Can Hygienic Design Spur Competitiveness

Mikkel Svold (00:10):

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Behind Clean Lines. I'm your host Mikkel Svold, and in this constantly involving landscape of the food sector, staying ahead and ensuring that your business remains relevant is often quite a challenge for quite a lot of companies. But how can you actually future-proof your operations in this food industry and in hygienic industry in general? And to discuss this pretty pressing topic, we've once again been joined by Niels Vindsmarks, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at NGI. Niels, welcome back.

Niels Vindsmark (00:44):

Thank you very much.

Mikkel Svold (00:45):

And I think, just to begin with, what are some of the major shifts and trends that you've observed in the industry, and that industry being the food sector, food producing sector. What trends do you see?

Niels Vindsmark (00:59):

Well, some of the trends are that it's getting a more transparent industry. We are breaking down the walls, everybody is talking more. The supermarkets selling foods are getting more aware and taking more responsibilities of what they sell has been produced correctly, that it is safe to sell. The end users producing the food on the machines are much more agile and aware of that. They need to have machines that can outlive what they need. So it's becoming more transparent, it's becoming more communication-based.

Mikkel Svold (01:37):

And the transparency, is that only towards the end consumer, or is it also between-

Niels Vindsmark (01:45):

It's definitely the entire supply chain. Very much. So, the food producing companies, they're not just focusing on the food anymore or the brand they're focusing on such small things as components that we are delivering. Because if they're not fit for purpose, they risk to get food poisoning, and thereby they're jeopardizing the brand value that they need to represent. So it's definitely a professionalism and a transparency within the entire supply chain.

Mikkel Svold (02:12):

And do you find that it's still, despite of this transparency, do you find that it's still a, how can you say, not a hot topic, but something that people kind of avoid talking about if they have an incident or if something goes wrong at the factories? That still something that-

Niels Vindsmark (02:33):

Well, it is something that you're not talking about. It's something, of course, you try to limit as much as possible, assuring that your brand is not suffering. It's a risk to everybody, but it's also an opportunity if you handle it proactively correctly, and you make the right choices based on hygienic optimization, you can avoid many of the problems, and you can thereby have a sustainable, correct, functional food production. So it's definitely something about all stakeholders joining in, assuring that you are aligned in what should be done to get real production made and live on it, fulfill on it, supply on it.

Mikkel Svold (03:10):

And now coming back to basically the title of this episode, which is future-proofing-

Niels Vindsmark (03:16):

Yep.

Mikkel Svold (03:16):

... future-proofing the food sector. And what do you see as the main components or building blocks, and I guess business areas as well, that companies need to focus on in order to, I guess, future-proof their production?

Niels Vindsmark (03:31):

Well, we need to understand and define where we will be in 5, 10 years from now. What will be the challenges? How do we live our lives? How do we eat? Do we still make food at home, or are we still supporting the trend of having pre-dished, pre-cooked, ready meals that will challenge the food's safety?

Mikkel Svold (03:51):

How is that different?

Niels Vindsmark (03:53):

Well, if you cook food in your... If you go down and buy raw meat and you cook it, you will kill all the bacteria that is in the raw material, and you won't get sick of it. If you have a ready meal or a precooked, you are not killing the bacteria in the material. So if there is a pizza or a ready meal or a sausage that has bacteria in it, you'll get sick by eating it. But the way we live our lives, the way the middle class also in the upcoming markets live their lives, we don't know how to cook anymore. We live our lives very quickly. We don't have time. So we eat ready meal, pre-cooked food, and that is jeopardizing our food safety.

Mikkel Svold (04:31):

Do you think this trend is continuing? Do you think in 20 years that next to no one would be cooking their own meals?

Niels Vindsmark (04:37):

Definitely. I mean, look at what's happening in Asia in the upcoming markets. It's everywhere. So definitely it's getting more and more important. So we need to understand where we are in 10, 15 years from now, and we need to make sure that we proactively work towards that trend.

