What is Shrink Manager?

Shrink Manager™ is FSMA 204 compliance without enterprise ERP complexity. We embed traceability directly into production workflows while providing the core ERP functionality fresh-food manufacturers actually need: production scheduling, inventory management, automated invoicing, shrink intelligence, and multi-location reporting.

 

Unlike enterprise ERPs —which cost $50K+ annually and take 12-18 months to implement—Shrink Manager is purpose-built for production floors. We deploy in 4-6 weeks, work on tablets in multiple languages, and make compliance automatic rather than manual.

 

Proven across 10 production sites for 2+ years. Patent-pending workflow enforcement technology.

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Is the product in the market today?

Yes. Shrink Manager is commercially deployed and has been in continuous production use for 2+ years across 10 locations. The platform delivers:
- FSMA 204 automatic Critical Tracking Event capture
- Real-time shrink tracking and analytics (15% reduction documented)
- Workflow-gated FDA-compliant labeling
- Production scheduling and inventory management
- Automated invoicing with QuickBooks integration (40% labor reduction documented)
- Multi-location reporting and visibility
- Multilingual workflows (English, Spanish, Vietnamese)

 

Current deployment: Processing thousands of production orders monthly across fresh-food perations serving 150+ retail and institutional partners.

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Who uses Shrink Manager?

Shrink Manager is used daily by production operators, shift leads, QA personnel, supervisors, delivery drivers, and management teams at fresh-food manufacturing facilities.

 

Production Teams use it for:

- Daily production scheduling and task sequencing

- Real-time shrink logging and waste tracking

- FDA-compliant label generation

- Delivery verification and exception tracking

 

Management Teams use it for:

- Multi-location visibility and reporting

- Automated invoicing (eliminating manual data entry)

- FSMA 204 compliance dashboards and audit preparation

- Shrink analytics and trend identification

- Production forecasting and demand planning

 

Typical customer profile: 2-10 production sites, $2M-$20M annual revenue, serving retail or institutional buyers who require FSMA 204 traceability.

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WHAT PROBLEM DOES IT SOLVE?

Fresh-food manufacturers face three operational challenges:

 

1. FSMA 204 Compliance Deadline (Real Deadline: 2026-2027) Retail and institutional buyers are demanding supplier traceability now—12-18 months ahead of the official July 2028 FDA deadline. Manual systems create compliance gaps and audit risk.

 

2. Spreadsheet Chaos Production scheduling, inventory tracking, invoicing, and shrink analysis scattered across Excel files that break under operational complexity. Result: errors, waste, and excessive manual labor.

 

3. Enterprise ERP Overkill NetSuite and similar systems cost $50K+ annually, take 12-18 months to implement, require consultants to maintain, and aren't built for production-floor realities (multilingual teams, tablet workflows, real-time execution).

 

Shrink Manager solves all three by embedding FSMA 204 traceability into production workflows while providing lean ERP functionality—without the cost, complexity, or implementation time of enterprise systems.

 

Documented results: 40% accounting labor reduction, 15% shrink reduction, 30% operational labor reduction, 4-6 week implementation.

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HOW DOES SHRINK MANAGER COMPARE TO AN ENTERPRISE ERP?

Enterprise ERPs like NetSuite are built for back-office accounting—not for the dynamic, multilingual realities of fresh-food production. They're too complex, too rigid, and too expensive for most small and mid-sized manufacturers.

 

Key Differences:

 

• Implementation Time: - Enterprise ERPs: 12-18 months - Shrink Manager: 4-6 weeks

• Annual Cost: - Enterprise ERPs: $50K-$150K+ (licensing, consultants, customization) - Shrink Manager: $10K-$15K per location

• FSMA 204 Compliance: - Enterprise ERPs: Requires expensive customization and manual data entry - Shrink Manager: Native workflow enforcement—compliance happens automatically

• Production Floor Usability: - Enterprise ERPs: Desktop software, complex interfaces, English-only - Shrink Manager: Tablet-ready, multilingual, built for operators

• Real-Time Visibility: - Enterprise ERPs: Month-end accounting reports - Shrink Manager: Real-time shrink tracking, production status, inventory levels

 

What You Get: Shrink Manager gives you the operational control of an ERP without the weight of a full ERP. We connect production execution, compliance documentation, and financial workflows—but we're purpose-built for food manufacturing, not generic business processes. Think NetSuite functionality, QuickBooks simplicity, production-floor durability.

