Challenges for the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry is facing a multitude of challenges, whether in production, supply chain, sale, or service.  Greater flexibility can help companies to overcome challenges and to prosper despite these challenges.

There are three main challenges facing the industry. Severe supply chain interruptions, high input price inflation, and staff shortages.

Recent industry surveys highlighted that a third of food manufacturers in the UK are struggling with the availability of materials, with the war in Ukraine continuing to impact critical ingredients at a global level, as well as other supply chain shocks across the board. With the lack of availability of such key items, production must either be reduced or adapted to use other, more readily available, ingredients. This can have a huge impact on industry revenues and affects not only production scheduling and stock holding costs, but also further down the chain, where grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, etc. are seeing shortages of items and have to adapt their offering to their customers. How can food and beverage companies adapt to this?

Inflation across EMEA is in double digits. Input prices and energy prices are increasing rapidly for the food and beverage industry putting pressure on the bottom line, but the sheer scale and speed of the price rises also means many must pass on the increases to customers in higher prices, causing further disruption and volatility to the demand side.

Over 75% of businesses in the food and beverage industry are suffering from staff shortages, leading to service and productivity issues. Retaining staff and ensuring they are able to be productive are key to maintaining service levels and keeping customers satisfied.

Flexibility is Key

In essence, more flexibility is required to ensure greater ability to fit with the prevailing conditions as operating conditions are now more volatile. One area ready for improved flexibility is in print. Be it the ability to switch ingredients printed on product packaging, smarter color-coded labelling for goods in warehouses, or restaurant menus based on current product availability and costs that day, the ability to print in house would provide greater flexibility elsewhere to maximise revenues and maintain the business. Historically, printing many of these items has been outsourced due to cost and quality as printing in house was considered expensive and cumbersome, especially when printing in color.

Imagine the power to create a new menu every day based on today’s specials and availability. This will not only help promote your business in the best way through superb color output, and boost your revenues by offering only what is available and not showing what is not, it will ensure happier, more effective wait staff who are able to guide customers more effectively and avoid having to remember what is not available on the pre-printed menu.

Printing in house not only brings flexibility but also saves you money by ensuring you print only what is needed. Of course, you need the right print device to ensure that can happen.

With the launch of new industrial color LED printers from Printronix, greater flexibility is possible, enabling in house printing without the need to compromise on quality or cost. Designed to print effectively in industrial environments these devices can quickly and easily flex to the latest business requirements. Not only that, they can provide stunning results, not possible on comparable office laser devices, by printing on speciality media to really help promote your business in the best possible way in print. To find out more or to get in touch to discuss with us directly please visit Printronix Industrial Laser Printers – Printronix.