In the food and beverage industry, Coke may add life, but the industrial internet of things (IIoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) lengthen it.
New technologies in processing have helped lengthen equipment life as well as improve quality control of the process. With IoT dominating new processes, smart valves and monitoring sensors regulate the volumes being dispensed and allow for flexible manufacturing all the way to the customer experience. For example, smart dispensing machines use valves with feedback technology to monitor the flow and mixture of soft drinks. These valves mix the product, control the balance and alert when one of the ingredients has run out.
IoT in processing
In food processing, improved control through the line is achieved by controlling the ingredients through dispensers and valves, which improves quality. The big payback for these system improvements is not only having greater control over ingredients but also having self-reporting failures. Now, the smart valves have memory in the device or in the hub, so when you swap out the valve, it remembers the settings and calibration data to quickly get back up and running. The data has increased so that the information received is not when a hopper is empty; rather, it constantly measures and provides estimated times until the product will be empty for better anticipation and product flow of raw materials in food and beverage plants.
You can monitor the levels, temperatures, usage, waste, overall equipment efficiency (OEE) and predictive maintenance data. The big change for cloud information is that you can use plugins to apply detailed analytics to the data and make on-the-fly adjustments in the valve to control temperature when it determines the temperature needs to increase. The distribution of ingredients can also be checked to change the flow to make it more accurate and reduce waste.
In many applications, temperature and flow rate are equally important and can affect the actual mixture and absorption of some ingredients. This is also true at altitudes where foods can take longer to cook due to air pressure. With many options working hand-in-hand to control the quality of production, it is crucial to have better control through valves and actuators to regulate and monitor all aspects of production.
In food and beverage processing, cleanliness is king. The environment needs to be controlled meticulously, but this means you may have less ability to manually monitor the production, thus leading to more smart valves and IoT influence in food and beverage controls.
Controlling the flow through valves with feedback loops and external monitoring is dominating the destiny of manufacturing, especially in plants that have more than one product line and changeovers. These small bottling plants are especially susceptible to issues because the changeover times affect the OEE. Getting the valves to the proper settings and speeds does not happen with the flip of a switch; the speeds ramp up, which means the settings for all points of production must meet strict levels, or you risk huge waste numbers that do not meet quality inspection.
Many companies have the packaging feeding lines from buildings next door or occupy a space internal to the food or beverage manufacturing plant. These add another level of control that must be achieved in the IoT production plan, as they bring in external packaging from a third party, and it is not single item flow. In other words, packaging must be de-stacked so it can be fed into the line.
Canning processes oftentimes use air to reject bad parts or kick out bad products or use air valves to move products, such as buns and rolls.
Valves need to provide quick response and near immediate feedback to ensure correct timing. AI now offers a way to control feedback to monitor and accurately anticipate the correct part to approve or reject, which may need to change quickly depending on the environment. Technology for monitoring is requiring a better, smarter valve and actuator. They need to be able to respond quickly in any environment and any temperature with minimal downtime and minimal maintenance.
With an increasing demand in food production, we also see an increasing demand on equipment and production plants. Downtime can mean spoilage — a costly risk for food and beverage manufacturers. If a car sits for 24 hours, it won’t go bad. But, if food is exposed for any minor period, an entire batch of product may be wasted and result in thousands of dollars lost in retail sales.
IoT in packaging
Whether you fill bottles, cans or jugs with a beverage or if you fill a bowl, plate or container with food, there is the need for IoT.
From a management standpoint, IoT can be thought of as data nodes. These tiny, seemingly insignificant data points allow you to connect the dots and produce trends that can be used as key performance indicators (KPIs). In the old systems, we set a high and low limit for these KPIs, and we would act accordingly when we arrived at the limit. In some cases, a high limit indicated where you have maxed out the container that held the product and you needed to change the containers or packaging. On the low side, it might have indicated where product has run out.
In terms of AI being a living, breathing entity of information, which is not on or off, instead, it is the gray area in between that is more analog — trending better or worse. If we think in those terms, we can see that it does not do us any good to simply wait until we run out of bottles or until we have no more chicken to purchase; we want real-time feedback with real-time action.
