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The Advantages of Using Data for the Food Industry
Data is getting more and more important. Sure, we’ve heard that before a million times, but it is true. Customer requirements in the food industry are sky high, and at the same time the need to reduce costs is immense. Food should be good, safe, healthy, and so on. That’s quite the job! Hard to achieve, but with the help of data it’s certainly possible. The possibilities with data are endless, which can only mean one thing: better quality of food (know what you eat), better service and better experiences. Because with data technology you simply get more information from the chain. Very useful! And desperately needed to stay ahead of the competition. Still not convinced? Read more below about some of the many advantages of data.
Better insights into product quality
The combination of data and endless new technologies ensures that you can map the quality of your product much better. For example, look at our Avocado Case, where we have fed a system large amounts of data. What do you get? A system that now immediately sees the quality of the avocado based on a picture. And let’s be real, this is just the beginning of everything that’s possible with data in combination with innovative technologies.
Predicting and planning production
Data technology can lead to food companies being able to predict the demand for their product, making the planning of production more efficient and precise. The more data you’ve collected over the years, the more precise your prediction will be. Customer of Schouw Informatisering, Laban Foods, already works with a Demand Forecasting tool (FoodCast) on a daily basis. Apart from the obvious advantages, like cutting costs, the correct prediction of demand and adjusting your production according to this prediction makes for less food waste. On the other hand, you can actively advise your customer (retailer) in the number of quantities to be purchased of your product.
Taking the industry to the next level by exchanging data
Together you can achieve more than alone, which is also the case when talking about data. Even though exchanging data might be difficult from a protectionist point of view, just imagine the knowledge it entails, and how it can take the industry to the next level. Example: Better use of half-empty trucks across different companies (Smart Logistics). That obviously only makes us better.
Transparency from farm to fork
Last, but certainly not least, data offers many possibilities for complete transparency (from farm to fork). Which, among other things, can increase the willingness of consumers to pay more for distinctive products, because they are certain of the origin of the product due to full transparency. For example, think of antibiotics-free meat.
To get to the right insights and the correct steering information, it’s of great importance that the ERP of your company is steady. It’s the base of your company and should always work. Your ERP generates data, and a lot of it. And you can do great things with that data. With the right information and insights, you can optimize continuously. Which means working more efficiently and grow.
