Key Takeaways
- Adopting innovative software solutions enables food & beverage companies of all sizes to navigate challenges, improve efficiency, and foster long-term growth.
- ERP systems automate workflows like inventory and scheduling, leading to cost savings, improved compliance and higher product quality.
- AI software enhances inspection accuracy and speeds up detection tasks on production lines, reducing errors and increasing product safety.
New equipment and technology only operates as well as the people and systems behind it. Food & beverage processors have learned over the years that getting operational software right makes a huge difference in how much efficiency they can squeeze out of a piece of machinery, a processing line and an entire operations network.
Today, it seems, whenever people think about software in food or beverage plants, the mind drifts automatically to artificial intelligence and machine learning. And sure, the computing power and programming needed to elevate the game on AI and ML is critical. For companies of various sizes, using AI to increase efficiency has been a gamechanger.
Take one recent Business Insider report, for example, highlighting the benefits gained in three different manufacturing plants. A startup pet food company named Spot & Tango used AI software to manage various parts of its supply chain and logistics, allowing the company to scale up its production and take some of the scheduling and coordination out of the hands of the workers.
Furthermore, more companies are turning to digital twin technology, where process and product innovation can be tested and trialed in a virtual space using real data to determine viability. Kellanova, for one, has taken advantage of this cutting-edge idea as part of a digital journey it has been on for years.
In a release from May 2025, Kellanova relayed it has “used digital twins to test, adjust and optimize new technology in a virtual environment before launching large-scale manufacturing of our paper Pringles cans in Europe, which enabled us to maintain production efficiency, reduce downtime and improve start-up.”
Meanwhile, more processors are taking advantage of AI software that can handle inspection and detection tasks at greater speeds and with improved accuracy. Walk any food & beverage trade show floor, and numerous vendors will be happy to lay out the details of the programs that support and run the detection systems and cameras that inspect the product on the line.
AI has also worked its way into crunching the data produced by machinery on the line to plan maintenance and predict required downtime for maintenance in some cases.
Keeping processes connected
Even with AI taking up the headlines as the new kid on the block, innovative software solutions have been available to help processors maneuver through the maze of challenges they face in day-to-day operations as well as long-term planning.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can make a big difference for companies looking to improve their plants’ efficiency, meet food safety and regulatory compliance demands, and provide data and record-keeping up and down the supply chain.
“By automating various workflows, such as inventory management, order processing and scheduling, ERP software ensures that production runs smoothly and is aligned with demand,” according to a blog post from Ultra Consultants. “This, in turn, enables food & beverage companies to save time, reduce costs and enhance the quality of their products.”
Of course, implementing any sort of company-wide change such as an ERP system requires processors take the proper precautions and work with the right vendors. It’s not hard to find horror stories of ERP installations gone bad, even in the food & beverage space. Many of those bad-news case studies offer lessons that can be learned pretty easily.
Ultimately though, the number of successful switchovers outnumbers the slip-ups. When implemented correctly and employees are properly trained on how to use the system, there are plenty of benefits to be reaped, no matter the size of the company.
With the right approach, there’s no such excuse as being too big to change for the better. In fact, global behemoth Nestlé just announced in October 2025 that it had finished the first phase of a major upgrade to its global digital core — what it called “the world’s largest-ever SAP upgrade.”
The company further noted that the “milestone in Nestlé’s digital transformation strengthens the company’s ability to drive growth by improving its operational efficiency and its responsiveness to evolving consumer trends.” And, while digital initiatives, AI and automation often garner praise across the wider industry for their ability to free up employees to do more valuable or affirming work, in this case, Nestlé pointed out that this move also would free up “resources to invest in Nestlé’s iconic global brands.”
The company said it expects to finish the upgrade across the rest of the group in two years, “significantly faster than similarly sized peers.” Nestlé’s ERP system connects processes from manufacturing and sales to supply chain, finance, and human resources, end-to-end in a single system, enabling streamlined operations and improved decision-making.
As the Nestlé example shows, such a connective system, built upon the right software and proper implementation, can keep any processor cruising along at a more efficient rate across all its business.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.