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IT support for food and beverage manufacturers

In food production, the records matter as much as the product. If you cannot show what went into a batch and where it went, a recall becomes far harder. We keep the systems that hold those records secure and available.

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From $69per user per month + GST, prices on the page
No lock-inmonth-to-month plans, 30 days' notice
Onsitetechnicians across Auckland and Hamilton
One teamfor IT, security, internet and phones

IT for food & beverage manufacturers

Food and beverage manufacturers carry obligations most businesses never face. Under the Food Act 2014 and any risk management programme you operate, you must keep records of temperatures, cleaning, ingredients, batches and dispatches, and produce them quickly when a verifier or the Ministry for Primary Industries asks. Retailers and export customers often add their own audit requirements on top. Paper diaries are slowly giving way to tablets and digital checklists, which is a real improvement only when the data is stored, backed up and protected properly.

The production environment makes IT harder. Wash-down areas, cold stores and steam are tough on devices. Staff on the line wear gloves and work in shifts. Production planning, label printing, weighing and batch records may run on a mix of old PCs and newer cloud tools, and a single label printer failing can stop dispatch. Seasonal peaks bring temporary workers who need short-term access, and a ransomware attack that locks the batch records could halt production and shipments for days while everything is rebuilt.

Office IT supports food and beverage manufacturers with three to seventy-five staff. We work onsite in Auckland and Hamilton, which covers much of the Waikato food sector, and support producers elsewhere remotely, with visits planned for installation work. We secure and back up food safety and traceability records, choose and manage devices suited to the production floor, keep label and weighing PCs reliable, and set up networks so cold store alarms and monitoring devices stay connected. Your food safety programme stays yours; we make the systems behind it dependable.

Common IT problems in this industry

Records that must survive audits

Temperature logs, cleaning schedules and batch records need to be complete, accurate and retrievable for verifiers and customers, sometimes years later.

Traceability for recalls

If an ingredient is recalled, you must quickly trace which batches used it and where they went. Scattered spreadsheets make that slow.

Harsh production areas

Moisture, cold and cleaning chemicals destroy ordinary tablets and keyboards. Devices on the floor need the right protection rating.

Label printing downtime

Allergen and date labels must be right every time. A failed label printer or template error can stop dispatch or force a product withdrawal.

Ransomware and production halts

Attackers know food producers cannot wait. Encrypted batch records or a locked production PC can halt the line until systems are restored.

Seasonal and shift staff

Temporary workers and multiple shifts need simple, individual sign-ins that can be created and removed quickly without sharing passwords.

What we set up for you

Protected food safety records

Digital checklists and record systems are backed up daily, with access controls and version history, so records stay complete and can be produced for an audit.

Rated devices for the floor

We source tablets and scanners with suitable water and dust resistance, plus washable keyboards and enclosures, and manage them centrally.

Reliable label and weighing PCs

Label templates, printer drivers and weighing software are standardised, monitored and documented so a replacement printer or PC can be swapped in quickly.

Network for monitoring devices

Cold store and temperature sensors, alarm units and cameras get their own secure network segment, with coverage reaching chillers and freezers.

Layered ransomware defence

Endpoint protection, email filtering, multi-factor sign-in and offline-capable backups reduce the chance of an attack and shorten recovery if one happens.

Shift-friendly sign-in

Shared production PCs use quick individual sign-in, such as a badge or PIN, so each record shows who entered it without slowing the line down.

Systems we support

We work with the software and equipment your business already relies on, and with your software vendors when something needs their help.

  • Digital food safety checklists and record systems
  • Batch traceability and production management software
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and other ERPs
  • Label design and printing software for allergen and date labels
  • Cold store and temperature monitoring systems
  • Xero and MYOB
  • Microsoft 365, Teams and SharePoint

Start with a free IT health check

A technician reviews your computers, accounts, backups, security and network, then gives you a short written report with the risks ranked and a price to fix them. No charge, no obligation.

Book the health check

Services that fit

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Managed IT

One monthly price per person for support, security, updates and backups. Your outsourced IT team.

Managed IT
Backup drive connected to a computer

Backup & disaster recovery

Backups of Microsoft 365, servers and key files, checked daily and test-restored, plus a written recovery plan.

Backup & disaster recovery
Network cables plugged into a firewall in a rack

Cyber security

Practical protection against scams, ransomware and account takeover, set up and kept current.

Cyber security

IT for food & beverage manufacturers: questions

Can you set up our food control plan or risk management programme?

No. That is a food safety specialist's job, and it is your programme. We make sure the digital tools you use to run it are reliable, backed up and secure, and that the records can be retrieved quickly when a verifier asks.

Are tablets suitable for a wash-down area?

Only the right ones. Look for a high ingress protection rating against water and dust, glove-friendly screens and a case that can be cleaned with your chemicals. We help choose devices to suit each area rather than putting one type everywhere.

How do we keep label printing running?

Standardise the printers and templates, keep a spare printer ready, and document how templates are loaded. We monitor the PCs that drive the printers and keep their drivers and software consistent, so a swap takes minutes rather than an afternoon.

What if ransomware hits our production systems?

Good preparation is what matters. We keep backups that attackers cannot easily reach, test restores, and write down the order in which systems come back. Separating production devices from the office network also limits how far an attack can spread.

Do you look after plants outside Auckland and Hamilton?

Yes, remotely for day-to-day support, monitoring and account changes. Onsite work such as network installs at regional plants is planned in advance and carried out on an arranged visit.

How is support priced?

Office and supervisor staff are normally on the Managed or Complete plan, at $119 or $169 per user per month plus GST. Production floor devices are covered as part of the agreement, and any hardware or project work is quoted in writing first.

Other industries we work with

When IT breaks, work stops.
Let's keep it running.

Start with a free IT health check. We'll show you what is working, what is at risk and what it would cost to fix.

Book a free IT health check