With rising costs and complex supply chain, companies in the food and beverage (F&B) industry may find themselves at a disadvantage if they lose cost visibility and if the accounting system and operational controls aren’t tightly aligned.
Operating in a highly-competitive market and understanding your company’s cost structure is not just about financial reporting—it’s a strategic advantage.
Explore common cost accounting challenges that face the F&B industry and some practical ways to address them.
Communicating and understanding that product costing is not just an accounting issue but rather a responsibility of every department is imperative for the company to be successful.
1. Volatile Raw Material Prices
Agricultural products like wheat, dairy, sugar, proteins, coffee beans, and cocoa can be highly volatile due to various factors that impact their price which can include climate conditions, regulatory changes, geopolitical situations, and currency fluctuations.
If not accounted for timely, these sudden price changes can distort the standard costing model, which can further compress the companies’ already thin product margins.
How to Address Volatile Raw Material Prices
Revisit your costing model to determine if more frequent updates to standard costs are needed or if changing from standard costing to average costing is needed to ensure costs of raw materials are captured accurately.
If using standard costing, implement a frequent price variance analysis, which aims to account for significant variances and determine the root cause and actions that may need to be taken, which may include implementing hedging strategies to effectively lock material prices when possible or through diversification of suppliers.
2. Supply Chain Disruptions
The COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions exposed the vulnerabilities in the supply chain affecting the F&B industry. These global disruptions can lead to increased costs for the company due to changing tariff rates, unexpected freight, and storage surcharges.
With perishability a main concern for F&B operations, delivery delays can result in inventory losses due to expiration or spoilage which directly impacts the costs of goods.
Tariffs increase the landed cost of imported goods, which impacts costs of raw materials, packaging materials, and processing equipment used in the manufacturing process.
How to Address Supply Chain Disruptions
Make sure landed costs are identified and recorded completely. These should include all freight, taxes and duties, insurance, and handling costs, which should be capitalized as part of product cost.
Additionally, revisit the safety stock requirements for each material to properly balance between the cost of ordering inventory against the cost of carrying it.
3. Labor Cost and Resource Management
In the F&B industry, labor costs generally fluctuate due to overtime, seasonality of demand, increasing employee insurance premiums costs, and minimum wage adjustments required by law.
Additionally, F&B manufacturing can be labor intensive, so inefficiency in the deployment of labor resources can increase the cost of production and quickly diminish the company’s margin.
How to Address Labor Cost and Resource Management Issues
Plan staffing based on forecasted production and demand for the product. Additionally, confirm your costing model has established a benchmark for both labor rates and labor hours either per activity driver, unit of production, or batches.
These labor rates should incorporate expected wage increases, including overtime rates and shift differentials. Consider performing time studies to determine the appropriate benchmark for labor hours.
4. Multiple and Complex Product Portfolio
Many companies in the F&B industry operate with an extensive product portfolio with stock keeping units (SKUs) of varying sizes, flavors, and formats. One of the challenges of having multiple products is determining the most appropriate basis to allocate overhead costs.
When not applied properly, the overhead cost allocations can result in over- or under-allocation, which can result in distortion of product margins and pricing errors.
How to Address Multiple and Complex Product Portfolio Challenges
Consider implementing Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology, which allocates costs based on the product consumption of resources. This can improve accuracy of product costing that can assist management to identify products that are more profitable than others.
5. Technology and Process Integration
Disparate and disconnected systems and processes between procurement, manufacturing operations, financial planning, sales, and accounting can result in untimely, inaccurate, or incomplete reporting of costs and profitability.
In an industry where products can expire quickly, having a system that can track aging of inventory is essential for compliance, operational efficiency, and proper valuation of inventory.
Often operating on a mix of standalone software, system tools, and spreadsheets, F&B companies frequently struggle to obtain and use the data needed to accurately capture and report inventory costs.
