Beverage filling machines never cease to take center stage when planning, designing or integrating complete production line installations.

Whether planning an expansion or a new facility, the ever-evolving beverage industry necessitates that those involved evolve with it. With trends like SKU proliferation and sustainability impacting the overall beverage industry, a slew of decisions need to be made when planning construction.

A plethora of market trends continue to impact the global supply chain including automation. In PwC’s “Global Supply Chain Survey 2013,” the market research firm found that 54 percent of companies surveyed in the retail and consumer goods industries listed automation as high importance with an additional 5 percent listing it as high importance by 2015.

Like the steady drops of rain drumming on a windowpane, the filling of beverages also dictates a steady pace to keep the production line running smoothly. However, it is imperative that the correct filler is used.

The infamous supply chain moniker, with all the definitions, variations, interpretations and applications, has for all intents and purposes replaced the relatively simplistic, old-fashioned production planning and scheduling approach.

Back when side-load equipment ruled the beverage industry, refrigeration generally was an afterthought, with just a few refrigerated trucks dedicated to delivering dairy products and limited varieties of draft beer. But as product mixes have expanded, a paradigm shift is taking place in the equipment world.

The ever-increasing number of SKUs within the beverage industry has been one obstacle beverage warehouse operators have been facing the past several years. However, the proven benefits of, and further innovations to, voice-picking technology has made it a staple in many beverage distribution centers today.

As the beverage industry continues to experience significant levels of consolidation, distributors on the local, national and global level are being affected.

The formulation has been carefully and meticulously perfected and packaged. And the next step is just as crucial to marketing the product and ensuring success of the brand — printing and applying labels.

As summer draws closer, many consumers daydream of sitting by the pool with a drink in hand, and that's exactly what those in the beverage industry are daydreaming of too.