Dynamics 365 for Food & Process Industry – guide & partners

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The food and process industry is a fundamental part of the economy, characterized by high competition and a strong focus on quality, sustainability, and innovation. Companies operate in a market where consumer demands for transparency, locally produced goods, and sustainable production methods are constantly increasing. At the same time, margins are pressured by international competition and volatile raw material prices, which places high demands on efficiency throughout the entire value chain. Digitalization is a key factor in meeting these challenges. By integrating business processes from raw material procurement to sales, companies can optimize their operations, ensure regulatory compliance, and quickly adapt to market changes. A modern business system thus becomes a strategic tool for managing complex supply chains, ensuring traceability and quality, and gaining the insights required to make informed decisions. Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a platform with applications for the entire business, from financial management and production planning (ERP) to customer relationships (CRM). By collecting data in a unified system, companies in the food and process industry can create a more data-driven and agile business, adapted to future demands.

See 6 partners in food & process industry

Recipe and Batch Management

Management of recipes and formulas, including version control and scaling for production. Ensures correct composition and traceability for each produced batch.

Quality Control and Traceability

Processes for performing quality controls upon arrival, during production, and on finished goods. Ensures full traceability from supplier to customer.

Production Planning and Control

Planning of production orders based on demand, capacity, and material availability. Optimizes machine utilization and minimizes downtime.

Inventory Management with Attributes

Management of inventory based on unique attributes such as best-before dates, batch numbers, and storage conditions. Supports picking strategies such as FEFO (First-Expired, First-Out).

Purchasing and Supplier Management

Management of the purchasing process from need to payment, including supplier evaluation, pricing, and quality assurance of incoming raw materials.

Costing and Financial Follow-up

Calculation of standard and actual costs for produced goods. Provides a basis for pricing, margin analysis, and financial reporting.

Equipment Maintenance

Planning and follow-up of preventive and corrective maintenance on production equipment to maximize availability and minimize unplanned downtime.

Full traceability from farm to fork

Being able to trace every raw material and processing step throughout the entire chain is necessary to manage potential recalls and meet regulatory requirements.

Compliance with regulations and standards

The industry is governed by strict laws and quality certifications (e.g., BRC, IFS) that require meticulous documentation and process control.

Managing short shelf lives and waste

Optimizing inventory and production to minimize waste due to expiry dates is a constant challenge that directly impacts profitability.

Volatile raw material prices and squeezed margins

Rapid changes in raw material costs require precise calculations and good control over the entire value chain to protect margins.

Complex supply chains and logistics

Ensuring an unbroken cold chain, optimizing transportation, and managing relationships with both suppliers and distribution channels is crucial.

Adapting to new consumer demands

The need to quickly develop and launch new products in response to trends in health, sustainability, and packaging.

Finance & Supply Chain

Kärnan för större företag i branschen. Innehåller avancerade moduler för produktionsplanering, lagerstyrning, kvalitetskontroll, spårbarhet och ekonomi.

Business Central

En heltäckande affärssystemslösning för små och medelstora företag som behöver stöd för ekonomi, tillverkning, lager och försäljning i en och samma applikation.

Sales

Används för att hantera komplexa B2B-relationer med dagligvaruhandel, grossister och restauranger, inklusive avtalshantering och kampanjuppföljning.

Field Service

Relevant för företag som tillverkar och underhåller processutrustning, för att planera och optimera serviceuppdrag hos sina kunder.

How does Dynamics 365 handle traceability and batch management?

Both Business Central and Finance & Supply Chain have built-in support for batch and serial numbers. This enables tracking of individual batches from raw material procurement, through all stages of production, to finished product and end customer. The information is integrated with inventory and quality to allow for quick action in the event of a recall.

Does the system support recipe management and production costing?

Yes, the manufacturing functions in Dynamics 365 manage recipes/formulas (Bills of Material) and routes. These form the basis for calculating an exact product cost, including costs for raw materials, personnel, and overheads, providing a clear picture of profitability per product.

Can Dynamics 365 be integrated with our production equipment (MES)?

Yes, the platform is built for integration. By using standardized interfaces (APIs), Dynamics 365 can be linked with systems on the production floor (MES/SCADA) to exchange data in real time. This can improve production planning, follow-up, and data quality.

Is Dynamics 365 a validated system for the food industry?

Microsoft provides a platform with functions required for regulatory compliance, such as audit trails and quality management. The responsibility for validating the specific implementation against standards such as BRC or IFS lies with the customer company, often in collaboration with an implementation partner.

What is the difference between Business Central and Finance & Supply Chain for our industry?

Finance & Supply Chain is aimed at larger and more complex organizations with advanced requirements for production control, inventory, and logistics. Business Central is an all-in-one solution for small to medium-sized businesses that desire broad functionality in a less complex format. The choice depends on the company's size, process complexity, and future growth plans.

How does the system handle best-before dates and FEFO principles?

Inventory management in Dynamics 365 has dedicated fields for best-before and expiry dates. The system can be configured to automatically suggest outbound shipments according to the FEFO principle (First-Expired, First-Out), which helps to ensure that older products are shipped first and minimizes the risk of waste.

6 partners in Food & Process Industry

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Why are these partners shown?

We show partners that match your choices of industry, solution and geography. Results are ranked by how well they fit your profile. AI can help explain relevance – but does not influence which partners are shown. Read more about the methodology