Discover how IFS Cloud is redefining operational agility, compliance, and innovation for food and beverage manufacturers poised for growth in 2026.

Economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, rising energy costs, and shifting regulations have made “business as usual” harder to sustain. Leaders across manufacturing, food and beverage, oil and gas, and retail are being asked to do more with less, while also proving their organizations are prepared for the future.

A sustainable ERP strategy goes beyond environmental reporting. When embedded in your ERP, it enhances operational resilience, cost control, and growth.

At Forseti Solutions, we help organizations implement ERP systems using IFS solutions with a focus on real-world performance. Our work with complex industries shows that companies that integrate sustainability into their ERP strategy are better equipped to weather market volatility and position themselves for smarter growth.

Why Sustainability and ERP Belong Together

Sustainability and ERP may seem like separate initiatives. One focuses on environmental or social responsibility, while the other manages core business operations. In reality, they are deeply connected.

A modern ERP is central to business, tracking inventory, production, energy use, logistics, labor, and finances. Embedding sustainability goals creates visibility into the impact of daily decisions on profit and stability.

A sustainable ERP strategy helps organizations:

• Monitor energy and resource consumption in real time.
• Reduce waste across production and supply chains.
• Improve compliance with environmental and reporting standards.
• Identify inefficiencies that drive unnecessary cost.

For example, a manufacturer using ERP data to analyze material usage can uncover patterns of waste and reuse the material. By correcting those issues, the business not only lowers its environmental footprint but also improves margins.

Sustainability becomes practical when it is tied directly to operations, not managed as a separate reporting function.

How Sustainable ERP Builds Resilience in a Turbulent Market

Market turbulence is no longer the exception. It is the norm. Businesses face unpredictable swings in demand, labor shortages, regulatory changes, and geopolitical uncertainty. A sustainable ERP strategy strengthens resilience by improving both visibility and adaptability.

First, sustainability-focused data improves decision-making. When ERP systems capture metrics related to energy usage, emissions, or resource efficiency, leaders can model different scenarios. This helps organizations respond faster to rising costs or material shortages.

Second, sustainable ERP supports regulatory readiness. Environmental and social reporting requirements continue to evolve. Companies without integrated systems often scramble to collect data manually, increasing risk and administrative burden. With sustainability embedded in ERP, reporting becomes part of normal business processes instead of a last-minute exercise.

Third, sustainable practices improve supplier and customer relationships. Many organizations now evaluate vendors based on environmental performance. ERP systems that track sourcing and production data make it easier to demonstrate responsible practices and meet partner expectations.

Practical Steps to Embed Sustainability in Your ERP Strategy

Embedding sustainability into your ERP strategy does not require a complete overhaul of your systems. It requires planning and alignment between technology and business goals.

Here are three practical steps organizations can take:

1. 1. Define What Sustainability Means for Your Business:

Sustainability looks different across industries. A food and beverage company may focus on energy usage and packaging waste. A manufacturer may prioritize emissions and material efficiency. Retail organizations may track transportation and supplier compliance.

Before configuring ERP systems, leadership teams should define:

• Which sustainability metrics matter most?
• How do those metrics connect to cost and performance?
• Who owns accountability for tracking and reporting?

This ensures the ERP strategy supports real operational priorities rather than generic benchmarks.

2. 2. Integrate Sustainability Data into Core Processes:

Sustainability should be part of production planning, procurement, and financial reporting. For example:

• Energy consumption can be tied to production runs.
• Waste metrics can be linked to quality control.
• Supplier data can be evaluated alongside pricing and delivery performance.

When sustainability data is embedded in workflows, teams can act on it daily instead of reviewing it once per year.

3. 3. Use ERP Insights to Drive Continuous Improvement:

The true value of a Sustainable ERP Strategy is ongoing improvement. ERP dashboards can highlight trends over time and reveal where small operational changes create a large impact.

This might include:

• Adjusting production schedules to reduce peak energy demand.
• Identifying materials with higher waste rates.
• Improving logistics routes to reduce fuel use.

These improvements strengthen resilience by lowering exposure to price volatility and regulatory risk while supporting growth through smarter operations.

At Forseti Solutions, our ERP implementations using IFS solutions are designed to support both operational performance and evolving sustainability requirements. By aligning system design with business goals, organizations gain a platform that supports long-term adaptability.

How IFS Enables a Sustainable ERP Strategy

When we talk about embedding sustainability into your ERP strategy, the technology you choose matters. IFS Cloud, the modern enterprise platform at the core of Forseti Solutions’ ERP implementations, is specifically designed to turn sustainability from a reporting afterthought into a practical, operational advantage.

IFS Cloud’s sustainability features empower organizations to make sustainability actionable by connecting environmental and governance goals directly to operational decisions. That means sustainability performance data lives where your business already runs in the same system that coordinates production, supply chain, assets, finance, and service. 

Here’s how IFS Cloud drives sustainability and resilience:

• Sustainability Management: With built-in tools to collect, track, and analyze environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics across your enterprise, you can measure progress against goals and meet regulatory requirements with confidence. 
• Emissions Management: The platform can calculate carbon footprint, giving you complete visibility into emissions and opportunities for reduction. 
• Supply Chain Sustainability: IFS helps companies monitor and engage suppliers on sustainability performance, increasing transparency and reducing environmental and social risk across the end-to-end supply chain. 
• Asset Optimization: By linking sustainability data to asset performance, maintenance planning, and lifecycle costs, organizations can improve reliability while reducing environmental impact and total cost of ownership. 

This integrated approach helps organizations navigate evolving regulatory landscapes, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and emerging global ESG standards, while streamlining data collection and reporting. 

Beyond tools for data and reporting, IFS Cloud is built with industrial AI and composable architecture, meaning you can tailor your sustainability capabilities to your industry and goals without adding complexity. 

By embedding sustainability into the core of your ERP system with IFS Cloud, sustainability shifts from being a compliance burden to a strategic advantage that drives efficiency, reduces risk, and strengthens your ability to adapt in a turbulent market. Discover how Forseti Solutions and IFS Cloud can help you build a sustainable ERP strategy that drives resilience and long-term growth.

Growth Through Smarter ERP Systems

Sustainability is no longer just a corporate initiative. It is a business strategy. When embedded into ERP systems, it becomes a tool for managing risk, improving efficiency, and driving growth in uncertain conditions.

A sustainable ERP strategy helps organizations:

• Improve visibility across operations.
• Strengthen compliance and reporting.
• Reduce waste and unnecessary costs.
• Build resilience in volatile markets.
• Support long-term, responsible growth.

For industries facing constant disruption, the combination of ERP and sustainability provides both structure and flexibility. It allows leaders to respond faster, operate smarter, and demonstrate accountability to customers, partners, and regulators.

If your organization is exploring how to align sustainability goals with ERP systems, contact Forseti Solutions to learn how IFS-based ERP solutions can support resilience and growth in today’s turbulent market.