I just got back from the IFMA Go2MarketEdge conference in San Francisco, and my biggest takeaway was the gap between high-level theory and the practical challenges manufacturers face daily. The most valuable insights came from one-on-one conversations about current FAFH industry trends. Three realities stood out as critical for any manufacturer looking to grow in 2026 and beyond.
Trend 1: The Performance Gap in Go-to-Market ROI
One of the concepts that crystallized for me as I reflected on the conference material was the urgent need for manufacturers to “close the loop” on go-to-market spending. A manufacturer can launch a targeted campaign, but the real question is: how did it perform? Did the operator buy the projected volume? The industry struggles to connect sales data back to the specific initiatives that drove it.
For example, a marketing promotion might show only a 2% top-line lift, suggesting a failure. Get below the covers, and you could find it was wildly successful in a specific channel. Without that last-mile analysis of your FAFH industry trends, your next strategy is based on a guess.
Trend 2: The Push for Granular, Operator-Level Data
Another observation I made was that the demand for deep, granular data is accelerating. General market penetration figures are no longer enough. Leaders at the IFMA conference expressed a clear need for operator-level detail to action their plans.
I had one leader ask if we could show them which individual dining halls on a campus stock her product. They knew their general penetration but had no visibility within the location. This is the new standard. This expectation highlights why relying on a single data feed from one distributor is a flawed strategy; that operator buys from multiple sources. A true picture requires unifying every data signal into an omnichannel view of each location.
Trend 3: The Need for Quality Data to Fuel AI
No conference in 2025 is complete without a discussion around AI. Mytake on AI in FAFH is that its potential is being wasted. AI doesn’t work with low-quality, aggregated data; it needs the details. Without a clean, omnichannel view of your end-operators, any AI solution will fail to deliver meaningful results.
The large AI models we use every day rely on specialized partners to prepare and cleanse their data. That quality foundation is what makes them work. I believe our industry needs the same dedicated approach to its data to truly capitalize on FAFH industry trends driven by AI.
What These FAFH Industry Trends Mean for You
The insights from the IFMA conference confirmed a clear imperative. Manufacturers must move beyond surface-level data to accurately measure performance. The competitive advantage will go to the teams who can translate their data into precise, location-level intelligence.
Learn how Tibersoft provides the granular, quality, location-leveldata needed to measure true operator performance and close the ROI gap.
