Having a seamless supply chain is crucial in food manufacturing. As a food manufacturer, you have to ensure that your suppliers bring in raw materials at the right time and in the exact quantities, to avoid losses and delays. Supply chain management is heavily reliant on transparency between the different stakeholders. Due to the increasingly complex supply chains technology is needed to help you track and trace your products. Here are some of the ways to connect your supply chain.
Invest in an ERP software
Supply chain management encompasses supply activities such as planning, execution, monitoring, and control of materials, information and finances. ERP helps integrates operational processes and automates back-office functions. ERP synchronises and manages your supply chain and distribution network such as purchasing and delivery. You are therefore able to manage all distribution channels in one cohesive system with visibility across every distributor network. Traceability across the whole supply chain helps you improve product compliance and quality.
Get RFID tags
Radio Frequency identification tags use electromagnetic fields to track and trace items in transit automatically. These tags simplify and enhance security in a supply chain by ensuring that your raw materials and finished goods arrive at the right time and place. Tracking shipments and the storage conditions of the products can be particularly beneficial if you transport perishable goods because it provides an audit trail. The tags can check things like temperature and humidity, allowing you to make necessary changes during transportation, to avoid losses. RFID tags provide more accurate inventory data compared to the other tracking technology in the market.
Blockchain can be public or private, depending on the nature of your company. It is a decentralised and distributed ledger used to record transactions across various computers to ensure that the records are not changed retroactively. This technology provides transparency and security, and every manufacturing company must invest in one. Users of the blockchain can only update information if the network consensus algorithm validates it. When it comes to tracking and tracing, the timestamps from the blockchain give you exact and accurate data of when your shipment left the factory for instance and allows you to calculate what time it should arrive at the distributors.
Supply chain mapping
Using ERP for food supply chain management will provide a full picture of the organisation's supply chain at every level from purchases to shipments. It provides visibility of all stakeholders within each level of the chain and a way to monitor quality. Having a central place where you manage all raw materials and finished goods allows easy tracking of all goods inwards and outwards.
Traceability ensures accountability. In the manufacturing industry, being able to track and trace your deliveries will save you time and money. Using technology, you can provide proof of delivery. RFID tags will help you deal with quality issues and returns with complete tracking. ERP helps integrate everything into one extensive system, therefore cutting down on costs.