Food Connex
4 Reviews 5/5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Food distribution and processing software from CAI
Our Rating: 9.1
Our Verdict
We like Food Connex for its sophisticated inventory management and powerful lot tracking. This distribution platform allows users to assign unique lot numbers and batch codes to products. It also facilitates traceability through various stages, including receiving, storage, production, and distribution.
However, we found some aspects of Food Connex limiting, such as the lack of multi-slot capabilities and barcode scanning at the lowest subscription tier. The solution also requires additional integrations for companies with intricate warehouse structures and operations.
Food Connex is a manufacturing ERP solution designed to assist food distributing and processing companies in inventory, sales, pricing, and lot tracking. The cloud-based system offers sophisticated features over manual methods and simple accounting systems.
Who Is Food Connex For?
We found that Food Connex is often the first ERP system for many companies graduating from spreadsheets or QuickBooks. This software is suitable for businesses of various sizes. It can accommodate multiple units of measure and catch weight items, making it particularly useful for those dealing with variable-weight products.
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Our Ratings
| Usability - 10 | User-friendly interface with streamlined navigation; clear organization of inventory files, sales reporting, and pricing setup; user role can make workflows more streamlined or complex. |
| Support - 8.3 | Offers limited phone support 8 am-5 pm Mon-Fri EST; monitors software performance 24/7 for outages; releases features and fixes notes every two months; help is available through email and a support desk. |
| Scalability - 10 | Connects with QuickBooks Online or Desktop; integrates with Elite Extra; offers mobile views for order entry and picking; provides mobile customer portal; upgrading to another subscription tier is fast and simple. |
| Security - 10 | Provides two-factor authentication; hides fields based on role, version plan, and global company settings; can export reports in Excel and CSV; sales analysis exports to Excel. |
| Value - 8.5 | Offers reasonable annual subscription pricing tiers and implementation costs; may require additional integrations for businesses with complex warehousing needs; no barcode scanning for lowest subscription tier. |
| Performance - 9 | High uptime of well above 99.9%; different modules within the system communicate instantaneously; slight 7-minute lag when transferring financial data to QuickBooks. |
| Key Features - 8.5 | Provides comprehensive inventory management, sales reporting, and lot tracking capabilities; offers a sales query feature; can set up customer codes and select ship days for clients with preferred routes; provides a feature for setting formula prices and price lists for contract prices or markup; does not offer multi-slot capabilities; no barcode scanning at basic level. |
What Features Are Missing?
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Multi-slot capabilities: Each warehouse within Food Connex is limited to a single location or slot for storing inventory. A business with different storage areas or zones within a warehouse may find it challenging to manage and locate inventory accurately. However, companies with straightforward warehouse configurations will likely find this relatively minor.
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Base package features: Food Connex does not include barcode scanning functionality at its lowest subscription plan. Similarly, users might need additional software integrations, like Stock IQ or the Elite Extra, for more complex operations or entities with multiple locations.
Food Connex Pricing
Food Connex offers pricing tiers tailored to the needs of food distributing and processing companies. The pricing structure may vary based on implementation complexity, company size, specific requirements, and additional services or customizations. Pricing breaks into four annual subscription tiers, with an additional fee for EDI implementation.
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Summary
Food Connex offers comprehensive inventory management, sales reporting, and pricing capabilities for food distributing and processing companies. In addition, it assists with sales order cleanup, helping newer companies convert cases to pounds, kilograms, and other weight measurements. Food Connex also provides a variety of report types, including consolidated picking and routing reports.
However, we found Food Connex’s multi-slot capabilities lacking, with each warehouse serving as a single location in the system. The lowest subscription tier does not include basic features, such as barcode scanning, which adds to the total cost of ownership. Finally, Food Connex might require third-party integrations for companies with complex operational requirements.
Overall, Food Connex is an excellent solution for small to mid-level food processors and distributors seeking efficient inventory management and sales reporting solutions.
Product Overview
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User Reviews of Food Connex
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Speed and accuracy increased immediately, and we’re still seeing time savings as we become more familiar with the system. We’ve also eliminated wasted time because we never have to go back to the salesperson due to an illegible pick ticket. Food Connex improved my business quickly because there was no hardware required, plus the minimal investment and the low monthly cost compared to the benefits we’re realizing offers superior value.
To better serve our customers, we needed to organize our inventory so that we know what we have in stock. With Food Connex, we’re able to do just that. Even as two new warehouse locations were being brought online, we were able to take orders, track product through the facility and accurately manage inventory—within 90 days. We couldn’t be any happier.
We’re saving $40,000 to $45,000 a year in fully loaded labor. Food Connex lets our top-level people refocus on inventory, purchasing, and equipment maintenance rather than scrambling just to get product out the door… We used to write weights on the box, transcribe them to a master sheet, and then invoice from the master sheet. With Food Connex we aren’t writing anything by hand and we’ve eliminated 99% of transcription errors.
Food Connex has literally helped me shave five hours off my day. Now, rather than handwriting orders, invoices, and purchase orders, we’re able to spend more time generating new business. Food Connex has all the bells and whistles for a fish monger, and it’s very user friendly and straightforward with well- organized screens. I would recommend it to any seafood business, and in fact, I already have.
