Viktória Parrag: Just over half of all food establishments in the EU are bakeries, with nearly all of them being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The introduction of new technologies, including digital or energy-saving solutions can often be a difficult undertaking for these companies. The bakery industry is also an energy-intensive sector known for its high energy use.
Most small and medium-sized bakeries produce a wide variety of goods in different sizes, requiring different preparation and baking times at varying temperatures. To facilitate production planning, baking sequences must be optimized and several factors taken into account – the use of energy, equipment and production capacity, labor, and the varying consumer demand. This frequently leads to unnecessary food waste due to miscalculations of supply and demand.
Until now, production planning in small and medium-sized bakeries has typically relied on the experience of the baker, who has worked out a plan and schedule over time. In contrast, a computer can quickly process a vast number of different combinations to identify the most efficient production plan. A decision-making model for demand forecasting based on special software tools performs far better than the human brain in this setting.