needed to fill these roles. The
changing landscape of datacreating
software requires people to
make meaningful use of that data,
whether they are an accountant, in
HR, a compliance officer or even a
mechanic (to name a few).
The adoption of automation
within the industry also allows
manufacturers to spend more time
on the business than in the business.
It provides opportunities for building
more and stronger relationships with
suppliers and customers so that the
business can continue to grow. A
growing business needs a growing
workforce to sustain customer
satisfaction. Throughout this
process, ERP functions as a shadow
following the business journey. It is
closely aligned to accurately track
processes in real time, enabling
businesses to respond to market
conditions faster, allow for better
traceability, which not only results in
better customer service but helps
manufacturers gain a competitive
advantage through better systems.
Humans drive the
demand and are
needed to manage
the supply
But what will the jobs of the future
be in such an important sector to
the Australian and New Zealand
economies? Industry 4.0 affects all
jobs throughout the supply chain,
from the CEO who has to drive the
transformation strategy, to the CIO
who has to build the infrastructure.
Or the CFO who has to fund it,
to the COO who has to drive
the operational transformations.
Automated workflows are changing
the way we work – even sales and
marketing teams are not immune
to the changes. The fact that ‘data
scientist’ roles did not exist a decade
ago demonstrates the importance
of people in this Industry 4.0 era.
Humans drive the demand and we’re
also needed to manage the supply.
As the OECD report demonstrates,
history has shown us that technology
has helped us and created new
offshoots and opportunities for the
industry. The continuous loop that
is based on catering to changing
consumer habits means the future
of work must stay ahead of such
changing consumer trends. People
will always remain at the core of
this and there will always be new
opportunities and jobs which will
help the food and beverage industry
change in a positive way.
12 JULY 2019