Digital Solutions in the Beverage Industry Boosts Productivity

Digital adoption prevents costly breakdowns and minimizes downtime from unnecessary maintenance through a data-driven, need-based approach in the beverage industry.

FREMONT, CA: A technological revolution is sweeping through the beverage industry. Beverage manufacturers are adopting new technologies at a rapid pace as consumer demand and supply chain pressures reveal the shortcomings of older systems and processes. Despite the promising nature of many of these trends, some have a greater impact than others.

These technologies are making the biggest impact on the beverage industry.

Automation: Automated systems are not necessarily new but are reaching new heights. Since robotic systems are becoming more accessible and versatile, and talent is becoming harder to acquire, automation is becoming an essential part of the beverage industry.

There are more than 4 million openings in the food and beverage industry, and 370,000 more jobs are expected to open by 2031. The decline of young workers in manufacturing is forcing beverage companies to rely on robotics to remain productive. Automated facilities can accomplish more despite having fewer employees, offsetting the labor shortage.

Physical workflows are just some of the things that can be automated. Back offices increasingly adopt robotic process automation to boost productivity and reduce errors.

Artificial intelligence (AI): Artificial intelligence (AI) is another technology impacting the beverage sector. As beverage workflows become increasingly digitized, more data is generated. Artificial intelligence algorithms can analyze that data and turn it into actionable insights, enabling beverage manufacturers to anticipate and adapt to incoming changes and optimize production processes.

Most experts agree that companies can only optimize one of three key variables simultaneously: time, cost, and quality. Humans often have difficulty identifying their companies' most valuable areas for improvement. Using artificial intelligence, leaders can identify weak points in workflows and identify changes that would have the greatest impact.

Using artificial intelligence, it is also possible to predict future changes, such as shifting consumer demands. A beverage producer can use this insight to minimize losses and gain an early advantage on new trends with this insight. With AI analytics becoming increasingly common, companies that still need to embrace it may quickly fall behind their competitors.

The internet of things (IoT): With AI adoption on the rise, IoT can help beverage companies benefit from these algorithms. IoT devices provide wireless connectivity to previously unconnected machines, enhancing AI's ability to analyze data. In addition to improving transparency, these connections and data collection can make the process more efficient. IoT sensors are used in a wide range of ways in the supply chain. The location of shipments, temperature, vibrations, and other factors can be tracked using connected tracking devices. The relevant stakeholders can be alerted if any parameters or schedules fall outside acceptable parameters, allowing them to adapt to ensure safe, timely shipments.

By alerting workers to repairs that need to be made, IoT devices can also improve machine health.