Automatic digitalisation
The food and beverage industry is changing fast (as ever). Due to technology evolving constantly, manufacturers are increasingly having to turn to digital technologies as the world calls for transparency, resilience, and fairness across the food system.
There are few industries, or sectors, that haven’t been touched by digital. As long as the consumer drives the market, all businesses will need to use technology to stay ahead of customers’ ever-changing demands. Additionally, technology helps gain competitive advantage. So, if you don’t embrace digitalisation or do it properly, you could be giving your competitors a head-start.
Rockwell Automation’s 8th annual State of Smart Manufacturing: CPG Edition encompasses the responses of 216 CPG leaders across 13 of the leading manufacturing countries.
This year’s report emphasises the evolution of the CPG industry, inclusive of food and beverage manufacturers, specifically about balancing quality and profitable growth, the impact of process automation, the adoption of smart manufacturing, and the essential role of technology when mitigating risks, improving quality, keeping up with competitors, and maintaining business continuity.
However, technology and digitalisation are often expensive and can be out of reach for small businesses. So, how can we ensure these technologies are available to all stakeholders, and the associated food is affordable for all consumers?
SMEs are very good at developing new trends in partnership with other businesses and this could be one way they could advance digital technologies to their advantage. Partnerships would be a good way for businesses to align themselves with others that can not only help them with the progress of initial move into technology but also gain from the expertise and the funding to identify which parts of their business require innovation to aid bringing a solution to market at the right time.
Digital technologies and the rise of Industry 4.0 are creating a vast range of opportunities, as well as challenges, for food and beverage manufacturers.
Yes, there are barriers to overcome; adoption is not across the board – and not for every business. A lack of digital skills and technical knowledge are clear barriers. Yet there are many platforms through which SMEs can seek support. As Make UK’s Charlotte Horobin (region director – Midlands & East of England) once said, “manufacturers need to embrace and accept digitalisation. Be curious – be an industrial magpie take good examples from across all different people within manufacturing and apply it to your business”.
- Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.
Keep in touch via email: rodney@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @foodanddrinktec or LinkedIn: Food & Drink Technology magazine.
