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August 28, 2025

The Importance of Key Performance Indicators for Meat Processors

By Grace Debbeler, Associate Business Consultant

In today’s tough food landscape, hard work alone won’t cut it. Small and mid-sized meat processors need reliable tools to navigate daily challenges, plan for the future, and stay resilient. That’s where KPIs—key performance indicators—make all the difference.

At Good Roots, we help processors get out of the weeds and lead with clarity. In partnership with the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN), we’ve released a new report that highlights real-world success stories from three processors who:

🌱 Improved operations and efficiency
🌱 Made smart strategic decisions
🌱 Built resilience in an uncertain market

These case studies are packed with lessons, from setting up systems that track profitability to using KPIs that reveal hidden labor costs and product margins. One standout: Delicacy Meats went from launch to break-even in under 6 months thanks to a KPI-driven game plan.

Whether you’re running a processing facility or supporting one, this report offers insights you can apply today.

Need help getting started?

Download the full case study.

We’ve put together a case study report with three real-world examples of how meat processors are using key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve efficiency, plan for growth, and build resilience.

Download the case study here

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Clarity Foundations

If you’re tired of messy books, this is where you get untangled. We’ll start with a clean slate, align your systems, and build a foundation that turns financial chaos into clarity and confidence.

Average time to complete: 2 months

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WHAT YOU GET Mastery Momentum Clarity
Redesigned profit and loss statement to quickly uncover key trends 🥬 🥬 🥬
Cleaned-up balance sheet to ensure accuracy and build trust in your numbers 🥬 🥬 🥬
Streamlined sales recording processes to save time and reduce errors 🥬 🥬 🥬
Inventory and accrual accounting best practices to support financial clarity 🥬 🥬 🥬
Enterprise ‘class’ accounting to track performance across business units 🥬 🥬
Labor cost insights to understand where your team’s time is going 🥬
Product and sales trend analysis to guide pricing, planning, and growth 🥬
INVESTMENT $10,250 $8,000 $6,550
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Total Clarity Accounting

Stop making decisions based on a gut hunch. With Total Clarity Accounting, your numbers won’t just be accurate but meaningful.

Average time to complete: 3 months

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WHAT YOU GET Mastery Momentum Clarity
Monthly financial clarity sessions to review trends, margins, and key reports Monthly with Fractional Controller and Bookkeeper (3 months) Monthly with Fractional Controller and Bookkeeper  (3 months) Monthly with Bookkeeper Only (3 months)
Monthly reconciliations for up to 10 accounts (e.g. checking, savings, credit card, and loan accounts) 🥬 🥬 🥬
Monthly sales summaries to stay on top of performance 🥬 🥬 🥬
Ongoing A/R review so you know what’s owed and what’s at risk 🥬 🥬 🥬
Categorized bank feeds to save time and streamline reporting 🥬 🥬 🥬
Support for flagged transactions to catch errors and ensure accuracy 🥬 🥬 🥬
Custom monthly adjustments to track inventory, labor, and overhead accurately 🥬 🥬 🥬
Payroll recorded accurately and on time based on third-party data 🥬 🥬 🥬
Labor costs tracked by enterprise or function for deeper insight 🥬 🥬
Class tracking to separate internal activity across teams or entities 🥬 🥬
Customer payments matched to invoices for clean records 🥬 🥬
Bill entry and payment workflows to streamline vendor management 🥬 🥬
Manage bill payment approval and payments 🥬
Weekly cash flow reports so you can stay ahead, not just afloat 🥬
INVESTMENT $5,250/mo (3 mo. minimum) $4,000/mo (3 mo. minimum) $2,450/mo (3 mo. minimum)