From seasonal survival to success: How a trustworthy food ERP can help you tackle your peaks

Seasonality in food and beverage isn’t just about shifting product lines or ramping up for Christmas. It’s a full-on operational stress-test, where manual errors, supply chain hiccoughs and compliance headaches can leave you with wasted stock, missed deliveries and smaller margins. 

At Tecman, we see first-hand how a robust food ERP system is your best defence against seasonal disruption. Let’s look at eight real-world challenges and explore how ERP puts you back in control. 

1. Manually managing EDI 

The challenge: During seasonal peaks (think Christmas chocolates or ice lollies in summer), manually keying in orders and invoices goes through the roof. The result? More errors, late acknowledgements, retailer chargebacks and missed delivery slots. Strict EDI and labelling standards mean there’s little room for slip-ups. 

Real-life scenario: A distributor receives three large supermarket orders within minutes of each other, late on a Friday right before a bank holiday. Two are keyed in wrong (wrong pack size, duplicate PO). The ASN doesn’t match, pallets get rejected, compliance fines roll in, and the weekend delivery slot is lost. 

How ERP helps: With embedded EDI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central auto-ingests orders, checks codes and prices and sends instant acknowledgements. Advanced shipping notices (ASNs) generate retailer-compliant labels, while pre-validation rules catch errors before transmission. Real-time dashboards flag failed transactions, tightening up data quality and reducing costly mistakes. 

2. Seasonal products and surges in demand 

The challenge: Demand for turkeys in November and December, or ice cream during a sudden heatwave can soar, risking stockouts, overproduction and spoilage. Capacity and labour are stretched to breaking point. 

Real-life scenario: A drinks co-packer underestimates a July heatwave. Sales jump 60–80% week-over-week, but production slots and hauliers are maxed out, causing lost sales and retailer OTIF penalties. 

How ERP helps: Modern ERP uses AI for seasonal and promotion-aware forecasting, factoring in history, weather and promo calendars. Production and shift plans are built from the forecast, with “what-if” simulations to pre-build buffer stock. Supplier alignment tools release planned orders and signals earlier to secure raw materials and packaging. 

3. Stock visibility across sites, 3PLs and channels 

The challenge: During busy periods, inventory can be scattered across plants, cold stores and third-party logistics sites. Without real-time, multi-location stock visibility (including expiry and batch details), planners struggle to quickly reallocate stock, leading to waste and shortages. 

Real-life scenario: After a major retailer TV ad, a bakery’s promo stock sells out in the north while pallets languish in a southern 3PL. By the time a transfer is arranged, shelf life has dropped and markdowns (and waste) follow. 

How ERP helps: Real-time, multi-warehouse inventory tracking (with FEFO/FIFO and lot/expiry monitoring) ensures handheld scanning for receiving and picking. Automated inter-site transfers and replenishment policies balance stock fast, with dashboards flagging excess, shortages and ageing inventory before it’s too late. 

4. Demand forecasting and inventory management 

The challenge: Seasonal swings, promotions and new variants distort demand baselines and create cannibalisation effects. If you don’t separate base demand from event-driven spikes, you risk stockouts after TV ads or overstocks post-season. 

Real-life scenario: A confectionery brand launches a limited-edition holiday SKU. Sales soar, but core pack volumes drop unexpectedly. After Christmas, slow-moving core stock starts mounting up, nearing expiry. 

How ERP helps: Integrated demand planning with seasonal decomposition enables SKU/channel forecasting. Event libraries model uplift, substitution and post-promo dips, so safety stocks and reorder points adapt dynamically. Inventory policies reflect perishability and lead-time variability, all helping you stay agile. 

5. Supply chain disruptions 

The challenge: During seasonal peaks, disruptions from storms, driver shortages or port congestion have an outsized impact. Geopolitical events can force last-minute re-routing and re-sourcing, threatening product freshness and delivery windows. 

Real-life scenario: Flooding delays a batch of leafy greens for a promo week. Hauliers reroute around high-risk lanes, extending lead times and risking freshness. Production plans unravel as disruption continues. 

How ERP helps: ERP can provide visibility into supplier and route risks, with approved alternatives and dynamic lead times. Scenario planning simulates delays, reallocates scarce stock to priority customers and dynamically reschedules production. 

6. Regulatory compliance and traceability 

The challenge: Audit pressure often strikes during peak activity. UK/EU Regulation (EC) 178/2002 – otherwise known as General Food Law Regulation – ensures food safety and standards are maintained and demands rigorous traceability, with rapid recall capabilities and detailed data elements. 

Real-life scenario: A supplier issues a precautionary allergen alert on nut butter. Mixed cases containing the affected lot have already shipped to multiple retailers. Regulators expect swift identification and partner notifications. 

How ERP helps: End-to-end lot and sub-lot tracking (from ingredients to finished goods) enables printable audit trails and rapid data readiness. Traceability plans and records are aligned to regulatory standards, and instant recall execution tools identify affected goods and notify partners, minimising risk and cost. 

7. Cash-flow and capacity balancing 

The challenge: Seasonal highs mean pre-buying ingredients and overtime; seasonal lows inflate carrying costs if stock lingers. Margin pressure from inflation and tariffs makes digital planning essential. 

Real-life scenario: A sauces manufacturer gears up for BBQ season, buying extra raw materials and adding shifts. A wet summer depresses demand, leaving excess inventory tying up cash while energy costs remain high. 

How ERP helps: Inventory optimisation tools set dynamic safety stocks and issue aged-stock alerts to trigger markdowns or alternate channels. Cost-to-serve analytics focus scarce resources on profitable SKUs and customers during peak weeks. 

8. Supplier lead-time variability 

The challenge: Harvest timing, import cycles and packaging constraints can swing wildly around seasonal peaks. Lead-time volatility makes timing buys and setting safety stocks a real headache. 

Real-life scenario: Tinned fruit needs printed lids with long MOQs. A graphics change and port congestion push inbound dates past the canning window, so production misses the seasonal sales window. 

How ERP helps: Supplier performance analytics track actual versus quoted lead times, driving dynamic safety stock and reorder adjustments. Contract and MOQ management tools tie artwork/BOM changes to the seasonal plan, avoiding last-minute surprises. 

Seasonal peaks will always bring new challenges, but with an ERP solution tailored for the food industry, your ability to adapt should be (almost!) as easy as pie. At Tecman, we help food and beverage manufacturers and distributors turn chaos into control with Dynamics Food, a trustworthy food ERP built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. 

If you’re hoping to make next Christmas less chaotic than the last, join our upcoming free online event, Turning Christmas Chaos into Control, on Wednesday 25th February, where we will showcase how Dynamics Food can help you do just that. Register to attend the session and get your questions answered.