The food and beverage industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in the world, with constantly changing consumer trends, growing demand for healthier and sustainable products, and intense competition. To stay ahead in this rapidly evolving industry, companies need to adopt efficient procurement strategies and tools that can help them manage costs, optimize supply chains, and improve overall business performance. The food and beverage industry typically uses a variety of procurement tools such as supplier management software, E-procurement tools and technologies, spend analytics tools, and contract management systems. However, there are also some industry-specific procurement tools that cater specifically to the unique needs of this industry.

Essential tools for procurement in the Food & Beverage Industry

• Supply chain management software : Supply chain management software is widely regarded as a crucial procurement tool within the food and beverage industry. This software facilitates the comprehensive management of the supply chain, encompassing procurement through to distribution. Renowned industry players such as Nestle have successfully adopted and integrated supply chain management software into their operations. By leveraging this technology, these companies have achieved notable enhancements in their procurement processes, ensuring efficient and streamlined delivery of their products to customers. For instance, Nestle's implementation of a digital procurement platform resulted in significant reductions of up to 50% in purchasing lead times, alongside notable improvements in overall procurement efficiency.

• E-procurement : E-procurement software is a prevalent and valuable procurement tool extensively employed in the food and beverage industry. This software enables the automation of the purchasing process and streamlines supplier management, offering notable benefits to organizations. Kraft Foods Group serves as a noteworthy example, as it successfully implemented E-procurement tools and technologies to centralize its purchasing activities, automate procurement processes, and enhance supplier performance. As a result of this implementation, the company achieved substantial cost savings amounting to approximately $100 million. FactWise offers comprehensive E-procurement tools and technologies that empower global product manufacturing companies with analytics, automation, and cost reduction capabilities to transform their procurement organizations and drive positive impact.

• Spend analytics : The utilization of spend analytics software is a widespread practice within the food and beverage industry, as it provides valuable insights into spend patterns and facilitates the identification of opportunities for cost reduction. For instance, Dole, a global food and beverage company, has successfully implemented Ivalua’s procurement solutions to enhance visibility into its procurement spend. This strategic approach has enabled Dole to proactively identify areas for cost optimization and realize significant cost savings throughout its supply chain operations. As a result, Dole has been able to achieve a 10x return on investment in a very short time

• Traceability systems : In the food and beverage industry, the adoption of traceability systems is prevalent among companies seeking to monitor the movement of ingredients and finished products across their supply chains. These systems serve multiple purposes, including ensuring food safety, mitigating risks, and adhering to regulatory obligations. Nestle serves as an exemplary illustration of a company leveraging traceability systems, as it has implemented a cutting-edge blockchain-based traceability system specifically for its Zoegas coffee brand. By employing this advanced technology, Nestle enhances transparency and traceability within its supply chain, thereby reinforcing food safety measures and meeting regulatory compliance requirements.

• Supplier management software : Supplier management software is a vital tool for food and beverage companies as it facilitates various aspects of supplier engagement, including the identification and onboarding of new suppliers, performance tracking, and relationship management. A notable example of a company that has successfully implemented supplier management software in the food and beverage industry is Whitbread. They use ARCUS® supplier management software to streamline their supply chain processes and ensure compliance with government legislation, industry guidelines, and company policies.

• Contract management software : Contract management software is a valuable asset for food and beverage companies, offering streamlined contract administration, error reduction, and enhanced compliance capabilities. Kellogg's, a prominent player in the industry, utilizes a contract management platform provided by Coupa to effectively manage its contractual agreements with suppliers and service providers. By leveraging this software, Kellogg's can optimize the contracting process, minimize errors and inconsistencies, and ensure adherence to compliance standards. This enables the company to maintain efficient and transparent contractual relationships, ultimately contributing to its overall operational effectiveness.

The food and beverage industry requires efficient procurement strategies and tools to thrive in its ever-changing landscape. Procurement tools, play a significant role in automating purchasing processes and streamlining supplier management. By embracing these e-procurement tools and technologies, food and beverage companies can enhance their competitiveness and drive sustainable growth in this dynamic industry

FactWise is a unified E-procurement platform with a fully integrated suite of procurement products, offered at a fraction of the cost of competitors. Our modular, extensible source-to-pay solution is flexible: it is applicable across industries and can be adapted to diverse procurement organizational setups. The platform is used by global product manufacturing companies to transform their procurement organization via analytics and automation to reduce costs, improve supplier diversity and strengthen supplier relationships, mitigate risk, meet ESG goals and standards, and increase compliance and efficiency. 

At FactWise, we are committed to building truly distinctive procurement software solutions that delight users and provide sustainable positive impact to the organizations we serve. We do this by providing transparency and insights to leaders (31% increase in governance), streamlining and automating processes to improve efficiency (20% increase in efficiency), and driving bottom-line impact by unlocking savings potential (25% cost reduction for direct spend).