Principles and Research Agenda for Sustainable, Data-Driven Food Production Planning and Control

Abstract

This paper investigates the topics of data, sustainability, and production planning and control in food supply chains from the perspective of industrial food producers. To stay competitive in an industry with low profit margins, strong competition, and sustainability concerns, food producers need new solutions. The capture, digitization, and use of producer and downstream supply chain data enable opportunities for using data in new ways to address the existing challenges. This study proposes some principles for sustainable, data-driven production planning and control (PPC) such as capturing real-time data and tacit knowledge for use in PPC. It then investigates how these principles can impact the sustainability for food producers and the overall supply chain, by giving benefits such as reduced food waste, lower inventory levels, and reduced planning time and effort. Future research topics should address topics such as data availability, use of data in PPC, potential value of data, sustainability trade-offs, and the applications of digital technology in PPC.

Digital Technologies for Food Loss and Waste Prevention and Reduction in Agri-Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

“…The topic of data-driven production planning and control to favor sustainability in food supply chain is central in the study by Bresler et al [95], which is the only paper to directly investigate the value of data in food production planning and control, underlining the need for further analysis. Jagtap et al [88] illustrate the advantages of image processing in the creation of an automated system for waste tracking.…”

“…According to Jagtap et al [101], by monitoring food and energy waste through IoT at the machine level, it is possible to identify the less efficient processes, thus improving costs and use of resources, as well as supporting decision making in food management. Bresler et al [95] identify a set of qualitative principles for sustainable data-driven production planning and control; however, it is not clearly defined which data would be useful to integrate those principles, which is currently available, which is not captured, and, ultimately, how to capture and share those data. Fernandez et al [70] address the sustainability dimension through packaging and logistics efficiency, which in turn helps preventing waste and extends product life in the entire supply chain, according to circular economy principles.…”

“…Benefits for FLW derive from performance optimization and reduced overproduction: the usage of big data helps reduce defective products by avoiding weak points in the production process, therefore reducing scraps and product damage [27]. BDA can also be used to study consumer's behavior and sales history, especially in the case of promotional plans and seasonal demand [95]. In turn, this helps improve accuracy in planning and forecasting, already described as the typical area of improvement supported by BDA [119], and reduces overproduction.…”

“…In general, these tools are described as enablers of performance optimization, communication, and information sharing between supply chain actors, with the aim of improving coordination and performance [47]. Sharing real-time data through systems improves production planning and control, due to the greater alignment of supply and demand, which promotes accurate inventory levels and in turn increasing the remaining shelf life of products downstream in the supply chain [95]. Only Annosi et al [27] mention in detail the system adopted by the actors involved in the research (e.g., ERP, WMS, CRM) but does so without describing the direct effect on FLW prevention and reduction.…”

“…RFID tags can be used to design optimal distribution routes for food refrigeration trucks, thereby reducing spoilage [22], or to track the transportation of RFW [91]. RFID can collect and transmit data in real-time to provide a picture of the supply chain's performance from production to inventory [95]. RFID has also been applied as a tool in product packaging for identifying internal and external changes in product status [22] and to acquire information about the RFW generation [91].…”