Changing regulations in the food and beverage industry are causing companies to re-evaluate their systems and processes. With legislation such as the Bioterrorism Act of 2002, food and beverage companies are assessing crucial functions such as ingredient and lot traceability, as well as their quality control procedures, to see how well they comply with the new requirements.
"In this type of environment, it is essential for companies to manage every aspect of the goods produced, and the best way to achieve this is with an ERP system," explains Keith Fenner, vice-president, sales, Softline Accpac.
"Our suite of solutions has helped a number of companies in the food and beverage industry stay ahead of the game by offering them powerful toolsets that help streamline time-consuming financial (GAAP and IFRS) and operational processes using advanced workflow, alerting and business process management technologies."
He adds that the solution is further tailored to this sector by extending supply chain management, warehousing/logistics, service management and mixed mode manufacturing with quality control and document management. "We ensure that our clients get the right solution for their business by providing a system that follows their pace of growth, adapting to their unique requirements, deferring to their choice of database and deployment preferences, while flexing with their organisational structure."
Accpac`s experience in the food and beverage industry provides the company with a unique insight into the specific needs of the sector. Fenner points out that the key features that drive the success of an ERP implementation in this environment include complete forward and backward lot traceability for each ingredient and end-item, a full audit trail and archive of historical transactions, as well as fully-integrated quality control for inspections to assure conformance to any required characteristics, operational tolerances or expected results. "Inspections can be conducted at receiving or any stage of the production and packaging processes, and suspicious items or those that fail any inspection rules are automatically quarantined," he points out.
"Import Tracking allows tracking of imported goods from the time of shipping through to loading on the container and subsequently the vessel used until receipted in your warehouse. This allows for complete transparency in the supply chain and permits multiple landed costs to be accurately handled. Warehouse management is entirely integrated in the suite and ensures proper management of picking and put-aways as well as efficient utilisation of warehouse space."
Basically, Accpac offers complete industry-specific functionality, including the management of formulas and recipes, potency, by-products, multiple packaging units per product, shelf-life, lot control and traceability, specific gravity, weight calculations, etc. "Regardless of your business challenges, Softline Accpac has the right solutions for you to improve and extend your reach through collaboration with customers, suppliers and stakeholders to manage the entire lifecycle of a customer from first contact to final contract," Fenner concludes.
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Softline Accpac is a provider of business management solutions including financial, distribution, service management, retail, warehouse management, manufacturing and CRM to the mid-range market. Accpac solutions are delivered to 130 countries exclusively through a global network of solution providers, including over 150 throughout Africa. Softline Accpac`s product line includes: Accpac ERP, Accpac CRM, Accpac RMS, Service Manager and Accpac Insight. Softline Accpac also distributes Sage SalesLogix, Sage Geode and Sage ERP X3, a full-service enterprise management software system for mid-to-large businesses. With a choice of languages, currencies, enterprises, locations and legislations, Sage ERP X3 offers an efficient, multi-company solution.
Softline is a leading provider of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions to small, medium and large sized companies. Founded in 1988 by Ivan Epstein, Alan Osrin and Steven Cohen, Softline was established during the formative years of the software industry and listed on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa in February 1997. Softline expanded to establish a strong position within its area of focus in South Africa and Australia. Focused on the development of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions, Softline has a 20-year track record as a market leader. The group has a broad range of products offering users a variety of software solutions to run their businesses efficiently. Softline`s leading brands include Softline Accpac, Softline Pastel (Accounting and Payroll) and Softline VIP. The combination of the group`s product offerings provide Softline customers with comprehensive, well-branded accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions. In November 2003, Softline was acquired by the Sage Group plc, a FTSE 100 company. The software group includes market-leading businesses throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia, supplying business software to the small, medium and large business community. Softline has a solid track record of profitability and cash generation. The group delivers quality accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions that improve the efficiencies of businesses around the world.
The Sage Group plc is a leading global supplier of business management software solutions and related products and services, principally for small to medium-sized enterprises. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989. Sage has 6.1 million customers and more than 13 400 employees worldwide. We operate in over 24 countries covering the UK, Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, India and China. For further information, please visit http://www.sage.com.
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