Eliza Chokolade: From manual Excel calculations to accurate cost price simulations with tracezilla

In short

• Industry: Chocolate production since 1936 – pralines, chocolate bars, and coated dragees, sold both under Eliza Chokolade’s own name and as private label (food industry)
• Challenge: A change in ownership created a need for better inventory management, reporting, and traceability, while cost price calculations were done manually with the help of external consultants and Excel spreadsheets
• Solution: tracezilla ERP – inventory management, forecasting, cost price simulation, and custom label setup
• Result: Fast, accurate cost price simulations, better production planning through forecasting, and fewer labeling errors

What does Eliza Chokolade do?

The chocolate company was established back in 1936 when Elizabeth Petersen opened a chocolate shop in Aarhus, offering handmade chocolates of the finest quality. They offer a wide range of delicious, filled pralines, chocolate bars, and coated dragees.

The artisanal traditions and quality principles continue to this day, albeit on a larger scale. Today, their products can be found in most retail chains, both under the company’s own name and produced as private label items for customers.

Why did Eliza Chokolade switch to tracezilla?

Excellent service and a truly beneficial partnership.

Two years ago, we went through a change in ownership and found ourselves in need of more structure and some new systems. We were using e-conomic as our accounting system, but in addition to that, we required a system for inventory management, reporting, and improved traceability.

In other words, there were several factors that drove us to search for a new system. We explored different options but ultimately chose Tracezilla. Even though I personally favored a different solution, I’m pleased that we went with Tracezilla! We’ve received excellent service and established a truly beneficial partnership.

Which tracezilla features have provided the greatest value for Eliza Chokolade?

Calculate consumption with forecasting

Our production is quite complex with many different steps. Without a system, it’s challenging to figure out how much raw materials we need and when. However, tracezilla’s forecasting allows us to calculate expected consumption across the various stages of our production. This enables us to procure materials at the right time and in the correct quantities.

Easier pricing with cost price simulations

We’ve had a need to gain insight into changes in costs and product prices. For instance, when the price of chocolate goes up, it has been difficult for us to calculate its impact on our costs and how it should affect our customers’ prices. Initially, we consulted external consultants who attempted to address this challenge using Excel spreadsheets, but it quickly became a cumbersome project.

Now, instead, we’ve contributed to the development of tracezilla’s cost price simulator, which allows us to analyze the consequences of changes in purchase prices or the effects of replacing an ingredient or altering the quantity of an ingredient in a recipe. It’s truly a valuable tool when we need to explain to retail chains why a product is increasing in price. It also provides us with greater accuracy and a quicker overview of what a product should cost.

Custom label setup

We use label printers for various purposes, including price tags, package labels, and parcel labels. We have set up custom labels that closely resemble our previous labels, so customers hardly notice any difference. Moreover, this minimizes the risk of errors, as information such as the best-before date or allergens is automatically retrieved from the system. This way, we can ensure that the correct information is included every time.

All in one system

There are truly many excellent features in tracezilla, and we are delighted with all of them. Everything - from creating purchase orders to inventory receipt - works really well. Having everything in one system provides us with much greater transparency. There were many aspects to consider during the initial setup, as we essentially started from scratch to establish some structure. However, tracezilla was highly adept at customizing the system to suit our needs. Furthermore, they are always great at developing new functionality when we have challenges that need to be addressed, to the extent possible.

Michael Eberhard, Order coordinator & accounting assistant, Eliza Chokolade — elizachokolade.dk

Results with tracezilla

• Fast, accurate cost price simulations to explain price changes to retail chains
• Better production planning through forecasting of raw material consumption
• Fewer labeling errors thanks to automated, custom labels pulling data such as best-before dates and allergens directly from the system
• Full transparency in one system, from creating purchase orders to inventory receipt