Solutions for Snack Foods
The combined desire for better nutrition and weight management are amongst the most significant factors in consumer behavior and spending for snack food manufacturers. Growth in sales in the ‘healthier for you’ snack segments is significant, outpacing the indulgent snack market even though indulgent snacks represent a greater share of the market overall. There are several initiatives that Snack Food Manufacturers can incorporate to help them drive business and reduce costs.
Integration of financial, inventory and distribution data using tools already familiar to your staff, to reduce transaction costs and drive stronger margins.
Process manufacturers have a common need to control some of their production processes with batch calculations and other aspects, such as final packaging and labeling, with discrete functionality. Business operations that run smoothly with fully integrated inventory, finance and distribution tools minimize distraction, leaving more resources to focus on product development, merchandising innovation and developing new markets. Horizons International offers scalable formula and ingredient management, with real time perpetual inventory and cost control, production and material planning, cradle to grave lot control and quality management all on an affordable Microsoft DynamicsGP platform with tools that are already familiar to your staff. Implementation can be rapid and low cost ensuring you achieve your goals quickly and with minimum distraction to your business.
Consumer sustainability preferences support energy conservation and materials recovery
The going green philosophy of consumers matches the marketplaces demonstrated preference for healthier snacks. Manufacturers who respond with equipment upgrades that deliver purer products, reduce energy consumption and recover usable by products can win in a big way. Meeting the customers need for sustainable manufacturing and recovery of waste products in a way that ensures full utilization of the supply stream can be a method of demonstrating a manufacturers commitment to more than the bottom line. But part of the challenge becomes how to track and account for these realizable but non traditional production outputs in a timely and cost effective manner. The functionality in the Multi Product Production module from Horizons International is designed to support manufacturers as they strive to incorporate this additional data into their business model so that they can reliable track all sources and outputs of production with minimum transaction overhead.
Packaging changes can reduce cost and improve product appeal
The growth in healthier for you products with single serve and on the go packaging requirements drives manufactures to consider carefully their packaging and shipment methods. The challenge of packaging cost versus package content requires focus on details and planning. As consumers become more aware of tightening economic times, begin to work more hours in response to those economic restrictions and embrace the healthy for you trends the right packaging method will be important for product success. The inventory control and fill batches functionality in Horizons International Manufacturing Suite specifically targets supporting manufactures plan for accurate inventory consumption of all materials including packaging, reducing inventory carrying costs and easing the planning process for procurement.
Minimizing the impact of fluctuating ingredient costs
Commodity prices have seen their most severe run up in many segments over the past 12 months. Recessionary economics are adversely affecting the consumers ability to spend and the challenge to control margins across all of the cost impacts to production is significant. Reformulation of recipes, changes in production methods and the need for constant oversight of ingredient costs creates a challenging decision making environment for every manufacturer. The real time integrated financial and inventory information that is supported with the Horizons International functionality can make managing these diverse areas easier and less challenging, leaving management time to focus on other aspects of growing and maintaining the business.