Trends Impacting Food and Beverage Space

Eric Ensminger, Chief Information Officer, City Brewing Company

Eric Ensminger is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at City Brewing Company, which is one of the largest makers and co-packers of drinks in the United States.  As CIO, Ensminger is in charge of the company's information technology (IT) department. He is also responsible for coming up with and putting into place IT strategies and solutions that help City Brewing reach its business goals. Before joining City Brewing, he was the Managing Director, IT at United Airlines, and worked in IT leadership roles at General Electric and Oracle Corporation.

What are some of the trends impacting the food and beverage space today?

There are two trends to watch in the beverage technology market. First is the growing significance of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification, which is increasingly demanded by customers and mandated by large retailers such as Walmart and Sam's Club. Second is the continuous seasonality of food and beverages, which needs businesses to handle shifting demand cycles and be adaptable in their production and distribution in order to satisfy fluctuating client wants.

What are some of the challenges impacting the food and beverage space?

One of the biggest problems for clients in the food and beverage tech sector is that there been little change in the sector in the past 20 years. In order to successfully track and trace items, interact with their systems via EDI, manage inventory, and handle recalls, clients are searching for partnerships with key supply chain partners. To guarantee reliable delivery and product traceability, there is a need for greater integration between food and beverage industries across the supply chain. In addition, considerations like cost, complexity, and reluctance to change may make it difficult for partners to adopt new ways of working together. Technology providers must collaborate closely with multiple partners to comprehend their needs and create solutions that meet their unique problems.

"I believe that technology can improve customer and supplier relationships by augmenting human interactions."

What is the unique approach that you take as a leader to navigate the challenge?

City Brewery’s digital strategy derives from talking with customers, internal stakeholders, such as salespeople, customer service representatives, and warehouse personnel, in order to comprehend current pain points and customer demands. This is because of the fact that these internal stakeholders have extensive expertise with these challenges and may provide valuable insights. Once I have a firm grasp of the internal perspective, I talk with three to five important customers to obtain direct input on how the organization can become a better partner and meet their needs. 

My aim is to leave these talks with a clear knowledge of what needs to be done and when while also emphasizing the significance of a continuous, open dialogue for future partnership success. This strategy emphasizes listening to stakeholders and forming solid partnerships to address difficulties successfully.

For instance, we have a third-party logistics division that works on behalf of its clients to offer warehouse services. In order to collect input on what's working well and what's problematic for them, we first conduct a chat with 5-7 customers. In developing the company's digital strategy for 2023 and 2024, this feedback has been crucial. By paying attention to our clients' needs, we better prioritize changes and design services that are more in line with their requirements. This strategy emphasizes how critical it is to comprehend the customer experience and use customer input to inform company choices and process development.

What would be your piece of advice for budding professionals in the field?

It is critical to understand where business value is created and to interact with customers outside, as well as to focus on boosting customer value and creating strong customer connections in order to be their first choice. In today's environment, technology is critical in this process since individuals want to collaborate digitally and seamlessly. I believe that technology can improve consumer and supplier relationships by augmenting human interactions.