Supply Chains at the Edge of Food and Beverage: The Benefits of Moving Beyond Data Centers

Some food and beverage organizations’ decision makers have responded by moving to edge-based computing. Edge computing removes a portion of supply chain data from a central data center and repositions it closer to the source of the data itself—at the site of a farm, warehouse, processing plant, or manufacturing facility.

Santhosh Rao, Senior Research Director at Gartner, says “As the volume and velocity of data increases, so too does the inefficiency of streaming all this information to a cloud or data center for processing.”

Where only 10% of enterprise-generated data is currently processed outside a data center or cloud, Rao predicts that by 2025 that figure will reach 75%, positioning edge computing as the future of supply chain management.

Let’s look at how edge computing can benefit supply chains today.

Warehouse speed and efficiency

Warehousing solutions that rely on centralized data servers are hamstrung by technical performance issues. This causes delays collecting, transferring, processing, and storing information, slowing decision making and response time from supply chain managers. Edge computing solutions position servers and storage at the site where data is being generated, enabling devices to operate over smaller and leaner localized networks. This eases strain on resources by only sending essential data to a remote center. Edge computing also enables 5G connectivity, for unprecedented speed and efficiency.

Supply chain visibility

In today’s complex network of global supply chains the need for visibility has never been greater. Edge computing can improve visibility by facilitating the adoption of a blockchain network—think of this as a shared ledger for recording and viewing transactions, orders, payments, accounts, and assets across a network of supply chain stakeholders. The result is complete, real-time visibility across entire supply chains, enabling managers to quickly and easily track down the location, quantity, or status of goods and components.

Machine learning & automation

Edge computing can be used to automate time-sensitive supply chain processes in warehouses, factories, or manufacturing facilities. These processes lessen the need for human management, creating optimal outcomes while eliminating the risk of human error. Edge-based computing enables more to be done with less labor, increasing the efficiency and resiliency of supply chains. Reduced latency in the response time of automated processes saves money, prevents costly errors, and protects workers from accidents with real-time responses to automated alerts.

Gartner says: “75% of large enterprises will have adopted some form of intralogistics smart robots in their warehouse operations by 2026. Smart intralogistics robots are specialized forms of cyber-physical robotic automation primarily aimed at warehouse and distribution center environments. Edge computing and 5G is the ideal ecosystem to power this new era of supply chain AI and automation.”

Data autonomy & sovereignty

Edge computing is particularly effective in supply chain locations where connectivity is limited or restricted, such as transports on land, sea, or air, or remote farms and facilities. Since edge computing keeps data close to its source, the risk of bandwidth strain or outages resulting from environmental or location-based factors is reduced.

Edge-based computing is also a means of mitigating risk when it comes to protecting sensitive information. Data being sent across national borders is vulnerable to cyber attacks and piracy, and subject to legal issues that can cause supply chain congestion. Because edge computing keeps data within the boundaries of its location, sensitive data can be processed locally and encrypted before being sent to a primary data center.

On the edge of food and beverage

Let’s look at how edge-based computing is redefining every step of food and beverage supply chains. One farmer has integrated real-time monitoring to ensure optimal irrigation, treatment, and harvesting. The data gathered during early crop stages informs inventory and pricing decisions for stakeholders. The monitoring and tracking of data during transit helps ensure optimal food storage conditions, with the ability to alert distributors of any issues or delays. Then, as food undergoes quality testing on production lines, any quality or safety issues can be communicated before food leaves the factory, avoiding a costly recall. Explore 5 insightful SOLOCHAIN WMS use cases for food and beverage companies.

John Fryer, Senior Director Industry Solutions at Stratus Technologies says: “The food industry has a complex supply chain with many different sources, hand-offs and endpoints. At every point, there are factors that impact food freshness, taste, productivity and cost. And traceability throughout the entire supply chain is essential to ensure food safety and regulatory compliance. Placing real-time intelligence at each of these points helps maintain the highest quality while controlling costs to maximize slim margins.”

Smarter, faster warehousing

To improve efficiency and accuracy in warehouse processes, smart cameras can be deployed to scan individual pallet barcodes for full visibility into what stock is where. Employees (AI or otherwise) can lift boxes, holding them in view of the cameras, which in turn reads the barcode metadata to identify whether the box has been placed on the correct pallet. With the meta-data analyzed in real-time, fraudulent barcodes or misplaced pallets can be spotted in a timely manner. Data is streamed in real-time between edge devices, your leading warehouse management system (WMS), ERP software, cloud and employees. This can save significant time, and money, while allowing for agility in fluctuations of volume traded.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an immense impact on the food & beverage industry, supply chains, and warehouse management activities. Read about how this resilient industry transformed almost overnight. Download our eBook: Post-pandemic impacts on food & beverage companies.

Generix Group North America provides a series of solutions within our Supply Chain Hub product suite to create efficiencies across an entire supply chain. Our solutions are in use around the world and our experience is second-to-none. We invite you to contact us to learn more.