Food ERP vs. Seafood ERP Software: What’s the Difference?
When you’re on the hunt for software that will help your Alaska Seafood business grow and succeed, the first step is knowing what type of software you need. That can seem overwhelming but we’re here to break it down for you: from ERP to food ERP to seafood ERP.
The ERP Software Basics
Generic ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software provides the ability to manage your various business processes in one system, complete with functionality to manage things such as accounting, manufacturing, inventory, customers, etc. While the goal of ERP software is to provide you one tool for managing all of your business processes, if you’re in a niche market such as food manufacturing, generic ERP software probably won’t provide the nuanced features you’ll need to manage your food business.
For a full rundown on what ERP software is, check out our blog that answers WTH is ERP Software? (AKA: What the Heck is Enterprise Resource Planning Software?)
What Makes Food ERP Software Different?
Now that you understand the basics of what ERP software is, what makes food ERP software different?
To put it simply, food-specific ERP software will have nuanced features within its functional areas or modules that are specific to your needs as a food manufacturer. For example, it may have a quality testing and tracking feature within its inventory functional area/module. A key differentiator for food-specific ERP software is that it understands food manufacturers have regulations to adhere to and the software is built with that in mind to help you adhere to them. As such, the top three things a food ERP system will help you do that generic ERP software most likely won’t are to track, trace and ensure your product quality to prevent recalls and adhere to industry standards, optimize your perishable inventory to maximize profits, integrate your generic and industry-specific processes to increase efficiencies and productivity.
How is Seafood ERP Software Different from That?
As an Alaska Seafood Processor, while you may fall under the larger umbrella of the food industry, you have requirements and processes that go beyond the general food industry’s requirements and processes and you have unique relationships to manage, as well. For example, you deal with eLandings, ADF&G standards, purchasing from and for fishermen and their crews, etc. Your business is anything but ordinary and an ERP system with expertise in your industry will be built to handle those extraordinary processes. Speaking of an ERP system with expertise in your industry…NorthScope was built with support for serving your fishermen more efficiently and managing fishing industry transactions such as Fish Tickets and more. With NorthScope, you can:
- Import Fish Tickets from eLandings
- Edit & Post Fish Tickets
- Reprice Fish Tickets in Bulk
- Reprice Fish Ticket Premiums in Bulk
- Void & Correct Historical Fish Tickets
- Apply Chum / Red Split % to Fish Tickets
- Make Adjustments to Fisherman, Tender or Loan Balances
- Transfer Balances Between Fishermen, Tenders & Loans
- Receive and Apply Payments from Fishermen, Tenders & Loans
- Record Sales to Fishermen
- Automate interest payments and charges for Fishermen
- Record Transactions Between Tenders & Fishermen
- Maintain Fish Ticket Price Lists
- Maintain Price Lists for Selling to Fishermen
- Configure & Maintain Fish Ticket Taxes & Premiums
- Configure & Maintain Sales Tax Rules for Sales to Fishermen
- Distribute Fisherman Statements
- Charge Fisherman Directly from AP Invoices
- Mass Update Fish Tickets, Fisherman Sales, Tender Resales, Adjustments, Balance Transfers, Cash Receipts & Fish Ticket Items
- Process Payments & Direct Deposit (ACH) to Fishermen & Split Payments to Cover Crew Wages
- Generate Safe Pay File
- View Fisherman Balances
- And more!