Amid intense price pressure and stringent regulatory requirements, the food industry cannot afford to make mistakes. Yet many companies are still letting their profitability slip away due to flaws in their information systems. On June 17, during the Agoravif 2026 event in Nantes, a case study particularly caught the participants’ attention. Stéphane Raverdy (CIO of Stalaven) and Jean Bressoud (COO of Keendoo) demonstrated how the strategic synergy between PLM and ERP serves as a concrete optimization lever to consolidate margins and boost the company’s competitiveness.
With 180 million euros in revenue and more than 10,900 customers, Stalaven has chosen to make PLM the centerpiece of its IT architecture. For the past 10 years, the Brittany-based company has relied on the synergy between PLM and ERP to optimize its margins, ensure the impeccable quality of its fresh and gourmet products, and strengthen its competitiveness.
Profitability also depends on data quality
To manage margins, management needs reliable data to control costs: the ERP system is its ally, from order placement to product delivery.
But what happens before production begins? What is the recipe to be produced? What ingredients are used? What manufacturing process is followed? Which allergens must be declared? What quality criteria must be met? What best-by date or use-by date should be applied? PLM manages the creation and modification of products prior to production.
Thus, PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) serve distinct yet complementary objectives:
- PLM: Ensuring “Data Quality”: PLM isn’t just for R&D. It is, first and foremost, a single, shared product repository (MDM*-PDM**) that centralizes product data and related documents (specifications, certificates, technical data sheets, proofs, etc.). With over 1,000 data points to manage per product (ingredient lists, allergens, nutritional values, Nutri-score, labeling, visuals, certifications), it prepares, validates, and ensures the reliability of all product information collaboratively upstream to safeguard production. (*MDM: Master Data Management; **PDM: Product Data Management).
- ERP: The Engine of Operational Profitability: It focuses on execution. Its role is to optimize the supply chain, forecast production in real time, and control costs to achieve margin and revenue targets while ensuring the best service level.
Maintaining a boundary between design (PLM) and manufacturing (ERP) requires data to be re-entered multiple times and leads to duplication. These disruptions in the workflow extend lead times and cause errors that are very costly to the company. Creating true synergy between these two systems means establishing a controlled, automated exchange of reliable, constantly updated data. This forms the foundation for optimization at every level, from product creation to distribution.
True synergy occurs at the intersection of these two processes, driving optimization. This connection enables Sales and Operations Planning(S&OP) to seamlessly bridge the gap between upstream operations and the factory floor. In practice, data validated by Marketing, R&D, Purchasing, and Quality in the PLM system is automatically fed into the ERP system at the right time. As a result, the production, supply chain, and Sales Administration (ADV) teams work with accurate data, enabling them to anticipate and manage the company’s industrial and commercial performance in real time, without any disruptions.
End-to-End Synchronization: From Innovation to Industrial Performance
Beyond mere data, breaking down silos makes it possible to synchronize two distinct but fundamentally complementary process chains. On one hand, PLM orchestrates the management and tracking of innovation and renovation projects. It covers all upstream strategic stages—from briefing, formulation, and testing to packaging and the dissemination of information—thus serving as a single source of truth for all of the company’s systems. On the other hand, ERP takes over in the areas of industrialization and sales. It executes and manages operational processes from start to finish: ordering, procurement, receiving, manufacturing, preparation, and shipping.
❝ On the production floor, the operator no longer has to wonder: he can be sure that it’s the right, up-to-date recipe and the right packaging ❞ , Stéphane Raverdy, CIO of Stalaven.
Quality and Safety: The Two Dimensions of Traceability in the Agri-Food Industry
This is a key point to keep in mind: the safety of a food and agricultural company depends on two complementary types of traceability.
- Product lifecycle traceability (the purpose of PLM): This refers to the traceability of product changes. PLM comprehensively tracks every version of a recipe and every change to ingredients or packaging throughout the product’s lifecycle. This is invaluable during audits, particularly IFS audits: the company can demonstrate that it knows exactly who approved what and when.
- Physical traceability by batch (the ERP’s role): The ERP takes over on the factory floor to track production batches. It identifies incoming raw materials and outgoing finished goods to manage the supply chain.
The integration of these two software systems is the cornerstone of this system:the ERP manages the physical production of a batch, including its regulatory compliance, while the PLM manages the history of product design and revisions.
The ROI of Synchronization: Stalaven's Tangible Results
At Stalaven, the implementation of this PLM-ERP synergy has generated tangible and significant benefits, directly impacting the company’s competitiveness and brand image:
🏅 Product excellence and customer loyalty: The combination of these two systems ensures impeccable product quality, with fresh, gourmet products that are recognized and highly praised by customers. This excellence is ensured through rigorous management of product development within the PLM system, guaranteeing strict compliance with the company’s labels and certifications (IFS, AB, IGP, etc.), which are key drivers of market value.
🚀 30% reduction in time to market: The company has seen a significant reduction in time to market and can now adapt to customer requests in less than a week, compared to the up to three weeks it took before implementing PLM. This is a major advantage for capturing new market share and strengthening its competitiveness.
🛡️ Zero labeling errors: Ensuring complete security of regulatory data eliminates the financial and reputational risks associated with product withdrawals or recalls, which are often caused by labeling errors—particularly in allergen declarations.
⏱️ 50% time savings: No more re-entering data or time-consuming information searches! Centralizing data in the Product Repository significantly reduces the time spent searching for information. Product development and modifications are accelerated, significantly shortening project timelines.
Keendoo: Choosing a sovereign solution to protect your competitiveness
As a French software developer and integrator with over 10 years of expertise, Keendoo has established itself as the strategic partner of more than 50 food and beverage clients. Many industry leaders rely on this expertise to secure their data and margins, including: Sodiaal PGC (Yoplait, Candia, Entremont), Sodebo, Eurial (Soignon), Bonduelle, Panzani, Altho (Bret’z chips), Marie Morin, Celtigel, Mellow, and Cosucra.
Choosing a French-developed solution—created by and for professionals in the agri-food industry—ensures comprehensive functional coverage to meet regulatory requirements across Europe, from design through distribution. The strategic combination of an ERP system with Keendoo’s PLM expertise is the key to transforming product innovation into real profitability.
In short, well-managed product data and workflows are a key driver of competitiveness for your business. Discover how Keendoo PLM centralizes your product data and automates data exchange with your ERP to create this synergy.
