Cloud computing has changed the face of technology as we know it. Not only has it affected the way people interact on the internet, cloud has also changed businesses’ IT systems for the better. In fact, many companies who have adopted cloud-based product lifecycle management, or PLM, solutions have surged ahead of competitors.
The Food & Beverage industry is no stranger to cloud computing, where many F&B corporations and manufacturers have begun to use cloud systems that are producing positive results. To prosper in their competitive market, F&B manufacturers have to manage their resources carefully – particularly with data as the primary resource. Thus, when regarding PLM, cloud computing provides efficient and innovative methods to manage data at reduced operational start-up costs.
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The many advantages to cloud-based PLM
First, PLM cloud provides flexibility – companies can scale up or down at will, using only the resources that they need for each particular product or project. Once deployed, the expense shifts from a capital expenditure to an operating expense.
Cloud-based PLM integrates seamlessly with existing systems to provide a cohesive process that adds value throughout the life of the project. A major benefit to PLM cloud systems is their ability to streamline reporting to produce reports concerning inventory, ingredient and recipe data, product simulations, etc. These reports, which are produced more efficiently to meet demand, help F&B corporations make important business decisions while simultaneously keeping track of product data.
Among its benefits associated with flexibility and streamlined processes, the advantages to cloud include:
- Clean, traceable documentation
- Reduced redundancy with data that is easily accessible to shareholders
- Increased product quality and innovation with transparency from manufacturer idea to customer pantry
- Accelerated time to market for new products
The payback for a cloud PLM system – whose initial cost is already at a fraction of on-premise solutions – is enormous; PLM has proved to be the single most essential tool to increase revenue and ROI for food manufacturers.
PLM cloud tailored to food and beverages
Employing PLM designed by a company that works exclusively with the F&B industry provides a huge advantage.
SpecPage customers who opt for cloud-based SpecPDM can immediately leverage the user-friendly, flexible environment that caters to F&B to go live – that is, to pilot, organize and add data for a rapid, secure start.
Functionality is crucial for rapid scalability, faster implementation, accessibility, and collaboration as well as supplier integration. SpecPDM in the cloud delivers growth potential and significant economic and operational advantages for food producers. Moreover, SpecPage’s Cloud is housed in a globally ranked Swiss Tier IV data center to provide the cloud benefits at optimal security and confidentiality.
SpecPDM Cloud to maximize project efficiency
SpecPage’s cloud-based PLM was designed exclusively for F&B manufacturers. As a result, it doubles the efficiency for research and development for food engineers, leading to substantial revenue and ROI increases in accordance to automatic compliance checks. The SpecPDM Cloud is a stand-out application in the industry because it:
- Captures data from ERP via standard interfaces and connects data from end-to-end
- Calculates nutrients, allergens, contaminants, and costs in real time
- Delivers clean labels according to the requirements of the destination country, and in the appropriate languages
- Seamlessly integrates with GS1-GDSN
- Connects with the SpecPage Supplier’s Guide to provide rapid access to essential specifications to reduce workload and increase data security
As more cloud systems begin to surface, the question is whether or not these systems will meet specific corporation needs. For the Food & Beverage industry, it is only natural that a cloud-based PLM deeply immersed in food manufacturing and services can do the job to propel companies forward with this innovative technology.
