Accurate demand quantities, fewer returns, higher turnover and better working hours – these are some of the goals that can be achieved with the help of modern IT solutions. All businesses can benefit from digitalisation and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Bread is one of the oldest foods produced by humans – but it is under pressure. Baking stations and low-cost chains are giving traditional bakeries a hard time. Energy and raw material prices continue to rise, and the industry is also groaning under excessive bureaucracy. Remedies are needed. Consistent digitisation of the businesses can provide it. This is not only proven by numerous study results that regularly identify digitalisation as one of the megatrends in the baking industry. The increased number of exhibitors present at this year’s iba with new offerings also underlines this relevance.
Digital scales deliver accurate recipes and required quantities
One example is digital scales: handwritten recipes that get lost or become illegible could be dispensed with in the future. Digital scales measure accurately and automatically calculate the ingredients and quantities for specific items. Software solutions also offer the possibility of transferring knowledge easily and quickly in the event of staff changes. Through integrated day planners on wall screens or tablets, production steps can be scheduled or displayed as a list with tasks. Transparency is guaranteed during shift handovers. All ingredients of the baked goods, including allergens, are stored and can also be easily retrieved by sales staff during consultations.
When the computer monitors the sourdough
In production, many steps can be carried out at other times of the day through sensible planning and with the appropriate technical prerequisites. Computer-controlled technology can help with the fermentation of sourdough, for example. The dough then matures at night in special climate chambers and is monitored by the computer. The rolls can be prepared the day before and only need to be baked in the morning. A large part of the night work is thus transferred to the day – an important argument for employee satisfaction and when it comes to recruiting and training young talent.
But digitalisation promises great progress not only in production, but also in sales. When do which products do particularly well in which branch? This is a question that every baker has probably asked himself several times. Artificial intelligence helps to answer it. Based on previous sales figures, it determines the sales forecast for the next day. The special feature: external factors such as weather, holiday periods and public holidays are also taken into account. Raw materials and products can thus be better planned. “The optimised store production avoids returns, closes the sales gap in the afternoon and facilitates the transfer of knowledge in case of staff changes. Artificial intelligence thus enables a completely optimised supply of goods in the specialised shop for single-day and multi-day articles,” says Valentin Belser, Managing Director of the Munich-based software company Delicious Data GmbH, which offers digital solutions for the bakery trade in cooperation with the Austrian backaldarin The Kornspitz Company.
The need for digital solutions is different in every business
But how do bakeries find out which modernisation and digitisation measures are right for them? With a digitalisation guide, the software company OptimoBercher from Friedrichshafen shows what exactly digitalisation means for bakeries and how it can be implemented in just a few steps. With simple questions and a descriptive quiz, bakers can assess their own path and take an initial inventory. “If a software only prints delivery notes and invoices, it does not offer the user any added value. Digitisation is only achieved when data is not only entered, but also digitally networked and available at any time and any place,” explains David Bercher, managing partner of the OptimoBercher Group in Friedrichshafen. “The right software helps to optimise the entire process and automate it as far as possible.”
Conversion during ongoing operation is no problem
Those who want to modernise their baking technology can do so step by step. After all, hygienic measures must be observed for ongoing operations, and sufficient production capacity must be available at all times. Digitalisation also helps here. Concepts for energy modernisation, which also take into account the building structures, are planned and simulated on the computer so that it can be shown in advance what the modernised bakery operation will look like.
Digital tools are indispensable for the craft sector
Digitalisation helps bakers to concentrate more on their core activity, baking, and on their customers – without losing track of the relevant operational data. On the contrary: paper handling is no longer necessary, time is saved and sources of errors and costs are reduced. In this context, digitalisation encompasses all processes, from personnel and merchandise planning to the optimisation of production processes and the reduction of the returns rate. Digital tools help the artisan baker to work more efficiently without subordinating the craft to technical processes. And above all, this makes the profession more attractive for young people again.
New digital platform iba.UNIVERSE
Digitalisation not only makes everyday life in the bakery easier, it also makes it easier to visit the trade fair iba 2023 in Munich. iba.UNIVERSE provides a completely new way to prepare for the trade fair: Via iba.UNIVERSE (LINK: https://universe.iba-tradefair.com/de), participants can not only search for exciting exhibitors, but also specifically for editorial content.
Exciting contributions to the iba.TOPICS Food Trends, Artisan Bakery, Health, Sustainability, Digitalisation, Turnkey Solutions and Quality management can already be discovered today. Trade fair visitors can also get to know new business areas and potential partners before iba from 22 to 26 October 2023. These can then be visited specifically at the trade fair itself.
Expanding one’s network and maintaining contacts is made easy with iba.UNIVERSE by being able to follow exhibitors and thus stay up to date. With
one click, visitors also receive a digital business card or can make an appointment.
This article is from our iba.INSIGHT magazine. For more iba.INSIGHT articles, sign up for our newsletter and receive the entire magazine with exciting topics about the baking industry as a thank-you gift in PDF form.
