Great article, Linda. You mentioned that “food and beverage manufacturers should be investing in reliable food tracking systems that will allow them to trace their products and recall them when needed.” Dynamics is a great platform to use to manage all of the data that drive efficiencies and enable accountability in the food chain. Then there’s the challenge that exists with all of the paper associated with all of this. A comprehensive food tracking system has to be able to store and manage all of the paper generated throughout the food supply chain—from procedure documents, to quality documents, to material safety data sheets (MSDS), to certificates of analysis, etc. Powerful extensions of the basic need to store and manage this paper is the ability to maintain all of the inherent data relationships among batches, formulas, items, vendors, etc. in Dynamics and to enable people to review and process documents based on their role in the organization. Examples of how this can be useful might include when

• a quality manager needs to review production quality results to determine whether there is a possible issue with a formula, review documents related to finished batches as well as those still in process, etc.
• an R&D specialist needs to process a new formula request from a customer and review documents related to previous batch results for that formula, including product specifications, nutritional analysis, and the MSDS related to specific raw materials used in the batch, etc.
• a cost accountant needs to review batch cost overruns by identifying specific formulas for additional review by looking over physical batch tickets from the shop floor that reflect unusual circumstances that were recorded during production run, and even drilling down to review raw material lots, price fluctuations, and vendor COAs, etc.
• a purchasing manager could review vendor performance by comparing COAs to item specifications, see all vendors that supply a specific item and their related documents, review batch yields by going to batches that contain these items, etc.