How to Address Technology and Process Integration Problems
Implement unified enterprise resource planning systems that can align procurement, warehouse management, production, sales, and accounting within a single data environment. A real-time dashboard can also help provide visibility to management that can provide insights into operations in a timely manner.
Communicating and understanding that product costing is not just an accounting issue but rather a responsibility of every department is imperative for the company to be successful.
We’re Here to Help
We provide companies with specialized cost accounting knowledge and expertise to help design and implement costing methodologies that follow industry practices and comply with accounting standards.
Our technology and data solutions teams can support integrating your methodology into leading software solutions, automate cost allocation, and improve data collection and reporting.
Beyond implementation, our industry-experienced professionals can offer strategic accounting, financial planning, and regulatory compliance support.
To learn more about cost accounting challenges and how to solve them, contact your firm professional.
Additional Resources
CHICAGO (Jan. 7, 2026) — Baker Tilly, a leading advisory, tax and assurance firm, today announced that Eric Miles has assumed the role of chief executive officer, succeeding Jeff Ferro. Miles’ succession was previously announced in connection with the firm’s combination with Moss Adams in June. He now leads Baker Tilly as it continues to redefine advisory and accounting services for mid-market clients.
“For more than 20 years, Eric has delivered exceptional leadership,” said Jeff Ferro, outgoing CEO of Baker Tilly. “He understands what our clients and our people need as the firm continues to evolve, and I have full confidence in his ability to lead Baker Tilly forward. It has been a privilege to serve as CEO, and I’m excited about what lies ahead for the firm.”
Miles brings a deep and broad range of experience to the role. He began his career in public accounting in 1997, gaining experience across operations, compliance, accounting, information technology and fraud prevention. He later led the consulting services organization at Moss Adams, overseeing more than 50 practice areas, before serving as CEO.
“I’m honored and excited to lead Baker Tilly at a moment when our clients face accelerating change — from economic conditions and a changing supply chain environment to digital disruption and talent pressures,” said Miles. “My focus is on ensuring Baker Tilly continues to bring the right capabilities, talent and perspective to support clients as they adapt and pursue growth, while building on the strong foundation established by Jeff and the leadership team.”
“Jeff’s leadership helped position Baker Tilly for its next phase of growth,” said Blake Kleinman, partner at Hellman & Friedman and chair of the Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP board of directors. “Eric brings the experience, perspective and leadership style the firm needs at this moment, and his appointment reflects our continued commitment to investing in talent, innovation and long-term client success.”
As CEO, Miles will focus on strengthening execution across the firm — aligning
strategy and operations to support client needs and drive disciplined growth. He will work closely with the leadership team to ensure Baker Tilly scales effectively while maintaining its culture and high service standards.
Ferro will continue to serve on the Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP board of directors.
About Moss Adams
At Moss Adams, we believe in the power of possible. A business and personal advisory firm with more than 110 years of experience and 4,800 professionals across 30+ markets, we work with clients to meet the rising challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. Discover how we can help you go where you want to be next. Upward.
The agribusiness sector, comprising millions of farms and contributing trillions to the US GDP, is currently grappling with significant challenges such as margin compression, labor shortages, rising costs, and regulatory pressures.
To effectively navigate these complexities, agribusinesses must modernize their technology systems, moving away from outdated solutions that hinder efficiency and accurate reporting.
Embracing innovative cloud ERP solutions like NetSuite can empower agribusiness organizations to enhance operational agility, capitalize on new opportunities, and meet the demands of a discerning market.
With real-time capabilities, NetSuite enables businesses to automate and streamline critical operations and improving inventory management, margin tracking, and order fulfillment. This immediate access to data and insights ultimately positions agribusiness for long-term success in a challenging financial landscape.
For a deep dive into how NetSuite can help the agribusiness industry manage top challenges, read the guide NetSuite: A Modern Solution for Agribusiness.
Five Ways a Cloud ERP like NetSuite Can Support Agribusiness
Following are five ways NetSuite can help.
