Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
AutomationProcessing

4 Key Questions for Food and Beverage Digital Transformation

By Jeremy Adler
Here are four key questions to help food and beverage manufacturers

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

March 5, 2024

Digital transformation isn’t a new idea in the business world, but the work required to bring it about in food and beverage production companies is no simple task. Just about every operational leader I talk to says they’re feeling pressure to accelerate digital transformation, increase investment in digital tools and move toward more data-driven, analytics-powered decision making. 

Now, they’re looking at economic volatility that’s adding urgency to drive efficiency and create competitive advantages through tech-enabled strategies. But that economic uncertainty is also increasing pressure to get it right. They can’t afford to spend on failed tech transformation like the estimated 70% of digital transformation initiatives that McKinsey says ultimately fail. 

With every vendor pushing “digital” solutions in various states of maturity, perhaps the biggest challenge is choosing digital tools that align with the business’ key challenges and objectives. 

Here are four key questions to help food and beverage manufacturers get the most out of their digital transformation efforts:

How can I use technology to address labor scarcity?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 9.6 million job openings that were unfilled in the U.S. as of June 2023—while only 5.8 million people were considered “out of work.” In other words, even if every available worker accepted a job, there will still be millions of unfilled positions. 

Despite rounding the corner of the COVID-19 pandemic that spurred this dilemma, the labor shortage is the industry’s new normal that is expected to only worsen over time. Digital transformation has the potential to offset labor scarcity and support a shifting workspace. Food and beverage manufacturers need to rethink how work gets done and embrace technology to offset labor shortages. 

Technology can also modernize processes reliant on ad hoc reports and outdated systems such as using spreadsheets and other simple databases to view production data. With fewer employees to flag and remediate potential problems, digital technology can pick up the slack by automatically benchmarking performance, illustrating KPIs and surfacing the insights that matter most. Digital transformation has the power to help food and beverage operations better protect quality and ensure safety—while driving greater profitability.

Do I need to employ technology to simplify compliance?

The short answer is “yes.” Since the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) became law, food and beverage manufacturers have been asked to embrace completely new and ever-evolving standards and practices. For example, manufacturers are now tasked with taking proactive steps to prevent foodborne illness, rather than reacting when illness occurs among the public. 

Investment in digital technologies will be key to meeting these requirements without putting an immense strain on existing operations. Technology that can support these regulation challenges will need to be dialed in to the specific data and reports food and beverage manufacturers need. The technology platform selected should be designed to consider FSMA data collection requirements and offer built-in data collection, analysis and reporting features so that manufacturers can streamline compliance reporting.

How do I ensure my operations get actionable insights—not just data? 

No doubt, there’s a massive amount of data flowing through food and beverage operations every day. Unraveling complexity and unlocking the full value of data might seem like a daunting task. Yet, there are powerful digital analytics tools that can find the meaningful, actionable signal in the “noise.”

Digital analytics tools don’t replace humans. They work alongside humans to provide the best of digital processing power so humans can make decisions driven by relevant, useful information. But there are a variety of analytics tools available, so finding the right one is important. 

Look for a truly purpose-built platform for food and beverage data processing that reveals how the data and analytics insights will impact the business. An ideal analytics tools will provide automated alerts and a dashboard that easily displays key metrics. Look for an analytics tool that also has a benchmarking feature so you can drill into the data by plant, shift, line and industry standards.

What do I look for to make sure a technology will be scalable? 

Automation, digitization and evolving regulations are changing the food and beverage processing world faster than ever. That’s why food and beverage processors need to ensure that their tech investments are truly future-ready.

Look for a technology platform that can easily adapt to requirement and workflow changes and a technology provider that continually adapts and evolves to stay ahead of changes. To learn if a provider is dedicated to creating technology aligned with the industry’s changing needs and requirements, ask about the design principles that drove the technology in its inception and how the provider plans to invest in and expand the platform going forward. A platform focused on the food and beverage industry is more likely to incorporate customer requests and suggestions into future innovation plans.

Digital Transformation is a Lifeline

“Going digital” isn’t just for the forerunners anymore—it’s a necessary shift to keep up with competitors who are already building tech-enabled advantages. It’s the most efficient way to meet regulators’ increasingly data-driven requirements. And it will be key to capturing the vast institutional knowledge that threatens to walk out the door as baby boomers retire. 

As much as food and beverage companies stand to gain from digital transformation, they also stand to lose big if their tech investments fail to deliver on promised value. With these high stakes, wading into the proliferating pool of digital food and beverage solutions is no doubt daunting. But to keep your investments on track, you need tools that specifically align with your primary challenges. And to smooth the path to realizing that value, you need those tools to be purpose-built for the complexities of food and beverage production—so you can hit the ground running.

KEYWORDS: digital transformation digitalization operation technologies operational efficiency operations

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

 Dr. Jeremy Adler is a technical service leader at Ecolab.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

FA&M 2025 in Rewind

FA&M 2025 in Rewind

More Videos

Popular Stories

Conagra Logo

Conagra Brands to Sell Chef Boyardee Brand to Hometown Food Company

Salt

FDA to Amend Standards of Identity to Include Salt Substitutes

Vilter IHP in plant

Industrial Heat Pumps: Sustainable Energy Solutions for Now and the Future

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 5, 2025

Mass Customization Driving Innovation in the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry is at the nexus of transformative global manufacturing trends, driving a shift toward personalized, customer-centric solutions. 

June 5, 2025

How Cafe Spice Uses Automation to Propel Private Label

Learn about Cafe Spice’s new, state-of-the-art, highly automated manufacturing facility in Beacon, New York. 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Track product movement throughout facilities

    Driving Successful Digital Transformation in the Food and Beverage Industry

    See More
  • To produce top-notch olive oil today and market it around the world requires a level of automation that spans the entire supply chain

    Digital transformation offers food manufacturers a giant reset button

    See More
  • Broken supply chain-6181098_1170x658.jpg

    Tools to Manage Overtaxed Supply Chains Can Be the Basis for Digital Transformation

    See More

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • November 10, 2020

    How a Connected Workforce Can Help You Face New Challenges

    ON DEMAND: This year has created a number of challenges for food and beverage manufacturers, and the short- and long-term effects have been dramatic. Digital solutions for manufacturing operations can help processors understand and tackle those challenges while maintaining flexibility and efficiency.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!