By integrating production and inventory data, Dynamics 365 F&O provides clear visibility into stock movement, helping identify and act on slow-moving or obsolete products early. This leads to smarter forecasting, less waste, and stronger cash flow.
Openway Food Co. is all about eating well. Recognising that there was a better way to meet the growing demand from consumers and retailers for simple, nutritious, and values-led food, Openway took the lead with its range of healthier food products.
Openway brands include Red Tractor, Table of Plenty and Keep it Cleaner, while the business also provides private label and co-manufacturing for a variety of emerging brands through to large multinationals.
A certified B-Corp, Openway works exclusively with farmers and key partners who share our commitment to sustainable practices, keep ingredients as close to their natural state as possible, and continually reinvest in the communities that grow and produce our food, all in service of making healthy food accessible to everyone.
A legacy of inherited complexities
“Openway started as a roll-up of three smaller businesses into one,” says Fergus Wilson, Openway’s CFO. “While we have some pretty aggressive growth plans, we’re centred on doing business the right way. One of our values is that we are progressive – we’re keen to transform. So, we aren’t afraid to invest in making the business smart, simple, and modern. We know what we need to be to attract the right people, partners, and investment.”
Openway was founded in 2021, and the roll-up came with inherited complexities. These included a legacy ERP and QuickBooks at Annex Foods, and MYOB and Xero at the two other businesses. The legacy ECI Technologies M1 ERP had been heavily customised in-house to deliver what’s now regarded as everyday functionality.
“Annex’s ERP was already earmarked for replacement with Epicor (on-premises), but constant business changes delayed that project,” says Wilson. “Once we acquired the business, we knew we needed to move to a cloud-based platform and rethink how we modernise our operations.”
By the time Wilson joined Openway in late 2022, the business was effectively hamstrung by a lack of internal capabilities, and it was in the midst of significant Covid-induced supply chain challenges.
Something had to give.
Time to transform
“After nearly six years of changing priorities, everyone was beyond frustrated,” says Wilson. “The old ERP couldn’t manage inventory, so we had a separate inventory platform. While there was an interface between the two, there was no integration or inventory production data. Our financial consolidation was done in a spreadsheet with about 60 tabs. It was hard to trust the data coming from four different accounting systems, and it could take up to 20 days to get reliable month-end financial results.
From a financial point of view, we had to change. We needed an ERP that would reduce cost and waste, and enable future growth across the business. We needed to put our time and focus on the future.”
A transparent, open engagement
Wilson and Openway considered recommendations from an external consultant, who suggested Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations as a right-sized ERP. Wilson recalled that Openway had previously discussed implementing a new ERP with Fusion5. Despite not proceeding with that earlier proposal due to (tight) timing issues, he’d been impressed when the business development manager offered to share his notes on the initial scoping discovery calls.
“There was a level of openness which was unusual and unexpected,” says Wilson.
As transparency is one of our company values, it impressed me, and made engaging with Fusion5 a natural next step. Once we were confident that we’d move forward with them, and that Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations was a platform we could grow with, we happily made Fusion5 our IT transformation partner and called it quits on other contracts.”
Creating healthier business operations and growth
While Fusion5 had several ERPs to offer, Wilson says Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations delivered everything they needed, with the bonus of not needing add-ons.
“There was no over-promising and under-delivering from the Fusion5 team – their advice was spot on. It was clear they understood manufacturing and had a significant breadth of capability across everything we needed.”
“Moving to a fully integrated ERP has been a game-changer for Openway,” says Wilson.
We now manage our finances confidently across all entities in one system. Having our inventory integrated with the production environment has changed the level of control and visibility we've got over our business. In particular, it’s positively impacted our finance and supply chain teams. Now we have a platform we can build on as we grow.”
Operational outcomes
Wilson says Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations met all of Openway’s expectations of a modern ERP.
We expected it to help us reduce our Slow-Moving and Obsolete (SLOB) inventory, and it’s made a difference of around half a million YOY. Our case fill has gone from 85% to 95%+, and we’ve reduced our inventory errors across both our 3PL sites and our Clayton South factory."
