The Future of Food and Beverage: Embracing Connected Workforces

In the evolving landscape of food and beverage, productivity is rapidly shifting from just advanced machinery to a focus on more connected, collaborative teams. The key differentiator now lies not merely in having another analytics dashboard, but in leadership’s ability to transform real-time insights into frontline ownership and sustained performance improvements.

QAD Redzone has emerged as a frontrunner in this movement. The company supports nearly two thousand plants globally, serving as a bridge between operations, culture, and technology. Their goal is clear: to translate live data into actionable insights that foster measurable improvements on the production line and profitability.

Insights from the EATS Show

At the recent EATS Show, we had the opportunity to speak with Betsy Scott, National Accounts Director at QAD Redzone. We delved into various topics, including transforming leadership priorities into daily actions, empowering frontline workers, and integrating connected-worker tools to enhance automation.

Transformational Conversations and Innovations

Betsy Scott: I’m particularly enthusiastic about the evolution of technology on the plant floor — especially tools and methodologies that facilitate real-time connectivity between people, processes, and machines. Engaging discussions with C-suite leaders reveal their strategic perspectives on digital transformation and the empowerment of frontline workers to drive productivity.

Navigating Leadership Priorities

BS: A significant challenge is bridging the gap between frontline connectivity and leadership objectives. At Redzone, our focus isn’t just on providing real-time data but connecting that data to actionable problem-solving and process improvements.

Engaging the Frontline for Sustainable Productivity

BS: Over our 12 years in operation, we’ve shown that engaging frontline teams around real-time data and their own performance leads to substantial productivity gains. The industry is gradually recognizing the need to invest in our people as much as in machinery.

Indicators of Long-Term Resilience

BS: True empowerment manifests when frontline staff begin proactively solving problems, reducing their reliance on management for issues they can address. As we incorporate continuous improvement and lean principles, operators become active participants in their own kaizens, demonstrating ownership of their work.

Measuring Success

BS: While our primary KPI is overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), we also track employee engagement metrics to gauge involvement on the platform. This dual focus on performance and engagement creates a holistic view of productivity.

Amplifying Automation with Human Touch

BS: Redzone enhances, rather than replaces, operator roles by equipping them with technology that provides real-time performance visibility. This democratization of technology on the shop floor allows everyone, regardless of background, to benefit from digital empowerment.

Guiding Leadership in Digital Change

BS: Successful leaders foster an environment where the shop floor operators are considered valuable contributors, thus driving transformational change within organizations. Leaders should encourage collaboration across departments to ensure that technology adoption flows through the entire enterprise.

Concluding Insights

BS: The key to success in leveraging new technologies lies in recognizing them as tools for assistance rather than replacements. Leaders should adopt a gradual approach, moving from trial to implementation, always remembering that people are at the heart of production.

For a thriving future, manufacturing leaders must remain adaptable and focused on nurturing their workforce, ensuring that innovation translates to improved productivity across the board.