ERP FOR COFFEE AND TEA

INTENSIFYING competition and the call of overseas markets are forcing many family-run, small and medium-sized businesses to change the way they have operated for decades and to look at more efficient ways of doing business through information technology systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP)*.

*Enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions refers to a type of software that organizations use to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, project management, risk management and compliance, and supply chain operations.

Passed from generation to generation, these businesses have built quality reputations and have found it difficult to shrug off their traditional ways.

Luckily, with the help of ERP solutions, these family-run, small and medium-sized coffee roasters are about to remain competitive amongst their challengers. As you continue reading, you’ll find some unique challenges coffee roasters are able to defeat with ERP.

Inventory Management

Making sure that you have the right amount of product, available at the right place, at the right time, without having too much, is an incredibly complex balancing act, especially in a rapidly growing industry like the coffee & tea industry.  By consolidating business processes into one, integrated database, your purchasing team will stay in sync with your production line, ensuring synchronized business processes.  ERP software allows your company to reduce excess, minimize stock-out and place orders more quickly, allowing you the freedom to focus on growing your business and keeping up with competitors.

Lot Number Traceability

Easily handle and track products by lot number with power and flexibility.  Lot numbers can be recognized when received or shipped.  Also, record and manage expiration dates by lot number.

Batch Processing with Variable Recipe and Variable Yield

Gain full control over your batch processing.  Components can be adjusted based on seasonality, availability, and required substitutions.  Batch process manufacturing allows you to compensate for variable yield with the ability to alter the quantity produced.  You can also account for spillage and waste and handle multiple lots of the same ingredients while calculating precise costing by batch.

Sales Management

Manage the complexities of the coffee and tea industries sales.  ERP solutions allow your company to deliver full or partial cases, price by unit or weight, quickly copy previous orders and print lot numbers on invoices.  ERP solutions often also include Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality, allowing your sales and marketing teams manage customer relationships on the same database as order fulfillment.  When all of your data, across departments, is stored within the same database, it eliminates data silos and allows for complete control, visibility, and scalability.

Production Management

From green to roasted to finished product ready for sale an ERP solution can help you manage the process and track all of your costs. Plan your production needs for the day, week, or month. Track the work in process and review your production history all in one solution.

Delivery Management

An ERP solution can help you plan your deliveries by route and driver/truck. Let your drivers be more efficient by providing them with the tools they need to do their job. Either from pre-order sales or sales of the truck track your inventory and collect money.

Service Management

Let your ERP solution manage your equipment out in the field. Track warranty on each item as well as service calls and parts needed. Invoice your customers for services and compare service cost to revenue.

Your Next Steps

At ACC Software Solutions, coffee and tea are the fuel that keep our team running smoothly.  However, we’re not only expert consumers, we also provide a wide variety of ERP services for coffee and tea providers nationwide.

In our business, we’ve proudly served a number of both manufacturers and distributors in the coffee & tea industry.  Meaning, we’ve got a pretty good idea of how your company already works and common pain-points throughout the industry.  Our team of expert consultants can build upon that knowledge to provide the best solutions for your business.