Our team members Mary Wilson, Chris Hart, Suzanne Cwik, and Dean Rallo just attended this year’s IFMA’s Presidents Conference and, needless to say, there was a lot learned and, by extension, a lot to do!
In this year’s tech showcase, we had the opportunity to speak to foodservice and food away from home manufacturers about how to turn data into meaningful insights, and how to action those insights within their organizations to drive sustainable, profitable growth. As you might expect in the complex world of foodservice manufacturing, topics were varied and wide ranging, but several key themes emerged:
- Operational Efficiency and Cost Reduction: Discussions with companies like Kellanova highlighted the need for solutions that improve operational efficiency and help reduce costs, particularly in the context of organizational restructuring and omnipresent budget pressure.
- E-mail Digests and Proactive Insights: The demand for e-mail digests and proactive insights was a recurring theme. Clients expressed a desire for systems that could automatically alert them to key issues or opportunities, more validation that there is a continued shift towards more proactive and automated data analysis.
- Data Integration & Utilization: Many discussions centered around the need for deeper, more effective use of data. This includes integrating data into Tibersoft’s OPTRADE community and leveraging it for more insightful, accurate analysis.
And indeed, we’ll be focusing heavily this year on just those areas. Proactive insights at the point of consumption (in your email, in your tools), deeper and more timely operational insights that allow you to take immediate action driven by emerging technologies in AI and machine learning, and continuing to deliver world-class data mastering and integration, have all been slated in year’s product roadmap at Tibersoft.
We’d also like to congratulate new IFMA Board Chair Ben Wexler, and new board members Reilly Berk, Cristin Illes, Adam LeDonne, Stephanie Luros-Gilbert, Nichole Montgomery, and Bryan Smith. It’s great to see so many of our client manufacturers and colleagues step up and we’re excited to work with you to drive toward a better future in foodservice.
See you next year!