The production line of packaging must be maximized to achieve the greatest production rates. Downtime is the enemy, and using AI can be thought of as maintaining a healthy life for the food and beverage industry.
Preventing downtime is not just reacting to the problem. In terms of the health in any line, preventive maintenance is like taking vitamins or probiotics for preventive health care. But since we cannot take the pills at times when we are out, we schedule our preventive care.
Planned and predictive become the optimum keys in a production line. A lot of planning went into the design and shape of the aluminum can. Why do we have the shape and why is it optimum? From early on, we realized the difficulty in manufacturing the packaging of beverage products. A square can would make it optimal for shelf space and shipping, but manufacturing and contour to the human hand would not be the best solution. A round shape can be quite difficult to stack and hold, and as soon as you let go on a table, it takes off. So, the cylinder was born — optimized for productivity, shelf space and shipping. Planning made that possible.
Planning in the manufacturing process is perhaps the most important aspect to maximize the health of the food and beverage lines. If planning is number 1, a near number 2 is execution. How we execute our plan can lead to a successful plan or an awful failure. AI can maximize implementation of the production plan. We take the information nodes and determine the optimal time to allow for minor tweaks in the system — all the way to line changeovers and major repairs.
Like in our own bodies, we need to allow enough time to recover and rehabilitate. Production lines are the same; we know how long these two actions should take and must allow adequate time and proper scheduling using AI to optimize that available time. Sometimes, that requires running ahead on production if possible, but more likely, it means making sure that we have addressed any shortages in our production to be compensated for in stock or in preparation.
The data points can be processed using AI programs to determine production opportunities where we can add production in preparation of significant downtime, not just minor changeovers from product to product. However, we may maximize changeover time to add productivity. This is where automation may show added value in the production with hidden savings. Not only the day-to-day savings but also minute-to-minute savings can provide added production time needed to fulfill delivery needs.
This can often be where return on investment (ROI) becomes a little cloudy if we are looking at just added production but not at reduced downtime or added availability. These should all be captured in an OEE plan, but too often, they are ignored.
If we look at the systems within beverage and food production as a human entity in the way AI does, we can compare it to time management. For example, a day planner allows us to maximize our day and make us more productive. The same is true in processing and packaging. We need to add systems that add value and time to our day. How do we maximize our available time and maximize efficiency of our downtime? It is through improved information and utilization so that we can plan and execute better.
Joseph Zulick is a writer and manager at MRO Electric and Supply. For more information, go to mroelectric.com and josephzulick.com.
FAQs
What will be the benefits of artificial intelligence AI in food service industry? ›
Supply Chain Management
New food safety regulations are introduced all the time to increase transparency in supply chain management. AI algorithms use artificial neural networks to monitor food shipments throughout all stages of the supply chain. That ensures that the food meets all safety standards.
AI has been successfully deployed for applications such as sorting fresh produce, managing supply chain, food safety compliance monitoring, effective cleaning in place systems, anticipating consumer preference and new product development with greater efficiency and savings on time and resources.
How would you use AI technology to improve the operation of your F&B business? ›AI could significantly improve packaging, increasing shelf life, a combination of the menu by using AI algorithms, and food safety by making a more transparent supply chain management system.
How artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the food and beverage industry? ›Artificial intelligence in the food sector can keep track of the customers, their preferences, and purchases, all of which are crucial variables for predicting sales. For example, a retailer can have a better understanding of its main customers based on their recurring purchases and hence stock up on inventory.
How does AI improve customer satisfaction? ›AI in customer service means 24/7 availability around the globe in any language, which inevitably attracts new customers and increases customer satisfaction. AI can also work hand-in-hand with human support agents, replacing them in solving basic tasks while allowing them to focus on more complex cases.
How IOT helps food industry? ›With the help of IoTs, food manufacturers can access and make use of real-time food safety data, such as carbon dioxide, heavy metals, humidity and temperature, or shipping times and storage conditions. This is often classified as Active Cold Chain Management.
What technology is used in food industry? ›Food innovations are using robots, GPS technology, and smartphone apps to improve food production processes. New technologies in various food industries improve and enhance customer experience.
