People rarely think about the role of food for people, society and technology.
Food influences geopolitics, economics and human behaviour, and its use extends into other areas - for example as ingredients in beauty products, fabrics and many other materials. Forward-thinking companies with positions and reputations in the food industry are analysing patterns in consumer behaviour to determine which is the next food product with which to dominate the market. But in order to reach the desired market position, it is not enough just to be savvy about consumer expectations, but also to be well prepared to produce the new product line in sufficient volumes. Unforeseen circumstances are also an important factor, such as possible interruptions in supply chains, supplier bankruptcies, pandemics and many others.
HOW TO ATTAIN SUSTAINABLE PROGRESS
If there's one crucial aspect that food manufacturers should grasp regarding consumer trends, it's the constant evolution of consumer expectations. Recent occurrences have prompted significant shifts in lifestyles (such as wars, pandemics, droughts, and floods). Food producers must exhibit exceptional adaptability in their manufacturing processes and remain prepared to bolster various alternative supply chains, capable of swift production adjustments. Concurrently, consumer mindsets are shifting towards heightened eco-consciousness, necessitating businesses to cater to these anticipations with an expanded product spectrum - ranging from offerings for the general consumer to the availability of exclusive gastronomic choices and organic items.
ENHANCING EFFICIENCY, QUALITY, AND COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH PRODUCTION DIGITALIZATION
DELMIA Ortems stands as a prominent software solution for the meticulous planning and adept management of manufacturing facilities. With DELMIA Ortems at your disposal, achieving real-time consolidation and heightened dependability of production data becomes attainable. This leads to a comprehensive and interconnected overview for production planners and managers, enabling well-informed decisions. Through sophisticated methodologies and advanced pre-designed optimization algorithms, you'll optimize production capacities, enhancing their utilization and equilibrium. Additionally, you'll curtail downtime, minimize waste, and streamline material storage. Equipped with the necessary tools, this system empowers you to swiftly adjust production schedules in response to evolving requirements, ensuring punctual deliveries to customers. Across the globe, numerous flourishing food and beverage enterprises augment their competitiveness daily, thanks to the facilitation of DELMIA Ortems.
OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED IN THE PURSUIT OF SUSTAINABILITY
For food manufacturers, a crucial understanding concerning consumer trends is the unceasing nature of trend evolution. Recent incidents have precipitated significant shifts in people's lifestyles, causing substantial disturbances across various industries and expediting the rate of trend metamorphosis. As consumer mindsets gravitate towards heightened eco-consciousness, businesses must promptly embrace sustainable practices, procedures, and operations to harness these substantial prospects. DELMIA's Senior Industrial Process Consultant, Jeff Lockett, sheds light on three significant challenges manufacturers must confront in order to effectively navigate these disruptions:
Transitioning from traceability to transparency
Merely producing safe and high-quality food in the correct manner is no longer sufficient. Contemporary consumers demand brands to adhere to elevated ethical benchmarks spanning material sourcing to business conduct. Economic considerations are no longer the sole determinants of business choices; ecological ramifications also play a pivotal role. Additionally, consumers anticipate comprehensive openness concerning ingredient sourcing within end products, empowering them to make fully informed purchasing choices.
Embracing a Circular Economy over a Linear One
Manufacturers must embrace the circular economy as an inherent aspect, thus forming a supply chain that aligns with its principles. Alterations must be instituted to recuperate waste for subsequent reprocessing and reuse, thereby mitigating its environmental impact. This shift will lead to a supply chain paradigm characterized by circular economy principles.
Shifting Focus from Hunger to Well-being
As consumers grow increasingly health-aware and exhibit diverse dietary preferences, manufacturers find themselves navigating through shifting consumer anticipations. Within this landscape of evolving expectations, manufacturers might find it either advantageous or disadvantageous to deviate from these norms. To avert any undesirable trajectory for your business, flexibility is key—offering products tailored to distinct consumer segments with their unique, and at times specific, needs. Sustaining an extensive product portfolio while retaining the agility to swiftly adjust production strategies is undoubtedly challenging. This is where comprehensive software solutions come to the rescue, simplifying this endeavor to the mastery of a singular software program's operation.
Empowering Manufacturers Across the Product Lifecycle
The DELMIA solution equips manufacturers with enhanced readiness across every phase of the product lifecycle, spanning design, planning, production, and logistics. These comprehensive solutions deliver a range of functionalities, including:
Utilizing digital forecasts derived from market analytics to discern the most lucrative trends.
Strategizing and optimizing the complete supply chain, from sourcing raw materials to processing, culminating in a fully digitized supply chain.
Offering complete transparency and authority over supply chain operations.
Enhancing workforce optimization, ensuring the right staff with the appropriate efficiency.
Streamlining logistics planning encompassing the distribution of finished products to end consumers.