Challenges

ERP Selection for a food manufacturer

The requirements for a new, integrated ERP system were demanding. Documentation obligations as well as the connection of different systems were the challenges in this project.

The sale via a company shop with the necessary cash register connection, the connection to a shop system as well as the interfaces to the ERP system of the packaging service provider had to be realised.

The technical interfaces to the company's own storage system as well as to the robotics utilised for cheese care and the various scales had to be defined as requirements in an industry ERP system.

The integration of the supply chain, starting with the delivery of the raw milk, its batching, single-item invoicing and documentation in food quality management were challenges that had to be mastered within the scope of the process design.

Nevertheless, the system should be uncomplicated in handling and easily scalable, so that mobile devices, cash register systems, shop requirements and much more can be easily realised in the future.

Solution

In discussions, workshops and creative sessions with those responsible for sales, e-commerce, finance, QM, production (cheese dairy) and delivery logistics, the specific requirements were discussed.

These were then tested and categorised for feasibility and their potential to increase productivity. Interfaces to existing programmes such as the applications of the milk collection vehicles, the silo containers and much more were discussed and defined.

Afterwards, the workflow processes were checked for their integration, modelled and documented in the specifications, the search, identification and qualification of an ERP industry software package was carried out according to our proven procedure model.

The tender and the selection of the potential ERP system were carried out until the contract documents were ready to be signed.

Key Points

• Avoidance of manual double entries
• Integration of different hardware from production, warehouse, retail shop, as well as packaging requirements 
• As well as possible digital connection of customers from the food sector were key points that could be solved.
• The implementation and introduction was carried out by the customer.