Do you think AI can contribute to the growth of foodservice industry? ›Better Supply Chain Management
AI in the food industry is also capable of creating accurate forecasts to manage inventory and pricing. This kind of predictive analysis helps keep food businesses one step ahead, enabling them to avoid wastage and unnecessary costs.
The ability to respond faster than people, to automate processes through AI, enables companies to do more with less and expand their operations. They are also able to offer more advanced – and more timely – services.
How technology is changing the F&B industry? ›Automation of process
Automation is also up and coming in the F&B industry, with robots running the kitchen, clearing trays and serving dishes. Adopting such technology will help reduce the dependence on manpower and better control quality of food and service as human emotion is taken out of the equation.
Why Artificial intelligence is important in hospitality industry? ›
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in hospitality management, primarily because of its ability to carry out traditionally human functions at any time of the day. This potentially means that hotel owners can save significant money, eliminate human error and deliver superior service.
How the Artificial Intelligence AI is changing the hospitality industry? ›Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) help provide customers personalized services, analyse user reviews, and offer virtual assistance, ensuring that guests have a pleasant experience.
How does artificial intelligence affect consumers? ›AI can also help with customer behavior analysis. With AI, marketers can investigate how customers engage with their companies. It can offer an insight into every step in the customer journey and help marketers understand what's driving customer behavior.
What are three ways to improve customer experience using AI? ›- Offer proactive and personalized customer service. ...
- Improve lead generation. ...
- Generate data-driven customer insights. ...
- Customize Content. ...
- Streamline workflows. ...
- Prevent employee burnout.
Example: In Weather Forecasting using AI they have reduced the majority of human error. 2) Takes risks instead of Humans: This is one of the biggest advantages of Artificial intelligence. We can overcome many risky limitations of humans by developing an AI Robot which in turn can do the risky things for us.
How does AI improve user experience? ›AI In Enhancing User Experience – Benefits
Most of the time, the UX teams collect the user preference data and implement them into the design by adopting various tests like A/B tests, data usage, usability tests, and heat maps to enhance user engagement in their products.
Artificial intelligence is shaping the future of humanity across nearly every industry. It is already the main driver of emerging technologies like big data, robotics and IoT, and it will continue to act as a technological innovator for the foreseeable future.
What is the main importance of artificial intelligence? ›Today, the amount of data that is generated, by both humans and machines, far outpaces humans' ability to absorb, interpret, and make complex decisions based on that data. Artificial intelligence forms the basis for all computer learning and is the future of all complex decision making.
What is AI advantages and disadvantages? ›...
Advantages and Disadvantage of Artificial Intelligence.
| Advantages of artificial intelligence | Disadvantages of artificial intelligence |
|---|---|
| 1. It defines a more powerful and more useful computers | 1. The implementation cost of AI is very high. |
- Improved productivity of staff and reduced human labor. ...
- Efficient operation management. ...
- Better use of resources and assets. ...
- Cost-effective operation. ...
- Improved work safety. ...
- Thorough marketing and business development. ...
- Improved customer service and retention. ...
- Better business opportunities.
What are the benefits of using IoT in industries? ›
- Automated data collection: In more traditional settings, employees utilize more manual data collection methods. ...
- Improved productivity: Manufacturers with IoT-enabled production processes stand to improve productivity by increasing machine utilization.
The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects—“things”—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet.
How has technology improved the food industry? ›Increased efficiency and productivity in food production: technology has allowed for a more streamlined and efficient production process, from planting and harvesting to manufacturing and packaging. Change in food consumption habits: technology has also played a role in changing people's food consumption habits.
How technology can improve food production? ›Technology can transform agriculture
In precision agriculture, real-time weather forecasting helps farmers with day-to-day decisions on when and how much to irrigate, fertilize and apply pesticides to their crops. Controlled-environment agriculture promises to further reduce the impact.
The use of robots and machines in the food industry has made the production process much quicker and efficient while also lowering costs, labor, and potential worker injuries at a minimum.
What are the 4 powerful examples of artificial intelligence? ›- Manufacturing robots.
