1、Sponsored by:Food&Beverage IndustrySoftware Trends 20223Sponsored by:2022Food&Beverage Industry Software Survey ReportTable of ContentsPart 1:Who Took the Survey 03Part 2:Attitudes Toward Digital Technologies 06Part 3:Most Valuable Software 11Part 4:Biggest Challenges 17The challenges of the past fe

2、w years have forced food and beverage manufacturers to rethink their operations with an eye toward greater efficiency.This has resulted in a large uptick in the adoption of new technologies,including software products to facilitate and automate processes from the back office to the plant floor.For t

3、his survey,we asked food and beverage industry leaders about their attitudes toward software,what solutions they find most valuable,and where theyre planning to invest in the future.What we discovered is an industry that is rapidly embracing new software solutions to manage everything from traceabil

4、ity to inventory,production,maintenance,and more.Read on to discover how software is transforming the industry and what food and beverage manufacturers value most when it comes to making technology decisions.Introduction23Sponsored by:Part 1:Who Took the Survey3Survey respondents represented the ent

5、ire food and beverage industry.Processors and manufacturers comprised the largest segment.For the data analysis,we combined the“processor,manufacturer”group with the“packer,co-packer,contract manufacturer”group.3Sponsored by:Respondents came from all verticals of the food and beverage industry.The t

6、op five verticals were:1.Bakery and snacks2.Beverages3.Prepared foods4.Dairy5.Meat,poultry,and seafood 4Part 1:Who Took the SurveyRepresented verticals3Sponsored by:5More than three-quarters(77%)of respondents were manager-level or higher.Part 1:Who Took the SurveyJob senioritySponsored by:63Sponsor

7、ed by:Part 2:Attitudes Toward Digital TechnologiesThe food industry has historically been considered a technology laggard,meaning that,compared to other industries,it has been slow to adopt new technologies.Over the past few years,the challenges associated with COVID particularly the need to increas

8、e production with a diminished workforce have spurred companies to faster technology adoption.In the food and beverage manufacturing industry,technology is a large category,encompassing everything from barcodes to autonomous robots.In this report,we focus on the software systems that support plant o

9、perations.7Sponsored by:More than four in 10(43%)processors and manufacturers in our sample said that software has transformed their operations,and 40%said it provides a competitive advantage for their business.8However,the large majority dont describe themselves as leaders in using new digital tech

10、nologies.This gap provides an opportunity for processors and manufacturers to put themselves ahead of the competition by becoming early adopters.It also provides an opportunity for software suppliers to boost adoption of their products by supporting the industry through this culture change.Part 2:At

11、titudes Toward Digital TechnologiesSponsored by:Among the top five verticals in our sample,there were a few instances where we could identify clear leaders and laggards in terms of software adoption.Overall,respondents in meat,poultry,and seafood were mostly likely to say that their companies were e

12、arly adopters and also that software has transformed how they operate.On the other end of the spectrum,the bakery and snacks vertical was less likely than average to agree with all but one of the statements.35%of respondents in the meat,poultry,and seafood industry said their company was an early ad

13、opter,compared to just 27%in prepared foods.9Part 2:Attitudes Toward Digital TechnologiesEarly tech adopters(by vertical)Sponsored by:29%of respondents in the dairy industry said their company is leading the digital transformation,compared to 22%in bakery.1055%of respondents in the meat,poultry,and

14、seafood industry said that software has transformed how their company operates,compared to 47%in bakery and snacks.Part 2:Attitudes Toward Digital TechnologiesThe digital transformation(by vertical)Sponsored by:In the reverse pattern,55%of respondents in the bakery and snacks industry said that soft

15、ware provides a competitive advantage for their company,compared to 50%in meat,poultry,and seafood.11Part 2:Attitudes Toward Digital TechnologiesCompetitive advantage(by vertical)3Sponsored by:Part 3:Most Valuable SoftwareWe asked respondents to rate various software solutions on a scale of 1 to 10,

16、where 1=not at all valuable and 10=extremely valuable.These results are from processors,manufacturers,co-packers,and contract manufacturers only.Traceability,inventory management,and production tracking software were rated as the most valuable solutions.On the other end of the scale,design and engin

