How to make AI work for F&B wholesalers and the industry

Foodservice thrives on human relationships, but many suppliers are plagued by long hours, inefficiencies, and disconnected systems. While savvy operators have been streamlining operations with technology for years, we’re now at a precipice. AI is supercharging current systems and promising to completely shift underlying processes. There are significant benefits in store, but many suppliers are still figuring out their next steps, so we gathered thoughts from leaders in the field about how to make AI work in foodservice. The first step is to understand data as both the driver and the output of AI is the first crucial step.

Many businesses don’t know what to do with all their raw data, but knowing what you have, and how to organise it so that it can be fed in to AI will allow you to utilise the incredible data analytics capability of AI and means you’ll have a much better understanding of your pricing, inventory, and marketing sweet spots.

“Raw data can be overwhelming,” says Rachel Thompson from Thompson’s Pies. “AI is what helps us digest it to understand where we should be focusing our efforts. What cuts through to customers? What gets sales?”

Once you have a handle on your data, the next step is analysing existing processes for gaps.

For every pain-point there’s an AI solution that could assist, so now is the time to critically assess where time is being drained or where resources are under-utilised.

Additionally, the hospitality venues that deal with suppliers are becoming more tech-savvy and expect suppliers to adopt digital processes that make ordering faster and communication smoother.

“I think AI is a no-brainer for any business that wants to grow, no matter the industry you’re in,” says Matt Fragomeli of Forest Food Co. “You want to get the maximum output for your efforts and you have to realise something else is better than you.”

Perhaps most importantly, success depends on building confidence within your team. Helping teams understand that AI is not a replacement for staff, but a tool to automate routine processes is the fundamental difference between engagement and resistance.

“Where people get a bit lost around AI is that they think it’s gonna take over the world,” says Rachel Thompson. “People think it’s going to make everyone redundant, but it’s supposed to just complement what you already do. “It’s a simple, three-step framework, but following these three key steps allows AI to be implemented correctly and leads to tangible results. Workloads are reduced, sales improve, and customer loyalty deepens.

An example is Rustica Sourdough who implemented automatic, centralised AI order processing through Ordmentum: “We haven’t seen a single mistake so far, and it’s a huge improvement that we can’t miss orders. It’s significantly reduced the pressure and stress on the team,” says Eoin Pehm who manages wholesale operations. Rustica’s results are just one story amongst many who are seeing dramatic improvements through AI tools, but with an array of solutions flooding the market, suppliers should ask questions about long-term vision, support and integration.

Take the time to compare different offerings and read stories of similar businesses winning with AI. Remember, if they can do it, so can you.

To see how suppliers are improving relationships, orienting their staff to high-value tasks, see Ordermentum AI Industry Insights at https://www.ordermentum.com/ai-roadshow-insights