Food production and distribution software built for operations that cannot afford gaps.
Food businesses run on tight margins, compliance requirements, and operational complexity across production, procurement, distribution, and retail. Spreadsheets and disconnected systems create the gaps where stock gets lost, quality issues go unrecorded, and margins get eroded.
BasicData builds custom FileMaker systems for food production and distribution operations. We have built and maintained systems for food importers and multi-location food retailers, including Brito's Group, managing sourcing, importing, sales, and store operations in one connected platform.
What a food production and distribution system needs to connect.
Food operations generate data at every stage — supplier, procurement, production, quality, inventory, distribution, and store. Most businesses manage these stages in disconnected systems. We build the platform that connects them, giving you one source of truth from raw material to point of sale.
Production planning and batch tracking
Supplier and raw material management
Purchasing, ordering, and procurement
Quality control and inspection records
Inventory and stock management
Distribution, delivery, and route management
Store and outlet operations management
Sales, pricing, and margin tracking
Compliance, traceability, and audit reporting
Disconnected systems in a food operation do not just create admin problems. They create margin problems.
The cost of disconnected systems in food production and distribution shows up in stock variances you cannot explain, quality issues you cannot trace back to source, procurement decisions made without accurate inventory data, and pricing that lags behind cost changes. Each of those is a margin problem. A system that connects procurement, production, stock, and sales removes the gaps where those problems live.
BasicData has been building operational systems for food businesses since 2018. We understand the multi-location complexity of food retail, the import and procurement dynamics of food distribution, and the production and quality requirements of food manufacturing. Our clients stay with us for an average of eight years.
We are a registered member of the Claris FileMaker Business Alliance, the formal partner programme for professional FileMaker development companies.
Food businesses that have outgrown the systems they started with.
Our food and distribution clients range from multi-location food retailers managing store operations, stock, and quality control, to food importers and distributors managing supplier relationships, landed costs, and delivery logistics. If your operation is managing critical operational data in spreadsheets, or running systems that cannot talk to each other, we can consolidate that into something that works.
Questions about FileMaker for food production and distribution.
Our credentials, how traceability and multi-location operations work, and what a build involves.
Do you have experience with food retail and distribution operations?
Yes. We built and maintain the operational system for Brito's Group, a company-owned food retail operation. The system manages sourcing, importing, sales, pricing, and store quality control across all locations in one connected platform. It replaced a combination of spreadsheets and disconnected systems that could not keep up with the complexity of a multi-location food operation.
How does FileMaker handle food traceability requirements?
We build traceability into the data model from the start: raw material batches linked to production runs, production runs linked to finished goods, finished goods linked to deliveries and store transfers. A full audit trail from supplier to point of sale is possible when the system is designed for it. Compliance reports and traceability queries can be generated on demand.
Can the system manage multiple store locations?
Yes. Multi-location food operations are a core use case. We build systems that manage store-level operations, stock transfers, pricing, and quality checks while giving head office consolidated visibility across all locations. Store staff access their location's data via FileMaker Go on mobile devices or WebDirect on any browser.
How does the system handle supplier and import management?
We build supplier registers, purchase order workflows, landed cost tracking, and goods received processes that reflect how food importing and distribution actually works, including multi-currency orders, agent relationships, and customs documentation. The system connects procurement directly to stock and sales data.
Can FileMaker handle production scheduling and batch management?
Yes. Production planning, batch creation, raw material allocation, yield tracking, and quality sign-off can all be managed within FileMaker. We build the production workflow around your specific processes, whether you are running a bakery, a central kitchen, or a multi-line production facility.
What does a food production or distribution system cost?
Project cost depends on scope. A focused first module covering procurement, inventory, and store operations typically starts from R150,000 to R250,000. Full systems covering production, distribution, multi-location operations, and compliance reporting run higher. We scope and price after understanding your operation.
Tell us about your food operation.
Describe how you currently manage production, procurement, stock, and distribution, and where the gaps are. We will tell you what a connected system would look like.