How big data analytics can aid the food industry?

Food and Beverage Industry is an important segment of the Global Market. Despite the global challenges, the operations of this one sector did not cease to function. Undoubtedly the restaurants and food outlets bore the brunt of the pandemic but the supply-chain continued to operate. Moreover, as the food and beverage industry combines a cluster of diverse and equally important domains, it demands robust management. From farmers to suppliers, to retailers and consumers, the contribution of every entity is paramount.

However, over the past decade competitiveness amongst the food industry has accelerated. Be it in the demand for quality food products or authentic cuisines, the patron's choices are playing a key role to decide the fate of the brands. This has an impact on the financial segment and popularity aspect of the brand. Many restaurants, food outlets and food enterprises are rendered to halt their operations because either they are unable to meet the customer's demand, or they lack proper management. That's why the food industry necessitates a tool that can assist them to overcome the various challenges in the food industry.

Additionally, the food industry generates a huge amount of unstructured and structured data, which is not necessarily utilized according to its potential. This data can be leveraged to gain powerful insights with the help of Big data analytics. This article focuses on the major use cases of big data analytics that can bolster the food and beverage industry.

Quality Control 

Quality of the food is a major element driving the success of food enterprises and outlets. Temperature-sensitive products like vegetables, fruits, and milk products get degraded if the temperature of the environment gets altered. Often this has become a major roadblock in the supply chain, especially when raw food products are transported over long distances. By integrating the specific-IoT driven sensors which accumulate, processes and analyze the data from its environment will aid the supply chain cycle to be monitored. Additionally, the IoT sensors will alert in the timely replacement of the degraded products. Big data analytics software can monitor the arriving materials and scan the finished products.

Moreover, since adulteration is one of the major issues in the food and beverage industry, big data analytics can monitor the products during manufacturing. This will ensure further food safety of the product.

Enhanced Management

Big data analytics along with predictive analytics can be a powerful tool to analyze the customers' preferences and patterns. Data is collected daily from the customer's feedback, or in the form of pricing receipt which can be utilized for efficient strategy. Moreover, predictive analysis can be a powerful tool in the transportation process, and in forecasting the weather, so that farmers, suppliers and retailers can plan accordingly. Through big data analytics, the food products can be couriered faster. A delay in product management proves perilous to business. Big data analytics provides a platform for efficient product management.

Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment Analysis is a powerful tool leveraged by businesses to monitor and understand customer behaviours. By integrating data analytics into sentiment analysis, the restaurants can seek out customers' opinions about the particular cuisine, products and the ambience of the restaurant. Sentiment Analysis would also enable the food industry in identifying what drives the clients to visit a particular food outlet or restaurant.

Innovation

Customers are hungry for innovation. And the food is an entity which demands continuous innovation. If a restaurant or food outlet is innovating new dishes or a food enterprise is introducing a new food product regularly, the chances of the businesses getting profitable are extremely high. Big data analytics thus aids for innovating new products and dishes by analyzing the customer's past preferences and choices. This includes analyzing the data of the customers having similar food or beverage choices, the ingredients which are liked by maximum customers, and the dish or the cuisine that is ordered maximum times. The restaurants and food outlets can then plan out a dish which fulfils the above-mentioned criteria. In this way, the food outlets and restaurants can be ahead of their peers.

Transparency for the Customers

Businesses that are visible and transparent in operations are likely to be picked up by the customers more. This holds for the food industry as well. Through big data analytics, transparency can be maintained in the supply chain operations, so that the customers can track down their products. Many food outlets like Zomato, Swiggy and Uber eats are applying data analytics, and hence are successful in the business.

Product Sorting

In the manufacturing process, manually sorting the finished products can be laborious. Especially if the said product is required to be transported in many enterprises and outlets. Through big data analytics, the manufacturing units can automatically segment the products according to the region, and ingredients.

Conclusion

Many brands such as the Cheese Factory, KFC and Fresh Direct are already deploying big data analytics in their businesses. Though, this technology is yet to be adopted by the majority of restaurants. However, big data analytics will be a powerful tool to drive effective business. The restaurants and food outlets must gain lucrative benefits from the available technology.