ERP Consolidation Helps Food Manufacturer Scale and Standardize Operations
Bringing Together a Growing Business
As a leading supplier of natural, plant-based ingredients for food and beverage manufacturers, this organization operates a network of specialized production facilities across the United States. With divisions focused on natural preservatives, coffee extracts, and food flavor systems, the business had grown in both size and complexity, managing multiple entities, legacy systems, and diverse processes.
Each site used its own tools, methods, and ERP systems. While this allowed for localized control, it created inefficiencies and made cross-entity collaboration difficult. Leadership recognized the need for a connected system that could modernize operations, improve compliance, and support long-term growth.
Business Challenges: Multiple Systems, Manual Work, and Missed Opportunities
To keep pace with growth and industry demands, the company set out to consolidate its operational and financial systems. The goal was to eliminate fragmented workflows across its various divisions. At the time of engagement, the business was experiencing:
- Manual, paper-based tracking on the production floor
- Disconnected reporting and procurement processes
- Traceability procedures that were time-consuming and difficult during regulatory audits or recalls
- Siloed data and duplicated work across sites
These issues made it difficult to scale operations, created risk in compliance scenarios, and slowed decision-making.
A Unified ERP Strategy Built for the Food Industry
The company partnered with Stoneridge Software to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, enhanced with YAVEON 365 and other tools tailored for process manufacturing. The approach focused not only on consolidating software systems, but also on standardizing how the business operates.
Key components of the solution included:
- One Process, One Platform: Consolidated all business units onto a single ERP system with standardized operations and shared reporting.
- Batch Functionality: Enabled lot tracing, QA, manufacturing, scanning, compliance, and R&D capabilities designed for food producers.
- Real-Time Inventory Visibility: Introduced pallet-level tracking and load carrier data to improve accuracy in picking and inventory control.
- MES and Scale Integration: Integrated a scale-based production interface using Pam’s Pro to support ingredient weighing and data accuracy at the plant level.
- Digital Production Scheduling: Replaced manual production planning with Netronic VAPS for drag-and-drop digital scheduling.
- Centralized Financial Management: Rolled all entities into one financial structure, simplifying reporting and corporate oversight.
“We worked side-by-side with company leadership to design processes that could work for every location no matter if the production was for tea, flavor, or coffee. That shared vision made the project a success.”
— James Simmons, Senior Consultant, Stoneridge Software
Results: Better Visibility, Smarter Planning, and Cost Control
The first phase of implementation is complete, with one major facility live on Business Central. Other divisions are in progress, but early results show clear operational improvements.
Key outcomes include:
- Improved Traceability – Lot tracking has shifted from manual to digital, making it easier to pinpoint which materials were used in which batches and when.
- Real-Time Inventory Accuracy – Inventory can now be tracked by item, lot, and pallet. This reduces human error, supports FIFO practices, and improves warehouse efficiency.
- Better Visibility into Costs – The company is now tracking actual consumption and costs per batch. Products previously thought to be profitable were revealed to be loss leaders due to hidden overhead costs.
- Smarter Procurement – Planning data now supports demand-based purchasing instead of bulk stockpiling. This shift reduces inventory overhead and waste.
- Scalable Infrastructure – The unified platform supports rapid onboarding of new acquisitions, helping the company expand while keeping operations aligned.
- Process Maturity and Change Readiness – Stoneridge worked with the company to document and refine processes, manage testing, and train teams—ensuring smoother adoption across all departments.
Why This Partnership Worked: Industry-Focused Guidance and Long-Term Vision
Stoneridge Software brought more than technical expertise. With deep experience in food and beverage manufacturing and a strong partnership with YAVEON, the team helped align systems, standardize operations, and guide change.
Highlights of the engagement included:
- Specialized knowledge in process manufacturing
- Strategic design of shared processes across all business units
- A future-ready platform with the flexibility to grow
- Practical industry insights and tailored best practices