Asset Tracking
NetSuite’s Fixed Assets Management provides a comprehensive solution for tracking and managing long-term capital assets such as equipment and vehicles, streamlining processes, and enhancing financial reporting accuracy. It automates the entire asset lifecycle, supports various depreciation methods, and allows for detailed asset tracking by different segments.
It also manages maintenance schedules and insurance, handles lease accounting, and integrates with other modules to automate asset creation and expense postings.
Inventory Management
NetSuite enables agribusinesses to manage inventory with a high degree of accuracy, tracking inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and equipment across various locations and production stages in real-time.
This capability is crucial for optimizing resource allocation and ensuring that perishable goods are monitored effectively, reducing waste, and enhancing supply chain efficiency.
Financial and Margin Tracking
Agribusinesses often deal with fluctuating commodity prices and varying production costs. NetSuite provides advanced financial management tools that allow companies to track margins on a block-by-block basis, assess profitability by crop type, and generate accurate forecasts.
This granularity helps businesses make informed decisions about pricing, production strategies, and investment in new technologies or crops.
Compliance and Traceability Solutions
With stringent regulations governing food safety and environmental practices, NetSuite supports agribusinesses in maintaining compliance through automated reporting and real-time traceability.
The system allows for detailed tracking of products from farm to market, ensuring that businesses can meet requirements such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and respond quickly to any recalls or audits, thereby safeguarding their reputation and operational integrity.
Scalability and Flexibility
NetSuite’s cloud-based ERP solution offers agribusinesses the scalability and flexibility needed to adapt to changing market conditions and business growth. As agribusinesses expand their operations—whether through increased production, diversification of crops, or entering new markets—NetSuite can easily scale to accommodate new processes, locations, and regulatory requirements.
This adaptability ensures that agribusinesses can respond quickly to opportunities and challenges, maintaining operational efficiency and competitiveness in a dynamic industry.
We’re Here to Help
To learn more about how NetSuite can help support your agribusiness, contact your Moss Adams professional.
Additional Resources
Event Type: Webinar
Date: 6/3/2025
When your existing technology no longer supports business growth or timely operational decision-making for your leadership, it’s crucial that you find a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that will. A strategic approach will help prevent you from facing the bottom line implications that come with choosing the wrong system.
Join us for our webcast, ERP Systems Selection: Align Technology With Business Goals to gain practical insights into the process that can help you make better decisions for your organization.
We’ll discuss:
- Common missteps in the effort to determine your new system
- How to evaluate what ERP system is right for your business
- Key advantages in taking the right approach to selection and implementation
June 3, 2025 10:00 AM PT - 45 minutes
Event Type: Webinar
Date: 6/3/2025
AI is more than a technology—it's a catalyst for redefining your business model and unlocking new growth. Join us for our webcast, Redefine Your Business Value with AI, to discover how leading manufacturing and consumer products businesses are approaching AI transformation from the top down, aligning initiatives with business priorities to drive real value.
Learn why a business-led approach, combined with strong AI governance, is essential for long-term success and responsible innovation. Key topics include:
- The fundamentals of a business-led AI transformation strategy
- The role of AI governance in driving trust, accountability, and scalability
- How to align AI initiatives with core business value drivers
This webcast is part of our Manufacturing & Consumer Products AI Webcast Series.
June 3, 2025 10:00 AM PT - 30 minutes
Expanded industry specialization, geographic reach and private equity investment position the firm for long-term growth and innovation.
CHICAGO and SEATTLE (April 21, 2025) – In a transformative move that redefines advisory and accounting services for the middle market, Baker Tilly and Moss Adams today announced their planned combination to create the sixth largest advisory CPA firm in the US. Expected to close in early June of this year, the combination strengthens the firms’ industry specialization, expands its geographic reach and enhances its capabilities across advisory, tax and assurance services.
With complementary strengths and a shared commitment to client success, Baker Tilly and Moss Adams will unite under the Baker Tilly name, forming a leading firm positioned to help middle-market businesses navigate an increasingly complex environment. Jeff Ferro, CEO of Baker Tilly, will serve as CEO of the combined firm through his retirement, with Eric Miles, currently Moss Adams CEO, named CEO-elect. Miles will assume the role of CEO on January 1, 2026, with Ferro remaining a director on Baker Tilly’s board thereafter.
