Higher efficiency and turnover

Few days go by without news of developments in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). Food production and retail systems and solutions are also constantly evolving and becoming ever more ­sophisticated. Bakeries are benefitting from these developments and the wide range of offerings now available.

AI is now playing a significant role in the baking industry, too. More and more compa­nies are already using innovative AI-assisted solutions and benefiting from them. Such data-based systems are an important tool for obtaining more precise forecasts, for exam­ple on sales volumes. This in turn allows material usage and production processes to be optimised. David Holzwarth, Managing Director of Shop-IQ GmbH & Co. KG, sees AI as the key to raising competitiveness. “It is becoming increasingly difficult for the baking industry to meet the demand for greater efficiency, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.” It is therefore important that bakeries waste no time in exploiting the solutions. Dedicated applications already ­exist for almost every task – including for supplies ordering, shift planning, machine utilisation and production. But AI can also be used in sales, delivery, administration and accounting.

Help in combatting skilled labour shortages

Recently, the shortage of skilled staff in the bakery industry has led to the development of new AI solutions. Production and retail companies are constantly looking for ways to close staffing gaps and relieve the strain on employees, thereby allowing trained sales staff to focus more closely on customers again. Digital solutions such as POS systems can automatically transmit the numbers and types of reorders, price adjustments or discount campaigns directly to the warehouse and production departments. 

Any possible delay in deploying AI resulting from the extra work involved in collecting the data is absorbed by the AI providers. They collaborate with the individual companies to develop specially tailored systems for them.  Once the respective test phases have been completed, the providers offer the companies and their staff training courses and webinars.

The ultimate aim for both parties is always to organise the processes in bakeries more effectively in order to compensate for staffing shortages in the most effective way. Holzwarth believes there is great and evident potential for the use of intelligent data-driven systems – in predictive production planning, staff scheduling or targeted energy management. Shop-IQ thus offers a modular system for the digital management of bakery outlets. The modules include electronic price tags, HACCP-based temperature control and energy monitoring.

The IT company from Schweinfurt has partnered with Aha 360° on the new AI assistant, which is now being launched. The AI tools are provided by Shop-IQ, while
Aha 360° supplies the lighting technology and takes care of planning the shop construction and design. Another partner is semco Service Management Consulting GmbH for digital task management. Samuelson Unternehmensberatung und Software-Entwicklung GmbH provides the interfaces for data such as receipt data and for the product information shown on the checkout displays.

Perfect overview of sales data

The AI specialist Delicious Data GmbH also takes care of collecting data and building up a comprehensive database. The team of the Munich-based start-up not only analyses customer behaviour at different times of the day, on weekdays, public holidays and in different weather conditions, it also assesses the corresponding sales figures. The aim is to create a daily planner for each individual branch so that the staff can plan the baked goods they need with great accuracy. “The daily planner is then adjusted during the course of the day. It reacts dynamically with the POS system via the live interface and is always one step ahead of demand,” explains Valentin Belser, founder of Delicious Data. The data can be displayed on a dashboard which the employees can customise as they require. Bakeries can call up the latest sales or product returns figures via the desktop or with the help of an app.

“The live BI dashboard shows important performance ­indicators and real-time POS data directly via the app. This allows us to reduce the workload of our staff and optimise stock levels,” says Mark Störmer, Digitalisation Officer at Hildesheim Stadtbäckerei Café Engelke GmbH, which operates 27 branches. For Michael Jais, Sales Manager of the Mack artisan bakery with 45 branches, the system ensures optimum availability of goods: “The precise settings allow us to determine exactly which products should be available in our shops and for how long. The result is an increase in sales.” In response to the evaluation, the shops can adjust the range and plug any sales gaps with promotions.

Automatic price tag adjustment

Copago AG goes a step further. The Oberhausen-based company enables bakeries to react immediately to changes in purchasing behaviour – and not only in terms of reorders and assortment adjustments. Prices can be quickly adjusted and displayed on digital price tags on the bakery shelves. This enables the shops to launch spontaneous discount campaigns, for example. Customers of the bakeries can use the mobile Get2go app to find out the current prices and then shop or order directly in the selected branch. The goods are held for them in a special pick-up box. “Online ordering is becoming increasingly important. It gives custo­m­ers time to select and order the goods. We offer an express pick-up lane in some branches,” explains Alexander Schrader, Managing Director of the Schrader bakery in Apensen. Use of the app opens up multiple synergies for the bakery. “We are constantly reviewing it for improvements and making sure it looks appealing. Here we always work closely with the employees and listen to their wishes and ideas. That’s the secret of our success.”

Carefully balanced schedules

CompData Computer GmbH provides bakeries with administrative support at an earlier stage in the process – before the goods are actually sold. It is important that the overall process is optimally harmonised for this – a crucial point for Konditorei Brommler GmbH. “We wanted to obtain all our scheduling, invoice management and HR management solutions from a single source,” says Melanie Steinhauser, Head of Administration at the family-run company from Memmingen. It was therefore clear from the outset that all the programs must be integrated and would be used as a package. As a result, employees’ exact working hours are passed on digitally to the HR department.

CompData provides precisely customised and coordinated personnel planning for the individual shops and the days of the week. Staffing schedules are integrated into the Atoss Time Control app, where open shifts can be offered and ­accepted. “We are now also offering high-performance IT security solutions to defend against cyber attacks and to provide comprehensive backup strategies,” explains Reiner Veit, Managing Partner of CompData. This ensures that the overall process is optimally coordinated.          

                Wolfram Marx

The digital price tag from Shop-IQ and Delicious Data uses AI to analyse customer behaviour – by time, day of the week and weather – to forecast sales figures and optimise processes.