FOR FOOD & BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTORS

Expired product on your shelf is money rotting.

Food and beverage distribution demands precision your generic WMS can't deliver. Expiration management, lot tracking, multi-temperature zones, and compliance workflows — built for the speed and accuracy your margins require.

THE PROBLEM

Why food & beverage distribution operations are overpaying for software

2–5%

Shrinkage from expired product

Without automated FEFO rotation, products expire on shelves. A 2–5% shrinkage rate on perishable inventory costs $100,000–$500,000/year for mid-size distributors.

72 hrs

Recall response is too slow

When the FDA or CFIA issues a recall, you need to identify every affected lot and shipment in hours — not days. Generic WMS lot tracking can't produce recall reports fast enough.

$25K+

Compliance audit failures

Missing temperature logs, incomplete traceability records, and inconsistent labeling lead to audit findings. Each finding costs time, money, and client confidence.

THE SOLUTION

Distribution software that handles perishable complexity.

Custom WMS for food and beverage distributors with automated expiration management, lot-level traceability, multi-temperature zone logic, and compliance workflows that pass audits the first time.

Automated Expiration Management

FEFO-enforced picking. Automatic alerts for approaching expiration dates. Donation/discount routing for short-dated product. Zero expired product ships.

Full Lot Traceability

Track every lot from supplier receipt through customer delivery. One-click recall reports. Complete chain of custody documentation.

Multi-Temperature Zone Logic

Manage ambient, refrigerated, and frozen inventory in one system. Zone-specific pick routing minimizes temperature exposure during fulfillment.

Supplier Compliance Scoring

Track supplier delivery accuracy, quality issues, and documentation completeness. Identify problematic suppliers before they cause audit failures.

Route-Based Pick Optimization

Organize picks by delivery route and temperature zone. Load trucks in reverse delivery order automatically. Reduce dock time by 30%.

Regulatory Compliance Built-In

FDA FSMA, CFIA SFCR, HACCP documentation, allergen tracking, and bilingual labeling. Compliance isn't an add-on — it's in every workflow.

THE MATH

F&B Distribution WMS: Generic vs. Custom

SaaS WMS
Custom (Ekyon)
FEFO enforcement
Basic (manual)
Automated, system-enforced
Recall response time
24–72 hours
Under 1 hour
Lot traceability
Partial
Full chain of custody
Multi-temp zones
Separate systems
Unified management
Allergen tracking
No
Built-in
3-Year Cost (15 users)
$175,000+
$70,000
Eliminate shrinkage. Pass every audit.
RESULTS

Food Distributors Are Going Custom

0
Expired Products Shipped

A food distributor handling 3,000 SKUs across ambient, refrigerated, and frozen zones switched to a custom platform. Expiration-related shrinkage dropped from 3.2% to 0.1%. Last FDA audit: zero findings. Recall response time: 22 minutes.

QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the WMS handle multiple temperature zones?

Yes. The system manages ambient, refrigerated, and frozen inventory in a unified interface. Pick routing minimizes cross-zone transitions. Each zone has independent temperature monitoring integration.

How does automated FEFO work?

The system enforces First-Expired-First-Out picking automatically. Pickers are directed to the earliest-expiring lot first. Short-dated product triggers alerts for markdown, donation, or disposal routing.

What about allergen tracking?

The WMS tracks allergen information at the product and lot level. Allergen-containing products are flagged throughout the workflow — receiving, storage, picking, and shipping — with cross-contamination prevention alerts.

How much does a food distribution WMS cost?

$30,000–$55,000 for a custom platform with expiration management, lot tracking, multi-temperature zones, and compliance workflows. Monthly hosting: $300–$500.

Ready to stop renting your warehouse software?

20-minute call. Real numbers for your operation. No sales deck.