers must track spoilage in the ingredients while they’re in inventory. Finished products must also be tracked throughout storage and shipping. Finally, the customers (i.e., stores or restaurants) must be notified when to take expired goods off the shelf or when the goods will be retrieved. | | Recipe management | The system should include recipe management, ingredient substitution and batch scaling. In some cases, ingredients are encoded to keep the recipes secret. | | Batch and ingredients tracking | As part of compliance with the Bioterrorism Act, each batch must be identified and tracked. The ingredients of each batch must be tied to their individual batch number as well. | | Quality assurance | The system should support quality assurance (QA) testing, with protocols documented and implemented through the software. The QA system should randomly identify samples for testing and compare test results against norms. Advanced systems will feature dashboards that will alert management regarding problems with quality. | | Recall tracking | Recalls are initiated when an ingredient or product becomes contaminated. To ensure accurate, efficient recall, the system needs to identify all of the affected batches and the customers who received those batches. | | Employee training tracking | Part of compliance is documenting employee training. The system should track which employees have completed which training. It should also notify managers if training has expired or if employees have not completed required training. | | Seasonal demand forecasting | The system should track historical sales and make recommendations for seasonal sales production. The system should account for lag time in ordering ingredients, processing and delivery, then recommend dates for ordering, production and shipping. | --- ## Market Trends to Understand **Maintaining efficiency in a competitive industry.** The food and beverage industry is highly competitive with approximately [21,000 companies in the U.S.](http://www.cmtc.com/blog/food-and-beverage-manufacturing-trends-and-challenges-2016) alone. These businesses adopt aggressive strategies, including mergers and acquisitions, to grow their market share. Small and independent businesses will require technology systems that have plenty of features to keep them competitive. On the other hand, larger firms require systems that can manage multiple operations and locations. **Technology’s role in supply chain and consumer choices.** With the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, technology is set to play an increasingly important role in consumer choices and supply chain operations. Using ERP and other software to track product ingredients, shelf life and inventory can ensure the delivery of quality products at the right time to the right customers. **Food safety concerns.** According to the World Health Organization (WHO), food safety issues continue to be a [concern for consumers](http://www.searo.who.int/entity/world_health_day/2015/whd-what-you-should-know/en/) across the globe. These issues include inaccurate labeling, use of artificial ingredients and the need for information on sourcing of ingredients. Logically, consumers place the responsibility for food safety on the manufacturers. So, manufacturers should use software to track data, digitize processes and ensure compliance and quality. Alerts and approval features in these solutions ensure that checks are carried out before a product is released. **E-commerce in food and beverage industry.** Shopping online, even for groceries and food items, is common today. ERP software can provide secure and reliable e-commerce functionalities. This can help drive sales and improve profitability. ### Related Food Manufacturing Software - [Enterprise Resource Planning Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/erp/) - [Food Costing Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4748-food-costing/) - [Food Traceability Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/distribution/food-traceability-comparison/) - [Manufacturing Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/category/4704-manufacturing/) - [Manufacturing Execution Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/execution-systems-comparison/)