Why UK food & beverage manufacturers need to modernize now

UK food and beverage manufacturers face mounting pressure from all sides as consumers and retailers expect affordable, sustainably produced products — all while navigating surging production costs.

Meeting all these demands is possible, but only if manufacturers know where to cut costs and streamline operations. Yet, the systems most of them rely on, like legacy platforms, spreadsheets, and manual processes, waste resources and obscure visibility into key cost drivers.

Thriving in today's market starts with modern solutions — and deploying them quickly, easily, and cost-effectively requires AI.

The mounting pressures on F&B manufacturers

F&B manufacturers have hit an inflection point: the approaches that previously sustained profitability no longer maintain competitive positioning. Instead, they need to operate with unprecedented pressure from multiple fronts.

Consumer demand for sustainability

Consumers increasingly opt for products that meet high sustainability standards, from ethical sourcing to reduced production waste. Sustainability attributes that were once premium, like recyclable packaging and low-water-use products, are now baseline expectations.

This shift is pushing manufacturers to invest in sustainability initiatives, such as optimizing their supply chain through local sourcing and reformulating products — investments that demand significant capital and narrow the product range.

Retailer pressure for lower wholesale prices

Retailers are prioritizing affordability when choosing suppliers as they navigate rising competition from discount chains, higher business rates, and surging labor costs. Manufacturers that are unable to price competitively risk losing shelf space.

Consumer loyalty offers little protection, as shoppers are increasingly switching to private label and low-cost alternatives. Ultimately, manufacturers who can’t meet these needs put their market position on the line.

Rising production costs

Production costs are climbing fast. High raw material prices, energy bills, and freight rates force manufacturers to absorb expenses they cannot pass to price-sensitive retailers or consumers.

Even when manufacturers take action to offset these costs, the benefits aren’t immediate. Coordinating across functions and systems becomes increasingly complex. Sales teams must renegotiate supplier contracts, while production restructures operations — all while maintaining consistent output and quality standards under tighter budget constraints.

Reaching retailer and consumer standards hinges on modernization

Meeting price demands and sustainability expectations when margins are already razor-thin requires significant operational transformation. Modernization with AI makes this possible. 

By unifying fragmented systems and automating manual processes, F&B manufacturers gain the agility to cut waste, bring down costs, and capture new efficiency gains. And with market share on the line, AI delivers speed and reliability when manufacturers need it most — building competitive resilience and stronger customer loyalty.

Centralized, actionable data

F&B manufacturers juggle multiple legacy systems and spreadsheets, scattering essential data across platforms with unique data formats and operational logic. As a result, inefficiencies like ingredient spoilage and suboptimal production schedules often slip undetected, undermining cost control.

Generic technology struggles to integrate with manufacturers’ existing setups. But modern AI tools analyze legacy architecture to ensure data matching, format conversion, and system compatibility. Using robust APIs, they unify siloed data, like energy consumption and packaging details, creating a single source of truth.

The result is granular operational visibility that highlights key cost-saving opportunities without any production interruptions or expensive API development.

Automated workflows

Critical daily workflows within F&B operations are highly manual. Certificate tracking, logistics coordination, and ingredient tracing take hours of sifting through spreadsheets and email chains. These processes siphon resources that could otherwise be used to improve affordability and implement sustainability practices.

Off-the-shelf software treats these processes as edge cases, forcing manufacturers to choose between missing critical capabilities or paying for bloated feature sets.

AI technology builds tailored applications based on manufacturers' exact operations and requirements. These tools combine rule-based logic and automation to optimize workflows, triggering actions, sending alerts, and routing tasks. Teams can rely on automated alerts that flag upcoming expiration dates and unnecessary inventory, minimizing ingredient spoilage and required stock levels. This streamlined system frees up space for increased production and releases capital for sustainability initiatives.

The result is software that fits seamlessly into established processes — without requiring workarounds or extensive retraining. Teams maintain consistency across procedures, free up time for strategic initiatives, and maintain the competitive edge built into their workflows.

Predictive intelligence

F&B manufacturers face escalating shocks beyond their control: extreme weather events, supply chain bottlenecks, and shifts in trade policies. Each disruption forces costly emergency measures — like air freight instead of ocean shipping, spot market purchases at inflated prices, and expedited production runs.

Advanced AI and ML models within modern systems enable manufacturers to accelerate response times and reduce unexpected expenses. Take a modern system that can analyze real-time temperature and handling conditions. With this data, teams can spot disruptions early to expedite distribution and direct shipments, minimizing food waste.

Cogna builds solutions that advance sustainability and efficiency

Cogna is already changing how companies in critical industries operate through its AI-powered software factory. By building reliable and cost-effective modern solutions, Cogna helps F&B leaders like Tropicana transform fragmented processes into agile, efficient systems.

Custom, precision-built software: By working directly with production and quality assurance staff, Cogna’s AI build engine tailors applications to the specific workflows, equipment, and requirements of individual manufacturing facilities. Cogna delivers tools that can inspect products, monitor process parameters, flag anomalies, and forecast shelf life.

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Automated workflows: Cogna digitizes critical processes at every stage — including certificate tracking, ingredient traceability, and compliance documentation — to redirect focus and resources toward sourcing sustainable suppliers and optimizing production costs.

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Data integration: By connecting disparate data sources, from SCADA systems to sensor networks, Cogna’s applications deliver unified visibility across production lines, enabling leaner, sustainable operations.

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Rapid deployment: While traditional IT consultancies stretch proposal cycles and implementation to months, Cogna delivers production-ready solutions in weeks. Thanks to automated code generation, built-in testing frameworks, and pre-configured integration patterns, teams deploy initial capabilities sooner, gather more robust feedback, and implement improvements continuously.

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F&B manufacturers are already seeing the benefits. By partnering with Cogna, Tropicana maintains real-time operational visibility, unlocking hidden production potential and capacity for strategic market expansion.

And with fees tied to business outcomes, Cogna reduces the financial risk of digital transformation and aligns costs with realized value rather than development effort.

Ready to optimize your processes and meet today’s sustainability expectations? Start modernizing today.

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