6 Tech Trends Beverage Producers Should Consider in 2023

Navigating shifting consumer trends, shelf space battles, and general operation challenges can cause business inefficiencies. Great software and other innovative technology are what industry-leading producers use to not just manage their business, but propel it forward.

Here are 6 trending tech solutions we’re seeing producers use to control their brand, collaborate with the rest of the supply chain, improve forecasting, and sell more than ever before.  

PIM (Product Information Management)

A PIM tool gives beverage producers the ability to control product information and brand presence throughout the supply chain. Uploading product images, descriptions, product sizes, ABV, UPC codes, and more creates a single source of truth for each product as it moves throughout eCommerce platforms across the supply chain. Beverage distributors are increasingly tapping into PIMs like Global Products to add new products to their system with ease, and utilize materials like sell sheets and promotional material as they execute in the market.  

Gamification Tools

Companies like iSellBeer prove gamification is a powerful tool producers use to sell more beer. Points, badges, and leaderboards drive friendly competition and market execution at the distributor level while allowing brewers to see how distributors are executing ads and incentives in real time.

Commitment Communication Tools

Cross-tier collaboration to strengthen market execution is more important than ever. Your sales team might be doing an excellent job getting product and display placements at the retail level, but then what? Using a commitment communication tool ensures your distributors: 

1) Know about these commitments

2) Have a streamlined way to execute on these commitments in the marketplace

3) Have a way to communicate their success back to you 

Producers using tools like this have seen an 18% average placement completion increase, and distributors are saving an average of 4 hours weekly by eliminating outdated spreadsheet tracking methods.

Distributor Ordering and Reporting Tools

Your wholesalers can now place, edit, and schedule orders from anywhere, through a platform that integrates with your ERP. Connected reporting tools improve forecasting for producers with increased visibility into sales and product data. Reporting tools also ensure producers and distributors have full transparency around sales, new product information, and inventory data at all times. 

NFC Tags

Near Field Communication (NFC) tags communicate with electronic devices (smartphone, tablet, laptop, and more). This is the same technology used in contactless payment devices (e.g. tap to pay with ApplePay or Google Pay). A growing number of brewers are discovering the benefit of NFC tags in their warehouses to help manage inventory and accurate delivery processes by quickly scanning products and accounting for them within integrated software. Others are using them to provide consumers a way to quickly view more product information at the store shelf. 

Fleet Management

Fleet Tracker is a powerful tool for self-distributing breweries. Historically, it has been difficult to know what’s going on with your vehicles after they leave the warehouse. Fleet Tracker increases fleet visibility with real-time insights pulled from on-board diagnostic tools. This improves routing efficiencies and delivers savings on vehicle maintenance and gas.

It’s key for beverage producers to leverage industry-specific tech tools to improve forecasting, production schedules, branding, and overall business growth. Interested in learning about all the tech solutions we offer to producers?  
Visit https://www.encompasstech.com/connect/manufacturers-hub to explore the trending tech solutions powering the Encompass network.