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Smart Systems Implementation in UK Food Manufacturing Companies: A Sustainability Perspective
,
Claire Haven-Tang ,
Richard Barton,
Rachel Mason-Jones,
Mark Francis,
Paul Byard
Sustainability, Volume: 10, Issue: 12, Start page: 4693
Swansea University Author:
Andrew Thomas
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© 2018 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/su10124693
Abstract
The UK food industry faces significant challenges to remain sustainable. With major challenges, such as Brexit, on the horizon, companies can no longer rely on a low labour cost workforce to maintain low production costs and achieve economic sustainability. Smart Systems (SS) is being seen as an app...
| Published in: | Sustainability |
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| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2018
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa66951 |
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| Abstract: |
The UK food industry faces significant challenges to remain sustainable. With major challenges, such as Brexit, on the horizon, companies can no longer rely on a low labour cost workforce to maintain low production costs and achieve economic sustainability. Smart Systems (SS) is being seen as an approach towards achieving significant improvements in both economic and environmental sustainability. However, there is little evidence to indicate whether UK food companies are prepared for the implementation of such systems. The purpose of this research is to explore the applicability of Smart Systems in UK food manufacturing companies, and to identify the key priority areas and improvement levers for the implementation of such systems. A triangulated primary research approach is adopted that includes a questionnaire, follow-up interviews, and visits to 32 food manufacturing companies in the UK. The questionnaire and interviews are guided by a unique measuring instrument that the authors developed that focusses upon SS technologies and systems. This paper makes an original contribution in that it is one of the few academic studies to explore the implementation of SS in the industry, and provides a new perspective on the key drivers and inhibitors of its implementation. The findings suggest that the current turbulence in the industry could be bringing food companies closer to the adoption of such systems; hence, it is a good time to define and develop the optimum SS implementation strategy. |
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| Keywords: |
food manufacturing; digital hub; sustainability profile; smart systems; survey |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Issue: |
12 |
| Start Page: |
4693 |