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WHY NOT JUST USE NETSUITE?

NetSuite is powerful for discrete manufacturing with predictable batch production. But fresh-food production is different:

 

• Dynamic Scheduling: You can't batch sushi 6 months in advance. Fresh-food requires daily production adjustments based on actual demand—not ERP forecasts.

• Real-Time Shrink Tracking: NetSuite reports waste after month-end accounting. Shrink Manager shows product waste as it happens, so managers can intervene immediately.

• Production Floor Complexity: Your teams need tablets and multilingual support, not desktop software requiring English and computer literacy.

• FSMA 204 Gaps: NetSuite documents compliance after the fact. Shrink Manager enforces workflow at execution—preventing compliance errors before they occur.

• Implementation Reality: NetSuite implementations for food manufacturers typically cost $100K-$300K and take 12-18 months—then require ongoing consultants. Shrink Manager Implementation: 4-6 weeks from kickoff to production across all sites.

• Direct support from founding team, not consultants.

• Purpose-built for fresh-food manufacturing, not customized from generic business software.

 

Bottom Line: If you're a $50M+ manufacturer with complex international operations, NetSuite might make sense. If you're a $2M-$20M fresh-food manufacturer who needs FSMA compliance, shrink visibility, and operational control—Shrink Manager delivers what you actually need at 1/10th the cost and 1/4 the implementation time.

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What problem does it solve?

Most mid-market food manufacturers still rely on paper logs, spreadsheets, and manual billing. These methods lead to preventable shrink, compliance failures, operational errors, and inconsistent workflows.

Shrink Manager replaces these pain points with standardized digital workflows that improve accuracy, reduce labor, ensure traceability, and support FSMA compliance.

 

How does Shrink Manager compare to an ERP?

 

ERPs are built for back-office accounting — not for the dynamic, multilingual realities of fresh-food production. They are too complex, too rigid, and too expensive for most small and mid-sized operators.

Shrink Manager is a front-line workflow engine designed around how kitchens actually run. It connects production, compliance, and financial workflows without the weight of a full ERP.

 

Is there a wedge product?

 

Yes. Shrink Labeler — a standalone FDA-compliant labeling module — serves as an acquisition wedge. It delivers immediate value, meets rising retailer and FSMA requirements, and creates a natural expansion path into full production workflows.

 

What evidence shows product–market fit?

• 2+ years of commercial use inside a fast-growing multi-site food manufacturer
• 40% reduction in accounting labor
• 30% reduction in operational labor
• 15% reduction in manual errors
• Over $66K ARR from existing deployments
• Continuous feature adoption across 11 production sites

This real-world deployment significantly de-risks the platform.

 

What is the market opportunity?

There are more than 7,000 mid-market fresh-food and fresh-produce manufacturers in North America alone — most still running on paper and spreadsheets.
 

Regulatory pressure (FSMA 204, January 2026), retailer traceability requirements, and labor shortages make digitization a priority.
 

International markets represent additional upside, with founders experienced in launching software in Europe, Asia, and emerging markets.

 

Why now?

• FSMA 204 enforcement is accelerating digitization
• Retailers increasingly require digital logs and labeling
• Labor constraints demand workflow automation
• Operators want right-sized tools, not ERPs
• Shrink Manager already has proven multi-site results
 

The timing aligns with strong industry demand and a validated early product.

 

How will funds be used?

Investment will accelerate:
• multi-tenant architecture
• engineering and QA resources
• analytics and reporting modules
• integrations (POS, ordering, accounting)
• partner onboarding and support
• expansion of the Shrink Labeler wedge product

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What advantages does the team bring?

The founders combine deep operational, technical, regulatory, and international commercialization experience.

They have:
• built and deployed software across Europe and Asia
• run multi-site food manufacturing operations
• executed turnarounds and workflow-centric technology platforms
• launched global education and signature-technology businesses
• operated inside real kitchens with real compliance requirements
 

This unique mix allows Shrink Manager to be built from actual production reality—not theory.

 

How can investors engage?

 

We welcome conversations with investors in:
• food technology
• compliance and traceability
• workflow automation
• supply-chain digitization
• operational analytics