A good starting point for reviewing the SKU issue is to question why this universally used identification acronym is so important and where do problems in the supply chain exist?

The modern beer market dynamic created the opportunity for small, boutique start-up distributors for which craft beer is their entire raison d’etre.

As automation proliferates and technology has advanced, new and faster processing platforms and high-speed communication advancements, like wireless and new I/O platforms, have become available.

Advancements in processing technology have improved quality, yields and much more.

From an operations perspective and engineering viewpoint, the traditional definition of training must be followed regardless of the application: instruction for task performance.

Growth and change in the beverage market has created trends that impact not only new product development and packaging design, but also extend into warehouse and distribution centers.

The continued push to reuse materials and reduce packaging waste also is proliferating throughout the beverage supply chain.

Observations in the marketplace and visits to several beverage facilities continue to present a broad and unprecedented array of beverage products to consumers.

Consumers’ desires for functional, healthy, yet refreshing beverages has placed a greater demand on manufacturers’ research and development (R&D) divisions.

Many high-priority tasks are present in the daily operations of beverage production or distribution facilities; therefore, the assets that are used to accomplish these tasks should be protected.