17、eering,environmental health and safety(EHS),and enterprise asset management(EAM)software were rated as the least valuable.12Sponsored by:13In addition to the ratings,we also asked respondents three related open-ended questions:What is the most valuable software you use on a regular basis?What softwa

18、re do you wish your company would purchase to improve your day-to-day work?What is your companys top software priority for 2022?For all three of these questions,the most common answer was enterprise resource planning(ERP)software.This suggests that processors and manufacturers are looking to move aw

19、ay from multiple disparate software systems and instead consolidate their critical data and information into a platform that provides a single source of truth.Part 3:Most Valuable SoftwareSponsored by:14Most important software attributesPart 3:Most Valuable SoftwareWe also asked respondents to rank

20、11 software attributes in order of importance.These results are from processors,manufacturers,co-packers,and contract manufacturers only.Average rank of attributes,from 1(most important)to 11(least important)Cost3.6Return on investment(ROI)4.0Functionality4.2Ease of use4.9Integration with existing s

21、ystems5.2Industry-specific features and capabilities6.2Flexibility/customizability6.9User training and support7.1Time to implement7.5Scalability8.0Industry expertise of the software vendor8.2Cost was the top-ranked factor overall.However,this result was largely driven by the smaller verticals in our

22、 sample,which also tended to represent smaller companies.Sponsored by:15Most important software attributes(by vertical)Part 3:Most Valuable SoftwareAmong the five biggest verticals,functionality was the most important factor for four of them:bakery and snacks,beverage,dairy,and meat,poultry,and seaf

23、ood.In addition,the meat,poultry,and seafood vertical was the only one to rate ease of use as more important than cost.Overall,our results suggest that the meat,poultry,and seafood vertical is the least price-sensitive when it comes to purchasing software.Prepared foods is the most price-sensitive v

24、ertical,and the others lie in between.BakeryBeverageDairyMeatPrepared foods1.Functionality2.Cost3.ROI4.Ease of use1.Functionality2.Cost3.ROI4.Ease of use1.Functionality2.ROI3.Cost4.Ease of use1.Functionality2.Ease of use3.ROI4.Cost1.Cost2.ROI3.Functionality4.Ease of useSponsored by:16Software implem

25、entation processPart 3:Most Valuable SoftwareDespite the fact that respondents understand the transformative power and competitive advantages that software can bring,only 28%of our sample said their company has a formal implementation process in place for new software tools.Of the companies that do

26、have a formal implementation process,the most common process is to start with a small pilot or validation test before a full rollout.3Sponsored by:There are many types of software solutions available to food and beverage companies.These solutions are not an overnight fix or a Band-Aid theyre tools t

27、hat with time and effort allow your business to improve and grow.However,if not executed effectively,software implementations can be expensive and time-consuming.After working with over 1,000 food and beverage companies implementing enterprise resource planning(ERP)systems,Aptean has compiled a list

28、 of our best tips to ensure a successful software implementation:Clearly define the scope of the project by analyzing your processes and workflows,identifying your current problems,and establishing your requirements.Research and demo multiple vendors.Dont be afraid to ask for references.Best Practic

29、es for Successful Software ImplementationTrack your data before,during,and after the implementation.Set a realistic timeline,and dont forget to include training and testing in the projections.Technology implementations are not done overnight.Ensure you have buy-in from your entire executive team and

30、 include your entire team in the process.Build a strong relationship with your vendor.Your vendor should be your partner dedicated to your success.Our final and most important tip:be prepared for a lot of change,but know that the change will pay off.If youre ready to start your ERP search process wi

31、th an industry expert,contact us at .3Sponsored by:Part 4:Biggest ChallengesFinally,and not surprisingly,the two most commonly cited challenges were the workforce and the supply chain.While software cant increase the available supply of raw materials or workers,there are solutions such as supply cha

32、in and workforce management tools that can help processors and manufacturers mitigate the impact of shortages in these areas.18Sponsored by:Thank You!For the latest news in the food industry,visit FoodIndustryE.Advertise on the fastest growing publication for food industry buyers and suppliers download the Food Industry Executive media kit.