We have seen the incredibly potent F&B industry (food and beverage industry) go through a variety of changes in recent times. Many consumers today have chosen to move towards healthy, plant-based products and food options. Consumers are very particular about the food and beverage brands they choose and the food they eat. They are also carefully listening to what you as an F&B brand stand for, serve and provide for them. Government regulations have also supported the consumers (rightfully so) and become stricter to protect public health and make sure there is total compliance.

The food and beverage industry had always been a dynamic and competitive market. We have only seen it grow invincibly. However, an exception was seen with the pandemic going on. The food and beverage industry did cope rather well with all the constant changes and loss of trust that was faced, briefly. So, although the development was stable the pandemic exposed the capabilities of legacy systems and ERP implementations (Enterprise Resource Planning), which made the leading F&B brands rethink their structure. The other issue we watched unfold was watching the supply chains take a hit. Many F&B brands in the food and beverage industry experienced delays and shortages.

The lack of these two components in the system had a major effect on brands which shook the entire value chain - manufacturing, distributing and delivering. The silos were left broken. How did people and direct customers face this? It was seen in the ability or the lack thereof to maintain quality services. The need for a strong digital transformation in the food and beverage industry was loud and clear. The problems that a food and beverage brand (you) may be going through can be fixed through simple digital changes in the current model. Moreover, your competitor in the food and beverage business is currently advancing towards being better than you by incorporating innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain.

What are the benefits of digital transformation in food and beverage industry?

Food companies that are not adhering to this much-needed transformation need to step into the digital world. Your food and beverage business can process optimization, supply chain resilience and improve efficiency if you start focusing on a robust digital transformation. Here are two factors that you as a food and beverage company/food and beverage service can achieve through digital transformation:

Customer expectations:

What is the one thing you wish you had in a food and beverage business (or any business for that matter)? An insight into what your customer wants so you can provide it to them without any discrepancies. You may not be able to achieve that entirely but we can tell you, from experience and with assurance, that your customers need personalization and an experience that is connected. Customers today are intolerant towards laid back behaviour or procedures and complex methods across their customer experience or customer journey. Customer expectations are changing and the F&B leaders need to loop in any customer demands that they can while working on them effectively. What you will notice is customers are repeatedly asking for personalization, healthier preparations, environment-friendly options and creating an omnichannel experience in the food and beverage industry. Hence, you must properly connect the supply chain for B2C and B2B customers in a functional manner. Digital transformation places you at a position from where you can effectively eliminate these challenges. Through the right technology you can personalize user experiences, streamline supply chains, and utilize user data.

Efficiency and productivity:

You are aware of how drastically your food and beverage business can change if the right technology is used to distribute and deliver your products while also offering apt support to users which can increase productivity. With digital transformation not only can your supply chain be unified but also your support team can extract data to support users. For example, if a customer has a query, instead of confusing the customer and having various departments looking up for data on legacy non-connected systems, through a few digital transformations you can extract data in minutes. Quick access and a seamless process can positively impact your company’s productivity and work on effective operations.

Lastly, digital transformation helps you work on your revenue and profits. Digital transformation can work on smoother support cycles, easier supply chain tracking systems, and even a much less complicated movement of data in a manner that helps you enhance your profit margins.

As a leading customer experience company that has worked progressively towards achieving customer success in more than 100+ companies over the last 27 years, we can assure you that some changes are for the best. The impact of digitalization on food industry has been of immense help to the leading food and beverage companies. It has also brought about a positive impact of new innovations in food and beverage industry. Meanwhile, the latest technology in food industry is also being scrutinized for optimization and better use. With companies like SonataGBW that provide 9 solid customer experience services your food and beverage company is bound to skyrocket. All while adopting the latest technology in food industry and leading the game in food and beverage digitalization.