Food is culture, tradition and perhaps most prominently, food is a lifestyle. Your approach to the distribution of food can be transformed with the right ERP system.
The food and beverage industry faces challenges that change daily based on the evolution of health, wellness and food safety. Your product passes through a complex structure of growers, producers, manufacturers, distributors and eventually a store shelf before landing on the dining table.
Your primary focus is on quality control, customer relations and maintaining compliance. Having a dynamic solution in place enables your business to efficiently manage inventory, regulations and shelf-life. This points you in the direction of growth and innovation.
International Food Products Corporation (IFPC) chose Columbus as their strategic business partner. Together we addressed key challenges such as optimizing a centralized system for customer data, maintaining a consistent customer experience and better visibility and control to move the company forward.
International Food Products Corporation manufactures and distributes products such as sugars, oils, starch, milk flavors, dairy powder, flour, cocoa and food-grade chemicals.
Everything from supply chain to customer satisfaction depends on an effective strategy and the solution that enables it. Partnering with Columbus and Microsoft Dynamics CRM provided International Food Products the value of a centralized, company-wide business management system. Microsoft Dynamics CRM provided an easy platform for integration, because of its shared ecosystem with other Microsoft products such as Outlook.
In food distribution, customer satisfaction is a top priority. Microsoft Dynamics CRM reinstated International Food Products’ reputation in customer satisfaction with a highly customized and responsive experience. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Columbus made it easier to create a valuable experience during customer engagement, from early marketing contacts to closing transactions and sustaining long-term business relationships.
Automating processes is an inevitable task in the industry today. Using Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Columbus helped streamline the sales process, customer requirements and certain formulations of food products through an effective collaboration between sales, R&D, and category managers.
Following a smooth transition during the implementation process, the business activities were integrated into Microsoft Dynamics CRM and the solution provided more visibility into customer data, invoices, sales orders and records accessible in a single resource with a 360-degree view of customers.
To facilitate growth, all aspects of an ERP solution must hit the bullseye. Your success depends on the satisfaction of your customers and an effective CRM plays an important role. As the company’s use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM has evolved, Columbus continues to engage with International Food Products to work on enhancements to facilitate sales pipeline forecasting and automation.
“A large part of our success with CRM is dependent on Columbus’ expertise and ability to fine-tune the solution to our changing requirements,” says Jamie Moritz, vice president of sales and marketing at International Food Products Corporation. “Columbus is fantastic to work with. It provides great guidance and always deliver what they promise.”
