In part 1 and part 2 of this three-part series we covered the first six, most common arguments in the Food Industry, against embarking on a Digital Transformation journey. This week we’ll look at the last four in the list.
“We don’t have anyone in-house to lead this”
This one is my favorite! It’s true that many food companies don’t have the internal skills to plan and execute on a digital transformation journey. Some have people with the necessary know-how but they are over-allocated and under-staffed.
Fear not. Delta T is here! This gap can be addressed through partnerships experts, hiring new talent, or up-skilling existing staff. We are here to help you do any and all of these steps. As your Digital Transformation partner, we will help you plan and execute on your roadmap whether that utilized our resources or resources we help you find and contract or hire. The food industry’s increasing digitalization is creating a small but growing pool of experienced professionals and we can assist in finding the right ones.
“Our data is very sensitive and cannot be used by any one or any thing”
There are real and valid concerns about protecting sensitive customer and supply chain data in digital systems. Information that can be misinterpreted, used by unscrupulous 3rd parties or competitors, to gain a competitive advantage, a disgruntled employee.
The truth though is that modern digital solutions (should) have robust security features. Proper implementation can actually enhance data protection compared to traditional methods. Compliance with data protection regulations can be built into the systems. These are all requirements and steps in the Digital Transformation journey that we at Delta T Partners, take very seriously, plan for and test to ensure proper implementation.
“Our current systems were not built to integrate with other systems”
In an industry that has been around for many years it is common for new technologies to not easily integrate with existing systems and equipment. This is a challenge for many companies in the food industry, exacerbated by the lack of in-house expertise and resources.
Thankfully, many digital solutions are designed for interoperability and take into consideration older systems. For those systems that are so out-of-date that integration is not a viable option serious consideration should be given to replacing them with newer systems, an update that will results in more streamlined operations and long-term savings. Cloud-based solutions can often bridge gaps between systems. A comprehensive Digital Transformation plan, identifies and plans for these challenges, ensuring that they are handled in the proper way and time.
“The Food Industry is unique and cannot use just any system”
The unique challenges of food production may not align well with generic digital solutions. This may have been true 10 years ago when the available technological solutions were not made for the food industry, resulting in systems that were either very difficult and time consuming to get off the ground, or didn’t serve their users well.
Today there’s is a growing number of digital solutions specifically designed for the food industry. These take into account the unique needs of food production, such as perishability, traceability, and strict hygiene requirements. Even larger players (see SAP, IBM etc) have heard the message and added functionality and capabilities that reflect the particular needs of the food industry.
Conclusion
The truth is that we, people, are resistant to change. We may complain about the way things are but at the same time, shy away from the unknown. There are many reasons to push back on a better way of doing things. At the end though life itself is change. Our environment is changing, our processes are changing, pathogens and microbes are changing all the time.
Digital Transformation can seem like climbing Mount Everest, when we first think about it but, with the right guidance and assistance from Delta T Partners, it is the path we all need to take, to ensure a safe and sustainable food supply chain for all of us.
