ERP Systems Are the Future for Raw Material Transportation

ERP software provides a solution for compliance with the FDA’s Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food, which mandates that a safety plan with process and allergen controls, among others, be in place and monitored. Technology takes away the time and tedium of manually tracking the data on spreadsheets. With barcode scanning, the element of human error with incorrectly entered numbers is eliminated. For best results with barcodes, good lighting and devices with high-quality cameras and printers are a must.

If there is an audit, inspection, mock recall, or actual recall, ERP systems can produce a shipment trace report that can show date ranges and identify specifically what units individual customers received. Modern ERP systems can produce these reports at the push of a button, saving precious time in complying with required notifications in the event of a recall.

Using an ERP system not only aids traceability and streamlines and automates other operations, but also can avoid costly mistakes and time-consuming backtracking to sort out even minor errors, such as transposition of numbers. Having a cloud-based system has other advantages. It ensures data is preserved in the event of a fire or other disaster and, with information stored centrally, allows for an easier transfer of knowledge when new employees come on board. The technology also allows stock to be quarantined if it is waiting inspection or for other reasons so that it is not used by mistake.

“Digital makes a lot of sense because you can design it to ensure processes are done completely and correctly the first time,” Griffith says. “If something is missing, a message box will come up that says you’re not finished. That eliminates a lot of backtracking to fill in missing information, and it makes it much quicker to run reports or to get product off the shelves quickly if there is a recall.”

Brown, MBA, is the CEO of Wherefour, Inc., a food traceability/ERP and manufacturing software company. Reach him at [email protected] or 415-930-4028, ext. 402.