Key takeaways
- Most food and beverage companies use their ERP only for purchasing and finance — leaving batch production, recipes and quality data scattered across disconnected systems that don’t communicate with each other.
- Siloed data blocks process automation and prevents departments from sharing information without manual intervention.
- Regulatory agencies like the FDA and USDA can require full lot traceability within hours of a recall notice. Companies that can’t pull that data quickly from a single system face serious compliance exposure.
- To get started, validate whether your current ERP can support the consolidation you need and build an internal business case that defines what success looks like.
Storing food and beverage manufacturing data outside your ERP creates blind spots that can undermine your operations, compliance and growth. If your recipes live in spreadsheets, your batch production runs in a separate system and other business data exists in yet another tool, you don’t have a data strategy — you have a recipe for trouble.
In many food and beverage operations, ERP maturity is relatively low. Companies often use their ERP only for purchasing and finance, treating it as an accounting and ordering system rather than a true manufacturing platform. That gap has consequences that compound quietly over time.
Keep reading to learn more about how food and beverage manufacturers can benefit from storing more data in their ERP.
Why food and beverage companies resist putting data in an ERP
The reasons behind resistance to integrating more data into an ERP are understandable, but they often don’t hold up under scrutiny.
Protecting recipes
Many businesses handle batch production in their ERP systems, especially as they grow. But many of those same companies keep their recipes outside of the ERP, often due to confidentiality concerns. For food and beverage manufacturers, recipes are what make their products unique. It’s understandable that preventing their exposure is a top priority.
Cloud security fears
You may be concerned that putting recipes into a cloud-based application could allow AI to surface that information publicly. Modern cloud platforms have security guardrails in place. In fact, cloud applications are often more secure than on-premises servers sitting behind a firewall.
Limited system options
Many mid-market batch production systems were either homegrown or built by publishers that weren’t focused on process manufacturing. Most ERP development has historically been built around discrete manufacturing (automotive, electronics, etc.), not industries like food, chemical and beverage. For many years, there was a shortage of capable applications specifically for batch production. That caused many companies to use disparate systems, which is how data silos formed.
Cost
Some companies avoided ERP investments simply due to budget constraints.
Where food and beverage data commonly lives outside the ERP
The fragmentation tends to follow a familiar pattern. Many companies keep their formulas, batch-making and batch production data in a separate system — or manage it through paper processes.
Here’s where critical data typically ends up:
- Spreadsheets: Formulas, quality records and production logs maintained manually.
- Standalone quality systems: Disconnected from purchasing, inventory or finance.
- Disconnected on-premise solutions: Legacy software that doesn’t talk to the core ERP.
- Separate batch production systems: Tools like Microsoft Business Central are built as discrete manufacturing solutions by default and require additional configuration to support batch or process manufacturing.
The benefits of migrating data into a modern ERP
A dish is only as good as the quality of its ingredients. The same is true for business decisions. If your data is scattered across disconnected systems, you can’t trust what goes into the final product. Here’s what changes when it all lives in one place.
Trusted reporting
Reporting is only as good as the data behind it. If the data isn’t in one place, you can’t fully trust what the reports say. One source of truth means decision-makers can act with confidence instead of reconciling conflicting spreadsheets.
Process automation
When every department holds siloed information, you can’t take advantage of the process automation built into modern ERP platforms. Moving from a recipe to a batch production run requires human touches at every step, resulting in slower throughput, more manual errors and missed efficiencies that a centralized ERP could eliminate.
End-to-end traceability
When a food recall occurs, the FDA or USDA expects you to provide all lot numbers associated with the affected product within two hours. Companies are increasingly required to demonstrate traceability and respond quickly to regulatory inquiries, not just for customers but for the government. Lot tracking, quality holds and batch records flowing through a single system make that response fast and defensible.
This will become even more valuable when FSMA 204 takes effect in 2028.
Data integrity
Consolidating data into a single platform creates master data integrity — one place to define items, one place to manage your production steps and workflows. Without it, you end up with inconsistencies and unverified records and reporting that no one fully trusts.
Operational visibility
Leaders can see what’s happening across production, quality and finance in real time, without chasing data across disconnected tools.
How to start moving your data into an ERP
When your business is ready to start moving more of its data into your ERP, here are some steps to take:
1. Validate your current ERP’s capabilities
The first question to answer is whether your existing ERP can actually handle what you’re trying to consolidate. If you’re running an older system that was never designed for process manufacturing, it might be time for an upgrade.
2. Build an internal business case
You need internal momentum to move forward. Many food operations resist change because leaders can’t articulate what success looks like. Defining expected outcomes before selecting a system is critical to earning organizational buy-in.
3. Evaluate your system options
Once you’ve validated capability gaps and built your case, start evaluating platforms to find the one that best supports your specific needs.
4. Address capability and will together
For a move to an ERP to be successful, both solution capability and organizational will to change need to align. You need both to make the move from disparate systems to a unified ERP.
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At Wipfli, we help businesses get the most out of their ERP systems. Our team of professionals can guide you through process automation, assessing your current tech stack and reporting and analytics procedures. Get more out of your ERP.