The world is ever-changing, and so are all its elements. The food and beverage industry has changed in a significant manner. With the infusion of technology, there has certainly been a momentous impact on the way we produce, distribute, and consume food and beverages. And the rise of digital transformation in food and beverages has been a game changer. It has not only led to profitability in business, but at the same time, it has increased efficiency and improved the customer experience.
In this blog, we will explore the importance of digital transformation in food and beverages, the benefits and challenges associated with it, and how it is transforming the way we eat and drink.
Why is Digital Transformation important?
Digital transformation is critical for success in the food industry since it enables businesses to operate more efficiently, meet customer demands, and improve food safety. In this section, we will explain why digitalization in this industry is crucial.
- Accurate collection of data: Digital transformation in the food and beverage industry automates all processes and digitalizes them. Modern technology like smart sensors, weighing scales, and thermometers is employed for quality checks, thereby reducing the risks involved otherwise.
- Secure products and processes: Hygiene has become the focus of all consumers after COVID-19, and therefore digitalization helps secure products and processes. It enables companies to track the expiration dates of products, start quality checks, and ensure that packaging is done safely.
- Higher efficiency and profits: Digital solutions streamline business operations and make them faster and more customer-friendly. Companies can access important data whenever required so that they can identify pain points and find solutions for them efficiently.
- Meeting customer demands: The food industry is evolving, and there is a rapid change in customer behaviour. Digital transformation enables businesses to respond to these changes efficiently. In recent years, online ordering, delivery services, and other digital services have gained momentum in the business and become an integral part, failing which can be a risk.
How Digital Transformation Benefits the Food and Beverage Industry
Let us begin by understanding how digital transformation in food and beverages benefits the industry in the long run in the subsequent sections.
Builds Customer Connections
As per trusted data about customer behaviour, over 80% of all sales come from around 20% of a company’s customers. Therefore, it is advised that customers be prioritized, and this is where digital transformation in the food and beverage industry helps. Digital solutions improve customer relations by encouraging better communication and regular rewards in the form of vouchers.
Enhances Productivity
With digital transformation in the food and beverage industry, all tasks become automated, and employees can focus on operations that require more effort. It also reduces errors and provides the ideal environment for more informed decision-making. Companies can track deadlines, improve communication, automate business operations, manage inventory and accounts, and cater to the needs of customers with more agility. This enhances the overall productivity of the business.
Increase Revenue
Digital solutions also help in supply chain management, thereby avoiding problems like labour and supply shortages. With proper management companies can improve their annual revenue. Moreover, state-of-the-art technology can help predict the supply requirements to prevent overstocking and understocking. It can also analyze customer behaviour and other market trends effectively.
Exploring Other Benefits
Now that we have a basic idea of the importance of digital transformation in the food and beverage industry and how it benefits the same, it is important to understand some of the other key benefits. We will now talk about the eight key benefits of digitalization:
- Better quality: Quality is the most important part of the food and beverage industry, and digitalization helps you achieve this. Companies can manage all their data, which is available on the cloud and can be accessed whenever the need arises. Also, with regular quality checks, problems can be identified and the products can be improved.
- Enhanced recipe activeness: Solutions through digital transformation in food and beverages allow companies to manage recipes actively and be more responsive to the changing demands of customers. You can also launch new products in real time and effortlessly.
- Combined operations and asset management: All processes like manufacturing, packaging, and delivering can be managed with digitalization, which connects the same to one software. This data can be accessed from anywhere and anytime, thereby. reducing time and effort.
- Lower energy consumption: Companies can identify areas that consume more energy than required through digital records and manage unnecessary use. You can also conserve energy by reducing its consumption or restricting it in areas where it is not necessary.
- More flexible production: Digital transformation in the food and beverage industry can promote some level of flexibility in the production process and encourage innovation through experiments. Companies can manage their time and resources as per their needs without having to be rigid.
- Better prediction about supply and demand: Digital solutions enable companies to manage their inventory and keep track of overstocking and understocking. When this is taken care of, predictions about demand and supply can be made with a more rational bent of mind.
- Improved customer experience: It also provides key insights into customer behaviour, which can be used to deliver a more fruitful experience to the people who matter the most to your company. Personalized products and in-time delivery also help companies a lot.
