Technology is at the forefront of new forms of e-commerce, automated pick-and-pack operations, supply chain management, forecasting production needs, and more. 

Of course, this convergence of people and technology requires new kinds of skills.

Central to all of this is data. Becoming data-led is critical for food & beverage companies in today's digital economy. However, according to Accenture, many are unsure how to do it:

74% of CPG executives say they are struggling to scale data and analytics. 

Most organisations have taken the first step – investing in digital technologies. But this is only one side of the equation. Leveraging technology and perhaps more importantly, data require digital skills.

To be able to meet the immediate and future digital skills gaps, businesses must not only upskill current talent but also become more creative in how they recruit, train and retain employees.

Having a workforce with digital skills is essential, but with digital talent in alarmingly short supply, many organisations are ill-equipped to cope with the pace of digital change. 

According to research by Amazon Web Services, 81% of Australian workers said they need more digital skills training to be able to cope with changes to their job during the pandemic.

Yet, only 30% of organisations have the necessary training programs in place.

The competitive edge in retaining and attracting the best talent is the proactive investment in digital skills training and upskilling. 

Establishing employee career plans and digital skills development programs for current and future roles presents organisations with the best opportunity to increase industry knowledge and domain expertise within their niche.

Not only that, the investment in employee development can protect startup and scaleup organisations from losing talented employees to larger organisations, which might offer better pay but may not necessarily be nimble enough to offer the same level of career development and opportunities.