Alaska: ERP to boost margin and traceability by fishing species

Alaska's Fisheries: The Need for Species-Specific Management

Alaska concentrates fisheries with operational, commercial, and regulatory dynamics that are very different from each other. Managing them with generic rules causes frictions, extra costs, and loss of visibility. A specialized ERP that models processes, master data, and business rules by species makes it possible to adjust planning, yields, costs, and certifications in a specific way, linking each batch with its history and each decision with its economic impact. This approach avoids improvised solutions and provides a robust digital basis to scale with control.

Salmon: Short Seasons, Freshness, and Surgical Planning

The salmon season is concentrated in short windows with variability by run and basin. Plants must absorb landing peaks, ensure chilling from the first minute, and quickly decide the mix between fresh, filleted, and frozen. An ERP oriented to salmon aligns run forecasts with the actual receiving and processing capacity, calculates needs for ice, staff, and shifts, and governs the strict rotation principle to preserve quality. Quality parameters online are recorded from the grading table, including size, color, and defects, and are linked to the commercial lot.

At the same time, the system assigns costs by vessel and day, applies the settlement rules agreed with crew and vessel owners, and delivers visibility of margins by presentation and client. This integration reduces losses due to expiration, avoids cold-chain bottlenecks, and speeds up commercial response in markets with premiums for certified freshness.

Pollock: High Volume, Demanding Contracts, and Industrial Efficiency

Alaska pollock is processed in large-volume campaigns, with continuous lines, yield requirements, and large-account contracts that set schedules and specifications. The ERP must synchronize the catch with continuous processing capacity, model yields by species, size, and gear, and feed planning for surimi, fillet, or IQF block according to demand. Integration with the plant captures data on overall equipment efficiency, changeover times, and critical temperatures, and activates alerts for deviations that may affect yield or safety.

At the financial level, the system consolidates costs per ton processed, breaks down by-products such as meal and oil, and attributes margins by channel and market. This granular control makes it possible to renegotiate conditions, prioritize higher-contribution orders, and sustain service in long seasons with variability in energy and logistics prices.

King Crab: Premium Traceability and Fine Quota Control

King crab operates under restricted quotas, expensive permits, short operating windows, and a market willing to pay premiums for verifiable quality and origin. An ERP prepared for this species records each pot and landing with its geolocation, manages grading by size and sex, and controls storage and transport conditions with strict thresholds.

Documentation associated with each lot includes certifications, temperature controls, and relevant events, and is available for audits and high-value clients. At the same time, costing by lot and client makes it possible to understand price elasticity in premium segments and quickly adjust commercial strategy without losing traceability or quota compliance. The result is a more precise operation, with less risk of non-compliance and greater ability to capture value in selective markets.

Data Model That Reflects Fishing Reality

The key to an effective ERP in Alaska lies in its data model by species. The master must include its own attributes—size, gear, FAO zone, capture period, sensory parameters—and relate them to labeling rules and certification requirements. Information flows from electronic catch records onboard and hold sensors to the plant MES and cold storage, with the ability to operate resiliently under limited connectivity. Automatic validations prevent transcription errors, block lots with incidents, and accelerate the release of product ready for sale.

Seasonality requires a master plan by species, plant, and target market, with scenarios that consider quotas, weather, and crew availability. The ERP consolidates forecast sales, current contracts, and price signals with restrictions on capacity, cleaning times, maintenance, and logistics windows. In this way, daily scheduling ceases to be a race against the clock and becomes the execution of a plan that already considers bottlenecks and commercial commitments. When deviations occur—a delayed landing, a breakdown, a temperature alert—the system proposes viable alternatives and quantifies their impact on service and margin to make decisions quickly.

Finance and Settlement: Clarity and Trust by Species

The business requires clarity in profit sharing and in the real cost per ton and presentation. The ERP assigns fuel, ice, fees, logistics, labor, and maintenance to campaigns, vessels, and species with consistent rules, and settles crews according to verified and auditable agreements. This transparency reduces disputes, speeds up closings, and provides reliable information for deciding on investments, fleet renewals, or changes in the product mix.

Management needs species-specific references to act in time. In salmon, the focus is on cycle times from landing to stabilized chilling, forecast accuracy by run, and margin by presentation. In pollock, what matters is effective yield by line and format, continuous thermal performance, and contribution by contract. In king crab, it is grading accuracy, end-to-end traceability with controlled temperature, and margin by lot and client. When these indicators coexist in the same panel with financial information, the internal conversation shifts from opinions to informed decisions.

Sustainability and Reputation Connected to Operational Data

The demand to demonstrate responsible fishing translates into requests for verifiable data. The ERP consolidates energy consumption, transport times, incidents, and waste by species and plant, and connects this evidence with certifications and ESG commitments. Presenting this information in proposals and audits not only protects the brand but also opens doors to new markets and justifies premiums in segments sensitive to sustainability.

Adoption and Implementation Strategy

Adoption must be aligned with the season. The first step is a quick diagnosis that identifies compliance risks, yield losses, and traceability opportunities. Based on this, a core by species with traceability, inventory, and planning is prioritized, followed by plant integration and margin analytics. Phased deployment makes it possible to learn campaign by campaign and consolidate practices without interrupting operations.

Partners with Experience in Alaska

Technology requires methodology and sector knowledge. Consulting firms like SEIDOR have supported food and fishing companies in their transition to digital models, integrating ERP with plant, logistics, and regulatory reporting in highly demanding environments. Their species- and phase-based approach turns digitalization into tangible results: less waste, more margin, and better service in complex markets.

Conclusion

In short, Alaska’s fishing reality demands precision, speed, and verifiable traceability. An ERP that understands the differences between salmon, pollock, and king crab makes it possible to orchestrate sea, plant, and market with a single version of reality. That is the basis for protecting margins, complying without frictions, and growing in an increasingly demanding global environment.