- Self-driving cars.
- Smart assistants.
- Healthcare management.
- Automated financial investing.
- Virtual travel booking agent.
- Social media monitoring.
- Marketing chatbots.
According to a research by scientists at the University of Oxford, Artificial Intelligence will be better than humans at translating languages by 2024, writing school essays by 2026, selling goods by 2031, write a bestselling book by 2049, and conducting surgeries by 2053.
How will AI impact the workforce in the restaurant industry? ›With a tired, overworked staff, AI can relieve some of the burden and give dining staff the availability to focus on quality, personalized service. “The goal is to automate all the running back and forth in the dining room so staff can focus on engaging residents,” says Smith.
How is AI used in fast food? ›The conversational AI technology can greet customers, take orders, transfer orders to point of sale (POS) systems and do other functions. In a pilot program last year, Checkers & Rally's found that the AI voice assistant had 98% accuracy in taking drive-thru orders and did not need restaurant employees to intervene.
How can AI help in no hunger? ›For those who distribute food
the intelligent use of data brings insights on how to best feed the population with the available resources, also minimizing waste and foreseeing food shortages.
How AI can solve business problems? ›
Automation can also help with things like appointment scheduling and fraud detection. Another way AI can help leaders solve problems is by providing insights from data. With AI, businesses can gather large amounts of data and then use that data to make better decisions.
What is the impact of AI in business? ›The use of AI takes care of repetitive tasks to give you a competitive advantage because you're focused on other important tasks within your company that require human intervention. The time saved with automation can be invested in other activities to help businesses grow, regardless of industry.
How does AI help in today's business decision-making? ›With the help of AI, companies are better equipped to fight disasters using AI decision-making algorithms, detect anomalies and predict future behavior. AI enhances automation and reduces the human-intensive labor and tediousness involved in forecasting and prediction analysis.
What are the benefits of using digital technology in food and beverage industry? ›The digital transformation of the food industry, as well as the food and beverage manufacturing industry as a whole, has changed the way operations are managed. For example, it helps to monitor real-time data, optimizes efficiency, improves production, improves quality & compliance, and so on.
How digital transformation benefits the food and beverage industry? ›More Accurate and Immediate Data Collection
For example, ERP platforms designed for food and beverage companies can integrate with smart sensors, scales, meters and thermometers to automatically conduct the readings that help you monitor product quality and process efficiency.
Technology has touched every aspect of life, including the food and beverage industry. High-tech solutions in business aim to save money, deliver goods and services more efficiently to consumers, and improve the overall customer experience.
How is AI used in restaurants? ›Voice AI applications have the capacity to process multiple orders at once without being overwhelmed or interrupted with other tasks. With a virtual ordering assistant, workers can focus on preparing orders and serving more guests, helping restaurants double their sales during peak hours.
How does IoT Help in hospitality industry? ›IoT solutions for hotels are providing increased comfort and well being to the guests: No more check-in and check out queues. Find the way easily to restaurants and other amenities with in-house navigation. Customized offers/food as per guest's cuisine choices.
How does AI improve customer satisfaction? ›AI in customer service means 24/7 availability around the globe in any language, which inevitably attracts new customers and increases customer satisfaction. AI can also work hand-in-hand with human support agents, replacing them in solving basic tasks while allowing them to focus on more complex cases.
How artificial intelligence AI can solve major deficiencies in hospitality? ›Artificial Intelligence (AI) can sift through and dynamically draw insights from mountains of data (operational, performance, guest, pricing, comp set, BI, marketing data, etc.) to allow hoteliers automate or augment operations, processes and decision making via various hospitality tech applications in guest services ...
What are the 5 challenges being faced by artificial intelligence? ›
- Determining the right data set. ...
- The bias problem. ...
- Data security and storage. ...
- Infrastructure. ...
- AI integration. ...
- Computation. ...
- Niche skillset. ...
- Expensive and rare.
From morning to night, going about our everyday routines, AI technology drives much of what we do. When we wake, many of us reach for our mobile phone or laptop to start our day. Doing so has become automatic, and integral to how we function in terms of our decision-making, planning and information-seeking.