- Friendlier work environment: Digital transformation in the food and beverage industry promotes a friendlier work environment because it integrates all operations and tracks employee performance with reduced risks.
5 Ways to Digitally Transform Food and Beverages
After understanding the key benefits of digital transformation in food and beverages, it is important to know how one can transform their business by leveraging technology. It helps businesses stay ahead of the competition and provide their customers with a more personalized and streamlined experience.
In the coming section, we will discuss the 5 easiest ways for digital transformation in the food and beverage industry:
Smooth Operations with AI
As per experts, by 2023, AI-based voice assistance will be over 8 million across the world. With the use of AI, companies can become more responsive to customer demands, use chatbots to answer their queries 24/7, and take orders. AI helps automate tasks and improve efficiency by optimizing processes.
Integrate Business with Cloud Storage
By enabling digital transformation in the food and beverage industry, companies can easily integrate all their departments and centralize management. Accessing information becomes faster and more convenient through cloud storage. Updating new data becomes easier, and it also enables better collaboration.
Improve your Reach Through the Internet
Social media is the most powerful tool in current times, with 7 out of 10 Americans using social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. This is the chance that many companies must grab to improve their reach and showcase the products and services they deliver. It is the best platform to market and sell your products, communicate with customers, and even place orders. Through the Internet, businesses can increase brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Create a Business for a Better Customer Experience
As per experts, 62% of companies have developed an app that helps them connect with their customers, brand themselves, and increase their revenue. Many of them have also moved to online applications post-pandemic, which provides them with a better way to lure customers through coupons and lucrative offers. Customers can also order food online, give feedback, and raise issues, if any.
Better Business Exercise
Many companies are moving towards a more environment-friendly approach with the use of digital transformation in the food and beverage industry. Customers are also showing an inclination towards such companies. Therefore, you can improve your overall business operations by promoting sustainability and green technology in production.
Trends
In this section, we will be elaborating on the 4 key trends that are driving the digital transformation in the food and beverage industry:
Cloud
Many companies in the industry have started moving towards cloud-based solutions for storage, which make data more accessible and even safer. It improves business operations by helping access data from practically anywhere and at any time. It also makes companies more responsive to the dynamic demands of customers.
AI
AI gives companies an upper hand by analyzing data and predicting future trends easily. This way, they can improve their functioning and prevent the waste of food and other necessary resources. It also accelerates growth and enables companies to respond more efficiently to customer demands.
Omni Channel
This trend has gained momentum after the pandemic, with customers moving towards online channels for ordering food and other commodities. The use of online applications, websites, and social media is therefore promoted time and again in the industry because of their ability to transform your company.
Sustainability
Sustainability is the future, which desires eco-friendlier methods of production and a reduction in waste. With the growing demand from customers to know what they consume, this has become a key trend. Companies are therefore making supply chains more visible and environment-friendly.
Case Study
Let us investigate the case study of one of the most popular examples of digital transformation in the food and beverage industry, named Domino’s Pizza, which has grown significantly after its digitalization.
Domino’s Pizza
Domino’s Pizza is a popular name in the food and beverage industry globally, founded in 1960. In the mid-2000s, the company faced a crisis because of unsatisfied customers who labelled their pizzas as “cheap.”. It decided to better itself and use digital solutions for this very purpose.
Dominos began by inviting online reviews from its customers and rewarding the best ones with cash. It also began hiring technical professionals like digital marketers, which enabled a shift from its traditional ways of working. It launched an app of its own, where customers can directly order and customize the same with their favourite toppings. This has been a critical business strategy for the company since over 70% of the orders come through the mobile app.
The company is also one of the first to deliver pizzas through drones. It further launched a “DOM Pizza Checker” in Australia, which quality checks pizzas through AI and only okays the best pizza, rejecting the others.
The company used various digital initiatives, such as mobile apps, online orders, tracking deliveries, AI-powered voice ordering, and an innovation lab, to stay ahead of the competition and provide their customers with a personalized and exceptional customer experience.
Today, the annual revenue of Domino’s Pizza stands at a whopping 4375 million USD.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have discussed the digital transformation in the food and beverage industry. We have elaborated on the numerous benefits that this process has and how you can help your company grow manifold by employing key trends. Many firms began their digital transformation in the food and beverage industry long ago, like Domino’s Pizza, whose case study has been mentioned, and eventually realized its benefits. You may also
