Craft Brewing and ERP Solutions
Craft brewing has undergone an incredible surge in the last decade. Small craft breweries are showing up in cities over the nation, in dedicated plants to former retail locations in strip malls. Even the biggest beer manufacturers around the world are marketing their 'craft' brewing options to contend with smaller operations. Opinions abound relating to this amazing growth and what the near future will hold, but a very important factor seems certain, craft brewing isn't going away anytime soon. And while many craft brewing operations may discover how to make an incredible beer, or understand how to market their wares like nobody else, many struggle to meet the demands that more established and long-term food and beverage manufacturing companies have grown up with.
Usually the largest challenge several craft breweries must face isn't how exactly to market and sell their product, but how exactly to manage all the regulations and requirements, and how to maneuver all the details that go with production and distribution. They simply don't have the experience or the various tools in place that allow them to stay lean and operate smoothly. That is why it is so important that along with their tanks and bottle systems, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system should be high on their set of needed equipment.
Top 3 Craft Brewery ERP Needs
The main areas an Enterprise Resource Planning Software (ERP) can best help craft breweries both large and small are not in essence much unique of other styles of food and beverage process manufacturers, though there are a few intricacies as there's with any specialized product. We look at the top four areas that breweries must carefully consider and how an ERP could make their lives and their beer much richer and vibrant.
Meeting Regulations
It is not surprising that brewing beer to market to the general public is under strict scrutiny. There are several legal ramifications with such a product, but beer has no fewer health and traceability requirements than any food or drink. They must manage proper reporting, traceability of manufacturing actions, documentation of ingredients, documentation of shipping and sales, and several other regulatory necessities. An ERP system contains all of this information for the brewer and manages it smoothly to eliminate the chance of non-compliance, which may be deadly for a small brewery attempting to grow.
Product Development
If you've ever read the labels in the craft beer section at your local liquor store, you will see that the uniqueness of every brew matches the uniqueness of its name. For some beer consumers, they are pleased with finding one brew and keeping it. However the current trend is sampling. Beer connoisseurs are constantly seeking new flavors and new complexities, even within a particular style. For instance, a person may only drink imperial pale ales, but really wants to get one of these different formula each day. Or, a person might not have a popular style, but rather has loyalty to a specific brand and desires a variety of styles to try. Either way, craft brewers must keep reinventing themselves and their selections to stay competitive. Which means tracking recipe changes, understanding life cycles, and having clear data linked to development costs are crucial. Once again, the very best answer for this may be the implementation of an ERP system.
Supply Chain
Unlike giant beer companies with huge distribution agreements and national advertising, craft brewers should be creative and put a great deal of focus on how they can bring their creations to the public. Every aspect must be carefully monitored from the receipt of raw ingredients to delivery at the restaurant or liquor store featuring their product. An ERP manages their inventory and all aspects of it, and will continue to track those ingredients through production and on the shelves.
What was once https://get.brewninja.net for most craft brewers is continuing to grow into their livelihood. The chances are good that lots of of well known craft brew companies began in the basement or closet with a home brew kit, and no idea of all the intricacies involved in moving it to a successful business operation. Fortunately, there's help for all those passionate individuals to stay profitable, and continue to thrive.