(04:53):

So we cannot, as many has done in the food, maybe not only in the food production area, but also in the machine building areas, we need to be responsible, we need to be actively playing a role in making some choices, changing some of the ways we live and do today, so that we will be more future-proof. We'll do something that fits for tomorrow's needs. Another thing is you can say earthquakes. I mean, we see that earthquakes are occurring more frequently all over the world. You can, as a machine builder, take actively approaches towards having something that can sustain and over-live seismic activity to a certain level. That needs to be done. You need to take... It's a business opportunity, and it is a risk. So depending on how you approach it.

Mikkel Svold (05:41):

Why is it a risk?

Niels Vindsmark (05:43):

Well, it's a risk if you do not wish or do not have the capabilities and the knowledge to take actively part in that and modify your solutions, but you wish to keep on doing what you did have done the last 20 years.

Mikkel Svold (05:57):

It's always interesting to me to know whether people out there, the facility managers, the production managers, are they aware that they need to do something? Because a lot of times people will hesitate to change things to start new initiatives. What do you meet when-

Niels Vindsmark (06:24):

Well, all changes are difficult, right? I mean, if you want to stop smoking, if you want to stop drinking, if you want to lose 20 pounds, it's always difficult because you need to change behavior. You cannot optimize something without changing. If you need to change something, you need to do the right assessment. And it will take time and different efforts to change something.

(06:42):

So making an upgrade, changing something is difficult. It's very complex. So it needs to be decided on a management level. You need to dedicate the necessary resources to get it done. You need to make sure it is done, also on the floor level you need to follow it up and assure that the positive things are being enhanced and continued and further developed. So it is definitely a project and a process that needs project managing. So it is complex and it is difficult, but it is necessary.

Mikkel Svold (07:12):

And do you find that, before we turned on the microphones we talked about some of the global events, and I guess also some of the consumer behavior changing that you mentioned. Do you find that global events, pandemic, all these kind of things, that they push people to start changing their production, to start thinking in more hygienic solutions, start innovating also?

Niels Vindsmark (07:38):

Necessarily. The food producing industry has been very labor heavy, very labor heavy. So a lot of the people has been working, doing manually what's done in a food facility. During pandemic, during COVID, they were very challenged because if an outbreak were realized in a food facility, they were needing to close down, which is very, very expensive.

(08:03):

So the pandemic has made it more obvious that you need to invest more in CapEx, unfortunately. Not in people, but in machines. You need to make sure that you have machines being able to work, not getting sick. So definitely the pandemic is something that has emphasized the importancy of investing in equipment, and in automatization and in digitalization. So you need to be future proven. We cannot depend, unfortunately, on humans only anymore. It needs to be both.

Mikkel Svold (08:33):

But is it that, before and now, is it harder or easier now to uphold a certain hygienic level?

Niels Vindsmark (08:41):

It's the same. It's not, it hasn't changed at all. The complexity and the difficulties are the same as before. We are getting... So people lower the barriers, they get more aware and more professional. You have to be a part of it. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So you need to make sure that you know where you need to be in five years, and you need to start now working towards that goal. So you need to be changeable, you need to be adaptable. If you're not adaptable as an organization, as a company, as a product, you'll be challenged very, very soon, because people need to change in order to be relevant tomorrow.

Mikkel Svold (09:22):

I was just about to say, how quick is this transformation? How fast do you need to be on your feet in this process of changing, in your opinion?

Niels Vindsmark (09:33):

Well, I mean, we see what's happening on the political, environmental, global scale. We see it in the TV every day. We read about it in the newspaper. We can't... Well, it is obvious we need to do something now relatively quickly, because otherwise the transformation is taking a downhill very quickly. So you need to move on it now, both in terms of being relevant as a business, and for us, being able to make sure that our children have a world valuable to live in tomorrow. So it needs to be done relatively now. And that can be a challenge if you don't have the capabilities, if you do not have a plan, and you do not have the resources. But it's a huge opportunity for the companies who are willing and able to adapt and try actively to support this development and actually help it become a doable transition. So for us, we see it as a huge opportunity.

Mikkel Svold (10:30):

And can any company uphold this transition, or is it something that's reserved for only the large companies or just for the small companies? Because I'm guessing that depending on the size of your company and the complexity of your company, it's going to be a different challenge to change honor.

