ZAG Technical Services, a San Jose, Calif.-based IT consulting firm, managed services, and IT security provider in the ag, food and beverage industries, has released “How Technology Will Change the Food Industry in 2024 and Beyond,” a whitepaper outlining the many ways technology plays a vital role in shaping food industry workflows, according to a release.
Food and agriculture have always used technology to advance production. Today, the pace of technological change is being driven by new business demands stretching from labor and water shortages to increased environmental, social and governance (ESG) realities and global reaching policy and market realities, the release said.
The whitepaper indicates that investments in technology can lend to business growth while alleviating some physically demanding, labor-intensive and repetitive tasks. Investment in data systems can provide business opportunities to accelerate business growth, while also upskilling and optimizing the existing labor force, the release said.
“As the food industry reflects on their opportunities to grow, it is important for them to see the value of technology and data as a tool for providing competitive advantage,” Thuan Ngo, vice president of data and software services for ZAG, said in the release. “The reality is companies that are growing have leaders that recognize the value of their data and its power to help them not just compete but outperform and outpace the competition.”
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The digital era is actively advancing agriculture and the food and beverage industries thanks to new developments in artificial intelligence and enhanced automation, according to the release.
ZAG says quality and safety remain a priority and the rapid evolution of AI technology is yielding improvements in areas of waste, maintenance, food safety, production planning and customer intelligence. With technology lending a hand to monotonous tasks, growers, processors, shippers and retailers are recognizing time and labor savings and the ability to focus on more strategic and organizational initiatives, the release said.
With the use of internet-connection technology becoming more common, the data generated by these devices is becoming an untapped asset in many businesses, the release said. Predictive analytics and real-time reporting have been instrumental in achieving business growth throughout the supply chain, according to ZAG. Remote process automation and enhanced workflow objectives provide more opportunities to streamline work and make organizational improvements for company growth.
“Looking ahead, it is imperative that our industry recognizes that technology is the new farming input,” ZAG President Greg Gatzke said in the release. “Technology enables our teams to deliver more value and when used in tandem with the application of strategic data insights, we can transform how people conduct business and create opportunities for a competitive advantage.”
Related: Download a copy of the ZAG whitepaper.
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