What Beverage Industry CIOs Are Really Talking About
I recently had some fascinating conversations with CIOs from major beverage manufacturers about their digital transformation journeys. What struck me most wasn't what they wanted, but what they definitely didn't need.
These large companies stopped hunting for the next CRM, ERP, or whatever-as-a-service solution years ago. Think of it like musical instruments - everyone already has a piano at home. What they're actually looking for are skilled pianists who can interpret the music and bring new meaning to familiar compositions.
Context Beats Platforms Every Time
Here's the thing that keeps coming up: the problem isn't a lack of technology. The real challenge is that most solutions completely miss the local nuances that make or break a business. We're talking about growth patterns that vary wildly by region, seasonal fluctuations that can make or break quarterly numbers, regulatory frameworks that change from state to state, and operational processes that have evolved over decades for very specific reasons.
Industry knowledge, hands-on experience, and pattern recognition - these are worth their weight in gold. You can't just parachute in with a generic solution and expect it to work.
The Global vs Local Dilemma
Global platforms like Salesforce and SAP are predictably rigid when it comes to different markets. Take the U.S. alcohol industry, for instance. Direct-to-retail sales are largely prohibited, with narrow exceptions like winery clubs and specific state allowances. Try plugging that into your standard e-commerce platform or CRM workflow - good luck with that.
When you know these rules inside out, they stop being problems. They become chances to build something that actually works.
AI Hype Meets Reality
Everyone talks about AI. But when you see what's really happening? It's tough. These companies are drowning in data - CRM records, sell-in and sell-out metrics, merchandising analytics - but if your AI recommendations don't account for local seasonality, shipping costs, or those blind spots where data collection is simply impossible, they get ignored.
It's not that the technology isn't impressive. It's that impressive technology without context is just expensive noise.
Computer vision for shelf analytics remains essential, especially when it's calibrated to specific brand standards and market conditions. But notice the pattern here - it's never just about the tech. It's about the configuration, the training, the implementation that accounts for the messy reality of actual stores and restaurants.
What CIOs Actually Want
The lesson here is straightforward: CIOs don't want product demos or feature lists. They want partners who speak their language, understand their industry, and can help them integrate solutions from multiple vendors - including open source options that might solve problems the big platforms can't touch.
They want people who know that a 15% increase in shelf visibility during football season requires a completely different approach than optimizing wine placement for Valentine's Day. They want partners who understand why a solution that works perfectly in California might be completely useless in Texas.
In short, they want consultants who happen to know technology, not technologists trying to learn consulting on the job.