Niels Vindsmark (10:49):

So big companies are just big, small companies. The difficulties in small companies are exactly the same in big companies. They're just scale to a different level. So it's definitely nothing to do with big or small. You need, on a management, you need all levels to buy in on this and acknowledge the importance of it, and then you need to act accordingly. So whether you're big, you're small, you're in Europe, you're in the United States, everybody can do it. You need to embrace it and you need to start working on it. And very often it's like if you are a person and you know that you need to change your behavior because you are facing a heart attack, you're thinking about it, you're talking about it, but you're not acting on it. But if you feel sick, you break down, you go to the doctor and he tells you either you do it or you die, then you start acting upon it. So if you are with... Against the wall, you need to act on it. And right now we need to act on it. So if-

Mikkel Svold (11:45):

We are against the wall now.

Niels Vindsmark (11:46):

We are against the wall. So either we do it now or we will as company, as organization, as possible supplier become less relevant in the future.

Mikkel Svold (11:55):

Now, you mentioned briefly digitalization and technology. How does digitalization... That's a long word, isn't it?

Niels Vindsmark (12:07):

It's difficult, yeah.

Mikkel Svold (12:08):

It's real. Making something digital.

Niels Vindsmark (12:10):

Yep, very good. Good quote.

Mikkel Svold (12:13):

And the technological solutions, how does that impact? And how can you utilize digital solutions technology today to future-proof your business for tomorrow, your food producing business for tomorrow?

Niels Vindsmark (12:30):

We are overloaded with data. There are data everywhere. So the business model is not to create data, it's to know what we use the data for. Because otherwise the data, they are overloaded, they're not relevant anymore.

(12:42):

Within the food industry, we will be able, in our small components, to put in a different sensors that helps us track how management is asking their people on the floor to behave, and if the people on the floor have the actual behavior, and if that then results in an improvement towards hygienic design, towards cross-contamination, towards a lot of relevant issues that today is a risk on the floor in a food producing facility. So data is a vital tool to follow up on if the change of behavior is working, and if it has the desired results, and if it makes sense. But we need to make sure that we can capture data, we can take out the relevant ones, and we can use them to improve if necessary.

Mikkel Svold (13:29):

In general, you say there's a lot of data out there. Does that count for all food producing companies?

Niels Vindsmark (13:36):

It does.

Mikkel Svold (13:37):

Yeah.

Niels Vindsmark (13:38):

It counts for every industry, the data everywhere. We can track so much data from machines, from the processes, there is traceability on raw materials. I mean, we have an enormous amount of data, but if we don't use them, it's like the internet. I mean, you can do anything, but if you don't know where to go, you'll end up somewhere not relevant.

Mikkel Svold (13:57):

Probably get lost.

Niels Vindsmark (13:58):

Yeah, you'll probably get lost. So you need to have... Again, you need to know what you want to do, you need to know what you want to obtain and collect, and you need to know what systems you are collecting the data in and how it's transferred in something you can use.

Mikkel Svold (14:10):

Have you stumbled upon any best practices in this regard?

Niels Vindsmark (14:14):

Well, we are, even though we are only ourselves supplying relatively simple components, rather far with the processes of creating internet tools, knowledge sharing platforms that takes this data and shares it with machine builders, with end users producing the products, with stakeholders such as certification industries. We might also hook it up with some supermarkets so they can see what's going on. So definitely the data can be used in relevant circles across the entire supply chain.

Mikkel Svold (14:47):

Do you find that people in general understand how to use the data they get?

Niels Vindsmark (14:52):

If it's presented in the right way, they do. But that's why we... Well, we are not only focusing on our products, we focus very much on non-product services and processes. That helps our customers become more competitive as companies. So it's not just about the product, it's becoming less important, the product. Because the product needs to be there, but we need to make sure that we have processes that will help our customers improve their competitiveness, otherwise we become irrelevant as a supplier in the future.

Mikkel Svold (15:25):

Do you find that there has been a transition in the strategies that companies need to approach now compared to say 20 years ago?

