INDUSTRY WATCH
OUR ENTIRE FOCUS IS ON ENABLING THAT THROUGH WHAT WE SEE AS THE OFTEN- MISSING INGREDIENT FROM BEER PRODUCTION – DATA . software will bring full integration and automation of all data points into any brewer ’ s hands . More importantly , it will help them make more beer , in less time , with less waste .”
The 5th Ingredient CEO Pulkit Agrawal added : “ There ’ s such a sense of passion , pride and community in the craft brewing industry . They just want to make great beer , and more of it . Our entire focus is on enabling that through what we see as the often-missing ingredient from beer production – data . thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in gained production .
“ We conducted a benchmark industry report last year and found that craft brewers typically spend more than half their time not making beer ,” said James Magee , CEO , OFS .
“ That ’ s a data problem – paper-based processes , not knowing where the issues that halt the line are coming from , or how much downtime or waste they ’ re causing . The combination of OFS and Beer30
“ Many decisions in breweries are made based off anecdotal evidence that emerges on day six or seven of production . Together with OFS , we can highlight the issue on day one or even zero , before production begins . This helps craft brewers change from being reactive to predictive and proactive .”
Tapping into a unique sense of community
Agrawal says that the unique sense of community , comradery and local business support in the craft brewing industry has helped both companies quickly expand .
“ There aren ’ t many industries where , if you do a good job and show value to a customer , that customer will recommend you directly to one of their competitors ,” he said . “ They help each other out , but they also hold each other to a high standard to keep customers satisfied .”
Magee says the companies ’ dual expansion and more craft breweries leveraging the software will lead to enhancements and improvements over time .
“ We can anonymously use data from breweries in both countries to continually iterate and upgrade our software ,” said Magee .
“ We can add more modules , more sensors that show new data streams and maximize beer production . This data can not only make beer producers ’ days easier but enhance their business more broadly .”
The software combination can also be used in non-alcoholic beer production , a megatrend in the industry with consumption expected to increase by 31 % in both Australia and the US by 2024 . OFS is also highly active in Australia ’ s craft beverages market , as is The 5th Ingredient in the US with its industry-first Bucha30 software . p
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