How SAP Business One and Forgestik Secure The Food Supply Chain

Food traceability is a strategic pillar that is essential for food safety, operational agility, and brand integrity in the tightly regulated food sector. This is especially essential in countries like Canada, where the food sector is tightly regulated.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requires food businesses to maintain traceability records, demanding the ability to track products one step forward and one step back in the supply chain under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR).

The Real Power of Traceability

Still, many companies rely on manual logs, disconnected systems, or dated spreadsheets for this data, wasting time and resources. For example, one company had a full-time employee dedicated solely to managing manual traceability activities. These bottlenecks can lead to businesses facing serious vulnerabilities, including broad recalls, supply chain chaos, and reputational damage.

However, the traceability improves significantly when the process is integrated directly into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Here, SAP Business One acts as the nerve center for the business. It consolidates key functions, including procurement, production, and compliance, into one centralized platform. For food manufacturers, this food-specific ERP accounts for batch and lot tracking. Moreover, this integration provides instant visibility and control.

Optimizing the Food Supply Chain

According to a blog by SAP partner Forgestik, Companies that have adopted this solution report benefits such as optimization of product traceability, reduction of potential errors, and real-time access to information. For instance, a company that distributes frozen fruits, vegetables, and meats sought SAP Business One specifically because it needed a tool that could provide reliable and customized traceability on all its products due to heavy regulation.

However, implementing such a robust system requires specialized expertise. This is where Forgestik becomes an essential partner as it specializes in the implementation of SAP Business One. By partnering with Forgestik, businesses gain not just a service provider but a growth partner committed to developing a long-term relationship.

Finally, when food traceability software is fully embedded within the ERP ecosystem, it becomes exponentially more powerful. This investment drives efficiency, ensures compliance, and positions a company’s brand as a leader in transparency and trust.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

For SAPinsiders, particularly those operating in the food and beverage industry:

• Food traceability is essential for companies operating in heavily regulated environments. Take the example of the food company that distributes frozen fruits, vegetables, and meats. It sought SAP Business One because that industry is heavily regulated, requiring a tool that could provide reliable and customized traceability on all products. Another food company that Forgestik partnered with also listed improving the traceability of products as a key objective. Optimizing product traceability enables these companies to adapt to unexpected situations and respond before problems arise, minimizing consequences and making operations proactive. Most importantly, SAP Business One’s customization capabilities facilitate the production of dynamic, clear, and precise reports required for maintaining rigor in operations, particularly for import-export companies.
• The power of SAP Business One lies in its ability to centralize data. Following the implementation of SAP Business One with Forgestik, both food companies listed in the above example found it easier to manage and access large amounts of information, ensuring all employees had real-time access. This also resulted in greater employee autonomy. These companies also chose SAP Business One because it offered communication flexibility and the possibility of adjustments as they continued to grow.
• SAP Business One eliminates manual data management, enabling strategic growth. It serves as a complete, intuitive, and reliable solution that replaces outdated and inadequate management systems, such as reliance on simple spreadsheet software. For companies experiencing rapid growth, the shift to SAP Business One is necessary to overcome hindrances caused by manual processes. Users who have transitioned to SAP Business One have reported a reduction in administrative tasks and a simplification in inventory management. Additionally, by integrating SAP Business One, staff members can be freed up to focus on more development-related tasks. Lastly, the system limits the risk of error inherent in older, siloed systems, contributing to reduced potential errors and time savings.