As part of this transaction, private equity firm Hellman & Friedman (H&F), an existing investor in Baker Tilly, will make a meaningful additional strategic investment in the business, with existing shareholder Valeas Capital Partners (Valeas) also increasing its investment. Following the deal close, Moss Adams and Baker Tilly’s audit business will combine as Baker Tilly US, LLP and the firms’ business advisory, tax and other services will combine under Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP (BTAG). Both entities will remain partnerships, with all principals holding equity alongside H&F and Valeas in BTAG.
Leadership Vision and Strategic Alignment
Jeff Ferro, CEO of Baker Tilly, underscored the strategic alignment between the two firms: “Moss Adams is a great strategic fit with Baker Tilly. We’ve long respected the firm, its people and its industry-focused approach. By bringing together our strengths, we are expanding our ability to serve middle-market businesses with greater expertise, resources and insights.”
Eric Miles, Chairman and CEO of Moss Adams, emphasized the benefits to clients and professionals: “The resources, geographic reach and go-to-market strength of the combined firm magnifies opportunities for our people to grow, collaborate and innovate. We are proud to offer our clients these expanded resources to deliver even greater value and set a new standard for advisory services in the middle market.”
Blake Kleinman, Partner at H&F, commented: “Since we invested in Baker Tilly, we have been focused on building a differentiated firm with the ambition to change the game in the middle-market accounting industry. This landmark merger between Baker Tilly and Moss Adams is an important step in creating a firm that will be the destination of choice for the industry’s best talent and for firms considering their strategic options in a rapidly evolving sector.”
A Step Forward for the Middle Market
Both firms have a century-old history and commitment to fostering a people-first culture, supporting professionals with career development pathways, mentorship and specialized resources. This commitment to people and delivering on behalf of middle-market clients will be strengthened as they combine forces.
Barry Melancon, strategic advisor to Baker Tilly, former longtime AICPA CEO and independent chair-elect of the Baker Tilly International board of directors, highlighted the relevance of the transaction: “The CPA and advisory profession requires firms to operate effectively at the local, national and global levels. This combination brings together two firms at the forefront of the profession, further empowering them to deliver on their commitment to serving their clients as the needs of middle-market businesses evolve.”
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Vedder Price PC served as legal advisors to Baker Tilly. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. served as financial advisor and Dechert LLP as legal advisor to Moss Adams.
About Baker Tilly (bakertilly.com)
Baker Tilly is a leading advisory, tax and assurance firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers – New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) provide professional services through an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws, regulations and professional standards. Baker Tilly US, LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities provide tax and business advisory services to their clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms.
Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, are independent members of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 143 territories, with 43,500 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $5.62 billion. Visit bakertilly.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
About Moss Adams (mossadams.com)
Moss Adams LLP is a leading accounting, consulting and wealth management firm serving clients nationally and globally. The firm’s more than 4,800 professionals operate from 30 locations across the U.S. and leverage Praxity, a global alliance of independent accounting firms, to meet client needs in 110 countries internationally. Assurance, tax, and consulting are offered through Moss Adams LLP. ISO/IEC 27001 services are offered through Moss Adams Certifications LLC. Investment advisory is offered through Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC. Services from India provided by Moss Adams (India) LLP. For more than 112 years, Moss Adams has empowered clients to embrace opportunity. Learn more at mossadams.com.
About Hellman & Friedman
Hellman & Friedman is a preeminent global private equity firm with a distinctive investment approach focused on a limited number of large-scale equity investments in high-quality growth businesses. H&F seeks to partner with world-class management teams where its deep sector expertise, long-term orientation, and collaborative partnership approach enable companies to flourish. H&F targets outstanding businesses in select sectors, including technology, financial services, healthcare, consumer services & retail, and information, content & business services. Since its founding in 1984, H&F has invested in over 100 companies and has over $115 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2024. Learn more about H&F’s defining investment philosophy and approach to sustainable outcomes at www.hf.com.
