Beverage manufacturers and distributors face a pivotal time over the next few years. Below are five technology trends that we anticipate will take a firm hold within the marketplace during this time. 

1. Smart Technology

As consumers introduce more and more smart technology into their homes, it’s also beginning to impact the way the industry produce and distribute beverages. When it comes to the delivery of drinks, Tech disruptors such as Lyft, Uber, Instacart are empowering people to order the exact drink they want, when they want it, via their smartphones. Also, smart labelling is another powerful innovation. It can be used in product tracking and security, and with a simple scan, smart labels can expand packaging contents to provide recipes, additional product information, contests and interactivity, which can have an impact on brand enhancement too. 

2. Robotic Baristas 

Recently, innovations in robotic technology have also had a huge impact on the beverage industry. Switzerland-based startup Smyze have developed a cutting-edge robot barista. Users order their drinks via a touchscreen located in high-traffic areas and the robot creates their perfect blend.  The Smyze station has a menu of 60 drinks, and can produce 120 drinks per hour. In fact, there are no shortage of robotic baristas coming into the marketplace. Cafe X, Truebird, MontyCafe and FIBBEE are all recreating the human barista experience.

3. Cloud and SaaS Adoption

Since the early 2000s, cloud computing has impacted beverage manufacturers for the better. Beverage manufacturers and distributors must track and manage all data during the full lifecycle of their products, and cloud SaaS (software as a service) solutions are the means by which they can become more digitalized and efficient in their operations. It can impact and improve their accounting, demand planning, traceability and credit control processes. 

4. Blockchain Technology

Recently, beverage manufacturers have also looked to blockchain technology as a means by which improve their traceability protocols. Blockchain can trace and record all transactions in a supply chain. It is an immutable digital ledger, and with organizations such as EPA, FDA, FTC, and OSHA regularly prescribing new laws regarding food labelling, safety and traceability, blockchain technology serves as a solid platform to track and trace across the whole supply chain, meaning its users can meet all regulatory demands. 

5. 3D Printed Drinking 

We’re used to 3D printing when it comes to metals, ceramics to polymers, but now 3D printed beverages and cocktails are also on the rise. Smart Cups, Print A Drink, Bulleit Whiskey and Ripples have come up with innovative ideas to “print drinks”.

Smart Cups is a US-based beverage manufacturing company, which manufactures drinks by printing them inside the cups. The flavors are printed as 3D polycapsules inside biodegradable cups. And Print A Drink is an interesting Austrian startup that uses KUKA’s LBR iiwa robots to create 3D artwork inside a glass. The global market for 3D printing is predicted to reach $44.39 billion USD by 2025, so it’s important to stay ahead of this trend. 

The beverage industry has rapidly evolved in recent years. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the competition and digitize your beverage company’s supply chain, get in touch with the team at Cashmere today!