“The visibility we’ve achieved by having integrated inventory simply wouldn’t have been possible using our old ERP. For example, the system makes it easy to see when our procurement team needs to start or stop placing orders. As a result, our downtime due to material availability is vastly improved, especially compared to 12 months ago.
“Overall, these new efficiencies have enabled us to reduce headcounts in certain areas, which was an important business objective. Another benefit is that it now takes only four days to consolidate our month-end financial results across all entities.
“With automated MRP to optimise our inventory and scheduling, and integrated inventory management, we’re so far ahead of where we were just a few years ago. It’s amazing the difference it makes implementing a modern platform with the right vendor and consultants,” says Wilson.
A healthy blend of collaboration and pragmatism
Wilson couldn’t be happier with the relationship between Openway and Fusion5.
“We had a fantastic experience working with Fusion5, starting with the transparency demonstrated at the very outset, through to working with the team and moving into support. Their depth of experience and industry knowledge made a huge difference, as did their collaborative and pragmatic approach.
“We didn't spend days or weeks on theoretical process maps of what the system could deliver. We made it clear that our internal capabilities were low and that there would be no system customisations. And Fusion5 worked with that. They gave us really great guidance, across manufacturing, supply chain and finance aspects.”
A timely outcome
The ‘no customisation’, a pragmatic approach to delivering a minimum lovable product, defending implementing the ERP out-of-the-box, and encouraging use of best practice rather than replicating old processes all paid off for Openway – and in record time.
“We went from formal kick-off to go live in just five months,” says Wilson. “The short timeline was a big ask from us, but by not overcomplicating our requirements, making up for our own low capabilities with an overabundance of willingness, providing great snack foods, and following Fusion5’s grounded approach, we did it.”
Given Fusion5’s wide range of managed IT services, we’ve been able to physically upgrade our systems and review our infrastructure and cybersecurity. Our pipeline includes more opportunities to improve how we do business, including fully integrated EDI with some of our key customers. They’ve also set us up on Azure Data Lake, and we’re currently discussing the future of our data analytics, including demand planning with seasonal predictions, and further AI and automation opportunities."
It has been a great partnership. Whatever we do, we’ll always look to Fusion5 first - they’re far more than an ERP partner.”
Fergus Wilson | CFO, Openway
Exploring ERP transformation in manufacturing?
If you’re ready to simplify operations, reduce waste, and connect finance to production, a modern cloud ERP like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations offers the complete foundation for transformation. One recent five-month go-live cut SLOB inventory by A$500K, lifted case fill to 95%+, and reduced month-end close from 20 days to just four. A clear example of how quickly modern ERP delivers value.
At Fusion5, we help manufacturers deliver successful ERP transformations with Dynamics 365 F&O. Driving smarter decision-making, supply chain optimisation, and finance automation through connected, best-practice business processes.
Q&A
How does Dynamics 365 F&O help reduce SLOB inventory in food manufacturing?
What’s a realistic ERP go-live timeline for a mid-market manufacturer?
With a focused scope and a no-customisation approach, mid-market manufacturers can achieve ERP go-live in around five months. This streamlined delivery model reduces complexity, cost, and project risk while accelerating operational improvement.
Can Dynamics 365 manage multi-entity consolidation and 3PL inventory?
Yes. Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations supports multi-entity environments and integrates seamlessly with 3PL providers. It centralises financial reporting and inventory visibility across factories, warehouses, and external logistics partners.
How does integrated MRP improve procurement and production planning?
Integrated MRP automates demand planning and material scheduling. With real-time visibility across production and supply, manufacturers can plan procurement more accurately and minimise downtime due to material shortages.
How does a ‘no-customisation’ ERP implementation reduce project risk?
Avoiding unnecessary customisation simplifies implementation, lowers maintenance costs, and ensures easier upgrades. Using best-practice configuration helps teams standardise processes and focus on business outcomes rather than system rework.