What are 3 negative effects of Artificial Intelligence? ›Loss of Certain Jobs
While many jobs will be created by artificial intelligence and many people predict a net increase in jobs or at least anticipate the same amount will be created to replace the ones that are lost thanks to AI technology, there will be jobs people do today that machines will take over.
How is the Hotel Industry using AI to provide an awesome User ...
How to use Artificial Intelligence in the Hospitality Industry
3 Ways A.I. Is Transforming the Hospitality Industry
Efficiency and productivity gains are two of the most-often cited benefits of implementing AI within the enterprise. The technology handles tasks at a pace and scale that humans can't match.
What is artificial intelligence and its benefits? ›Artificial Intelligence has always been used for making smarter business decisions. AI technology can coordinate data delivery, analyze trends, develop data consistency, provide forecasts, and quantify uncertainties to make the best decisions for the company.
What are the benefits of AI in the workplace? ›Businesses are using artificial intelligence to improve the productivity of their employees. One of the benefits of AI for business is that it handles repetitive tasks across an organization so that employees can focus on creative solutions, complex problem solving, and impactful work. One example of that is chatbots.
How will AI impact the workforce in the restaurant industry? ›With a tired, overworked staff, AI can relieve some of the burden and give dining staff the availability to focus on quality, personalized service. “The goal is to automate all the running back and forth in the dining room so staff can focus on engaging residents,” says Smith.
Why is AI important for the future? ›AI enables an unprecedented ability to analyze enormous data sets and computationally discover complex relationships and patterns. AI, augmenting human intelligence, is primed to transform the scientific research process, unleashing a new golden age of scientific discovery in the coming years.
What are 3 benefits of AI? ›- AI drives down the time taken to perform a task. ...
- AI enables the execution of hitherto complex tasks without significant cost outlays.
- AI operates 24x7 without interruption or breaks and has no downtime.
- AI augments the capabilities of differently abled individuals.
Who does AI benefit the most? ›
- 1) Information technology (IT) ...
- 2) Finance. ...
- 3) Marketing. ...
- 4) Healthcare.
Summary. AI technology is important because it enables human capabilities – understanding, reasoning, planning, communication and perception – to be undertaken by software increasingly effectively, efficiently and at low cost.
What is artificial intelligence in short answer? ›Artificial Intelligence (AI) Explained
In the simplest terms, AI which stands for artificial intelligence refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence to perform tasks and can iteratively improve themselves based on the information they collect.
The goals of artificial intelligence include computer-enhanced learning, reasoning, and perception. AI is being used today across different industries from finance to healthcare. Weak AI tends to be simple and single-task oriented, while strong AI carries on tasks that are more complex and human-like.
How is IoT data used by AI? ›IoT collects the data, and AI analyzes it to simulate smart behavior and support decision-making processes with minimal human intervention.
What are two positive impacts of artificial intelligence? ›Example: In Weather Forecasting using AI they have reduced the majority of human error. 2) Takes risks instead of Humans: This is one of the biggest advantages of Artificial intelligence. We can overcome many risky limitations of humans by developing an AI Robot which in turn can do the risky things for us.
What impact does AI have on future of work? ›AI can create more employment, not fewer, if there is an investment in all sectors—anywhere that focuses on training and upskilling workers. Instead of "people or computers," the question should be "humans and computers" involved in sophisticated systems that progress industry and wealth.
How is AI used in fast food? ›The conversational AI technology can greet customers, take orders, transfer orders to point of sale (POS) systems and do other functions. In a pilot program last year, Checkers & Rally's found that the AI voice assistant had 98% accuracy in taking drive-thru orders and did not need restaurant employees to intervene.
How the artificial intelligence AI is changing the hospitality industry? ›Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) help provide customers personalized services, analyse user reviews, and offer virtual assistance, ensuring that guests have a pleasant experience.
How AI will change the hospitality industry? ›AI in hospitality will help business owners deliver a more personalized and tailored experience than ever before. This is possible thanks to data analysis and to robots taking care of routine, repetitive tasks whilst leaving staff to deal with the more complex areas of their job.