An inventory management platform (such as NotaZone) and an ERP platform are fundamentally different in the scope of their functionality.
A small food business usually begins its stock management and cost control with a piece of paper and a pen. This may then evolve into a spreadsheet as the production process becomes more complicated.
The next stage for a growth business is investing in an inventory management platform and/or an ERP.
An ERP platform usually consists of the following features:
- Accounting
- Stock Control
- Business Intelligence
- Corporate performance
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- E-Commerce
- Human Resources
- Sales
- Supply Chain Management
Out of the 9 listed features, a good inventory management platform will inherently be able to carry out two of the features, namely, stock control and supply chain management.
So while the scope of an ERP is considerably more, the question for a food producer on their growth journey should be, how many of these features does your business need?
While invariably, every business will need some form of recording for each feature listed above, the timing and the scope of need alongside the budget set aside for this will be a key factor while making the decision.
NotaZone, was built keeping small to medium (SME) artisan food producers and manufacturers in mind. While providing the core features of inventory and supply chain management, it also ensures food traceability is at the heart of its features. NotaZone also seamlessly integrates with third-party applications, such as eCommerce channels such as Shopify, accounting apps such as XERO and Quickbooks, Delivery apps such as DHL and many more.
By integrating with other third-party apps, NotaZone gives you the flexibility to add features as and when you need them while also getting the ease of bringing the information all in one place.
An ERP, with all its features and capabilities, can find its biggest strength becoming its main weakness when being considered by an artisan food producer on their growth journey. High in cost and low in flexibility, ERP is an ideal investment for a big business with an established product line and process.
However, if you are on your growth journey and are on the lookout for an inventory management platform that is low-cost, high flexibility and keeps food traceability at its heart, get in touch with us today!