As robust and far-reaching as ERP solutions can be, it's simply not feasible to think that they can be all-encompassing, providing complete business functionality for every aspect of an organization. The simple truth is that all ERP solutions have gaps in specialized areas such as product lifecycle management (PLM). Successful companies know that it's best to close these gaps with focused, industry-specific solutions that address the unique aspects of their business.

Of course, the renewed and now emphatically changing world of Farm-to-Table is upon us and growing in popularity at rapid speed. I do find it all so very interesting because many years ago I did work with Gardenburger (in Portland, OR) prior to Kellogg’s purchasing them. 

Morningstar Farms were popular items (and still are today) but also were products that were sold primarily to vegans or vegetarians and often sold at local organic food co-ops or whole food markets (or similar). Might be a stretch analogy but let’s recall that decades ago major automobile companies were making electric cars but in similar terms the renewed and recent popularity can be directed at Tesla. Beyond meat and Impossible foods (and many others to come) will also need to be certain they can support the new demand so that they are not like Popeye’s chicken franchises that gained major popularity with their chicken sandwiches but had a complete failure with keeping up with the demand (failed supply chain).

As to the article, I think that the following words really show how McDonald's and others are afraid of falling behind, but also somewhat skeptical about whether this growth vertical will continue. Let alone, let’s be frank, McDonald's has never been the first to initiate or ingratiate itself to healthy menu items (and lifestyle-consumer) choices.

The experiment shows that the company has paid attention to consumers’ growing interest in plant-based burgers.

However, the P.L.T. is not vegan.

The stakes are smaller. If McDonald’s P.L.T. is a flop, it can quickly pull it from the market and go back to the drawing board.

At a recent Infor webinar they discussed the importance of new and revised products to a food company’s revenue and bottom-line growth. Successful product innovation, though, has never been more complex as consumers’, customers’ and regulators’ expectations continue to evolve and expand. And this is not just a challenge for your R&D department. It expands across all disciplines from procurement to production to marketing.

M3 Food & Beverage is a comprehensive ERP solution designed to help food and beverage companies respond to changes in customer demands, manage their global supply chains, plan for seasonality, and reduce waste. 

Infor M3 Food & Beverage is the industry's most complete solution dedicated to solving the unique challenges of the food industry, including shelf-life, yield; reverse bill of materials, attribute management, grower accounting, and comprehensive asset management.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires that food and beverage companies take a more proactive approach to food safety. This is a shift from the more reactive approach that food and beverage companies have historically followed. With FSMA in place, companies must identify risks, create procedures for mitigating hazards, and execute against those procedures to ensure all threats to the safety of the food supply chain are contained, as well as demonstrate that their programs are valid and that they are continually being improved upon.

Today's consumers are better informed than ever before. As a protein producer, you must make cost-effective decisions about how you offer quality food -- before the first cut is made. To meet consumer demands, you must process meat and poultry in a manner that is ethical, humane, and efficient. With Infor Food & Beverage for the meat and poultry industry, you get the most powerful, purpose-built, and complete suite of solutions developed specifically for meat and poultry manufacturers so you can do just that.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires that food and beverage companies take a more proactive approach to food safety. This is a shift from the more reactive approach that food and beverage companies have historically followed. With FSMA in place, companies must identify risks, create procedures for mitigating hazards, and execute against those procedures to ensure all threats to the safety of the food supply chain are contained, as well as demonstrate that their programs are valid and that they are continually being improved upon.

Read Infor Press Release

Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, today announced that Independent Computer Consulting Group (ICCG) has been selected as a preferred partner to drive digital transformation for the Fashion, and the Food & Beverage industries in India. The alliance will strengthen the delivery of Infor solutions such as Infor Cloud Suite Fashion, Cloud Suite Food & Beverage (Infor M3) including Infor’s edge applications like Infor Fashion PLM and Infor Optiva PLM to accelerate the adoption of robust, purpose-built and industry-specific suite of offerings designed to meet the evolving demands of businesses.