Event Type: Webinar
Date: 2/25/2025
For numerous organizations, the key consideration with generative AI isn’t whether to adopt the technology, but rather, how to leverage it effectively to achieve improved business outcomes. Generative AI is revolutionizing operational efficiency by providing tools that streamline workflows, enhance compliance, and improve access to critical knowledge.
Join us for a webcast, Learn the Business Value of Generative AI, to dive into how generative AI transforms the way teams interact with each other through operational efficiency.
We’ll discuss:
- How to recognize AI opportunities
- Use cases of generative AI improving documentation, policies, and transactions
- Actionable steps using AI to keep your team engaged
February 25, 2025 10:00 AM PT - 30 minutes
Speakers
Loren Den Herder, Managing Director, Moss Adams
K.C. Fike, Senior Manager, Moss Adams
Event Type: Webinar
Date: 11/21/2024
Join us for Navigating the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) for the Wine Industry, an insightful webcast specifically tailored for the wine industry, focusing on the implications of the TCJA. This session will delve into how the TCJA affects wineries, vineyards, and related businesses, providing crucial information for navigating the evolving tax landscape.
Key topics included:
- Overview of the TCJA and its relevance to the wine industry
- Changes to individual and corporate tax rates impacting winery owners
- Implications of the TCJA on pass-through entities, including S corporations and LLCs
- Modifications to deductions and credits, including the impact on capital investments in vineyards and production facilities
- Changes to the treatment of business expenses and the impact on operational costs
- Insights into international tax provisions affecting wine exports
- Future considerations and potential legislative changes that may impact the industry
November 21, 2024 10:00 AM PT
Client Background
A food and beverage company with both e-commerce and brick and mortar channels and over 400 employees.
The Situation
The client had disparate processes and systems due to high growth across multiple channels, including e-commerce and brick and mortar retail.
There was a lack of visibility into key metrics like sales, financials, manufacturing, and distribution. Additionally, the absence of automation was becoming costly given their growth trajectory.
The Solution & Results
Moss Adams performed a systems assessment and uncovered key immediate and long-term requirements to meet their business objectives:
- Create a system structure that would support all business channels and scale with their rapid growth
- Automate reporting processes to reduce headcount costs
- Implement a solution that allows visibility across all locations, segments, and channels of the business in real-time
With the holistic view the client needed into their business to be successful, Moss Adams determined NetSuite was the best system to support their rapid growth and business model.
We’re Here to Help
For more information on how systems assessment and selection, implementation or NetSuite can fit your industry and business needs, please contact your Moss Adams professional.
Additional Resources
About NetSuite
From fast-growing startups to global enterprises, NetSuite powers businesses across a variety of industries. NetSuite provides cloud financials, customer relationship management (CRM), e-commerce, human capital management (HCM), and professional services automation management for all organizations from fast-growing midsize companies to large global organizations. Additionally, each component of NetSuite is modular, enabling it to be deployed and integrated with existing investments as required.
With more than 36,000 customers running NetSuite worldwide and dependent territories, some of the world's most innovative organizations trust NetSuite and take their financial and operational processes to the cloud.
Event Type: Reception
Location: Paradise Ridge Winery - Santa Rosa, CA
Date: 4/30/2024
Join us at the picturesque Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, California, for our annual Wine Industry Financial Roundtable for lunch, networking, and an industry-specific panel discussion.
The event begins at 12:00 p.m., but check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. Please feel free to bring a bottle of wine to share. We look forward to seeing you.
Panel topics include:
• Update on Q1 wine sales
• Insights on the 2024 bulk wine and grape conditions
• Hot topics facing the wine industry in the next 18–24 months
Capacity is limited—please register early.
Note to service providers: We’re limiting service providers, so please don’t forward to other providers. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.