Craft Cannery
Case study on how Craft Cannery achieved 5-second recalls and multiplied profit using FlexiBake ERP for full traceability.
4 hours per production cycle
Production Planning Time Saved
100% correct costing
Quoting Accuracy
100% traceable to source
Ingredient Traceability
5 seconds
Mock Recall Speed
The Challenge
With production doubling in the first year, manual processes using pen and paper for quoting and Excel for production planning could not scale. There was no lot tracking, recall preparation was stressful and time-consuming, and customers were frequently quoted inaccurate costs.
Background
Owner Paul Guglielmo acquired the facility in Greater Rochester, NY in April 2020. The business rapidly evolved from a single-brand sauce operation into full-service contract manufacturing, producing long-shelf-life sauces and dressings distributed across 500+ stores. Production doubled within the first year, exposing the limits of manual processes.
The Challenge
With rapid growth, manual systems could not keep pace with the demands of a scaling contract manufacturing operation.
Operational Problems
- No lot tracking for ingredient sources or finished product usage
- Relied on pen and paper for quoting and recipe costing
- Used Excel for production planning and inventory management
- Quoted customers manually, frequently omitting key costs
- Recall preparation was stressful and time-consuming
- Spent excessive hours determining raw material purchase needs
- Manual systems could not scale with business growth
The Solution
Why FlexiBake
Most ERP options were built for hundred-million-dollar manufacturers — too costly and complex for Craft Cannery’s size. FlexiBake was designed as an affordable ERP for growing food manufacturers.
Product Fit
- Lot tracking for ingredients and packaging
- Automated raw material reports from scheduled production
- Quoting with full cost inputs including labor, packaging, and materials
- Costing and margin visibility tools
Implementation Experience
- Training delivered section by section at the team’s pace
- Recipes and data built gradually while production continued
- Described as comparable to learning a new language, but worthwhile
Support
- Dedicated trainer throughout the entire implementation
- Training broken into logical, digestible steps
- Responsive, patient, and professional throughout
Results
Operational Improvements
- Introduced lot tracking so recall preparation became fast and manageable
- Replaced pen and paper quoting with a full-cost system
- Automated raw material reports eliminated manual inventory counting
- Recipe costing tied directly to real-time inventory
- Gained warehouse visibility for planning and restocking
- Consolidated production, recipes, inventory, nutritionals, and pricing into one system
Advice to Other Companies
- Start early — do not wait until overwhelmed
- Invest in infrastructure before scaling
- Organize your data — collect the right information from the start
What’s Next
Craft Cannery continues expanding co-packing operations while growing its own brands: Guglielmo’s, Slow., and Primo & Mary’s. FlexiBake remains a long-term operational partner.