The Food and Beverage (F&B) industry is at a pivotal crossroads. While technology has revolutionized many sectors, production lines in F&B often lag, still operating as they did decades ago. It’s an interesting paradox—employees’ personal lives are increasingly connected and “smart”—yet the production lines they work with remain stuck in the past.
But times are quickly changing, and the industry faces mounting challenges, including:
- Supply chain disruptions
- Global trade policies
- Rising inflation
- Evolving consumer expectations
- The need for greater sustainability and efficiency
As global demand for food increases and climate change pressures grow, industrial digital transformation is becoming an essential tool for competing in a future-oriented market.
The urgency for a digital transformation
Historically, F&B manufacturers have concentrated on incremental, local optimizations—tweaking processes or upgrading isolated equipment. However, this approach has reached its limits, making it difficult for many organizations to achieve further improvements without a fundamental shift in their operations.
Digital transformation is the key to unlocking the next level of performance. By leveraging cloud computing, advanced analytics, and the industrial internet of things (IIoT), companies can more quickly react to demands while scaling maintainable operations.
However, this journey isn’t without obstacles. It’s challenging to determine where to begin, how to implement new technologies effectively, and even how to overcome cultural resistance to change. The challenge is as much about people and mindset as it is about technology.
Success story – scaling sustainability and quality in a growing market
Lavazza, the iconic Italian coffee company founded in 1895, has nine global production sites and has been navigating these challenges head-on. As the global demand for roasted coffee grew by 31% between 2020 and 2024, Lavazza faced industry headwinds similar to those faced by other F&B manufacturers.
To help maintain its leadership position and meet evolving customer needs, it recognized the need to embrace digital transformation to remain competitive and fully efficient.
Lavazza partnered with Schneider ElectricTM to help it reimagine operations at its 1965-built Italian flagship facility in Settimo Torinese. Their goals were ambitious: enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and ensure product quality, all while supporting business growth and greater production efficiency.
Together, we created a custom digital transformation solution from our suite of digital platforms, including:
Apps, Analytics, and Services
- AVEVA™ System Platform
- AVEVA Historian
- Annual maintenance services contract
Edge Control
Connected Products
- Altivar Process variable speed drives and soft starters
The modernization of this brownfield facility and control system was completed within two years, half of the initial timeline, with zero production downtime.
The result was a transformed plant with automation systems and a new coffee bean production line. The impact of digital tools was immediate and measurable at the facility:
- Greater control over production processes
- Zero downtime or production interruptions during upgrade
- Flexible, agile, and future-ready systems
- Long lifecycle with strong cybersecurity
“The best result we have achieved with Schneider Electric is providing factories with robust, stable, scalable, and flexible applications, which is crucial for the new challenges we have been facing lately.”
– Andrea Ziccardi, Automation Manager @ Lavazza
A roadmap to an exciting future
Lavazza’s journey illustrates what’s possible when tradition meets innovation. By investing in digital transformation with the right partners, the company can create a future that leads the market in efficiency.
Watch the video to hear directly from Lavazza’s Automation Manager as he shares their challenges and how digital transformation helped overcome them. Visit EcoStruxure for Food and Beverage to learn more about our solutions.
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