Andrew Lynch is president and co-founder of Zipline Logistics, a North American third-party logistics company that specializes in the transportation of retail consumer goods.
Lynch will be speaking during SFA’s Specialty Food Live! virtual event next week about how food and beverage brands can build agile supply chains tailored to meet the modern marketplace. His session, How Food and Beverage Brands Can Win at Retail Fulfillment, will take place on Wednesday, May 12 at 2 p.m. EST.
SFA News Daily spoke with Lynch about the pandemic’s effect on the supply chain and how the industry will evolve going forward.
How has COVID-19 put pressure on the food supply chain?
Like all supply chains, the food supply chain was completely dislocated by COVID. Everything from domestic and international labor shortages to increased demand for shipping services put extreme pressure on the food supply chain.
What are you seeing food brands do to maintain success in their supply chain during this new normal?
The most successful brands are maintaining control and visibility into movements through the chain and facilitating as much advanced notice and flexibility as possible with a laser focus on ensuring shelves are stocked on-time and in-full.
What are some of the biggest lessons learned (by either Zipline or the food and beverage companies it serves) from the past year?
The biggest lesson learned is that we are all in the logistics industry, and that there is a strong competitive advantage to be gained in simply being on the shelf.
How do you see the food and beverage industry changing or evolving in the next 5 to 10 years?
There will be continued category disruption and growth from category disruptors. In addition, there will be more tightly controlled production supply chains.
Learn more about Specialty Food Live! May.
Related: Conagra Brands Invests $15 Million in Supply Chain; Kroger Debuts Robot-Powered Fulfillment Center.