Niels Vindsmark (15:38):

They need to be much more aware of what is needed. They need to be much more willing and able to transition into new opportunities or new challenges. So they're not just looking at the moneymaking, because the moneymaking will jeopardize their agility. So you need to be agile, you need to focus on the process, and thereby we have to assume that the results and the money will follow along, because otherwise we will live the next five years and then we'll die.

(16:08):

So definitely we need to be much more professional, we need to be much more open-minded, because we are sitting in a glass house. In the old days, the board meeting, I don't think they had any windows, so they could decide what they wanted to do. Today they're sitting in a glass house in front of the library, and everybody can look and hear what they're doing. So they need to know what they say, and they need to do something that makes sense for them as a business, but also makes sense for all the stakeholders socially and business-wise that they're interfering with. Otherwise, they won't be relevant. So it's a complex thing.

Mikkel Svold (16:38):

Yeah, it must be.

Niels Vindsmark (16:39):

It is.

Mikkel Svold (16:40):

It must be. Now, are there any key advices that you would offer businesses in the food sector or in the hygienic industries aiming to, well, I guess survive? What would you say now?

Niels Vindsmark (16:56):

It's a big question, but you need to be relevant. You need to take a stand, and you need to dedicate resources to follow it up. If you continue to do what you've done the last 20 years, you will be challenged. So you need to be relevant.

Mikkel Svold (17:13):

Sounds tough. Good luck out there. And that's it for today's episode. Thank you, Niels Vindsmarks, again for a great perspective into future-proofing the food industry. I think it's been really, really insightful, and we've also touched on quite a lot of things. And of course, dear listener, if you wish to continue listening to this conversation, then go in and subscribe to Behind Clean Lines. Just click that subscribe button wherever you listen to your podcast. And for now, thanks for joining us, and we'll be back soon with more enlightening discussions, hopefully. Until next, and yeah, keep innovating.

onstantly involving landscape of the food sector, staying ahead and ensuring that your business remains relevant is often quite a challenge for quite a lot of companies. But how can you actually future-proof your operations in this food industry and in hygienic industry in general? And to discuss this pretty pressing topic, we've once again been joined by Niels Vindsmarks, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at NGI. Niels, welcome back.

Niels Vindsmark (00:44):

Thank you very much.

Mikkel Svold (00:45):

And I think, just to begin with, what are some of the major shifts and trends that you've observed in the industry, and that industry being the food sector, food producing sector. What trends do you see?

Niels Vindsmark (00:59):

Well, some of the trends are that it's getting a more transparent industry. We are breaking down the walls, everybody is talking more. The supermarkets selling foods are getting more aware and taking more responsibilities of what they sell has been produced correctly, that it is safe to sell. The end users producing the food on the machines are much more agile and aware of that. They need to have machines that can outlive what they need. So it's becoming more transparent, it's becoming more communication-based.

Mikkel Svold (01:37):

And the transparency, is that only towards the end consumer, or is it also between-

Niels Vindsmark (01:45):

It's definitely the entire supply chain. Very much. So, the food producing companies, they're not just focusing on the food anymore or the brand they're focusing on such small things as components that we are delivering. Because if they're not fit for purpose, they risk to get food poisoning, and thereby they're jeopardizing the brand value that they need to represent. So it's definitely a professionalism and a transparency within the entire supply chain.

Mikkel Svold (02:12):

And do you find that it's still, despite of this transparency, do you find that it's still a, how can you say, not a hot topic, but something that people kind of avoid talking about if they have an incident or if something goes wrong at the factories? That still something that-

Niels Vindsmark (02:33):

Well, it is something that you're not talking about. It's something, of course, you try to limit as much as possible, assuring that your brand is not suffering. It's a risk to everybody, but it's also an opportunity if you handle it proactively correctly, and you make the right choices based on hygienic optimization, you can avoid many of the problems, and you can thereby have a sustainable, correct, functional food production. So it's definitely something about all stakeholders joining in, assuring that you are aligned in what should be done to get real production made and live on it, fulfill on it, supply on it.

Mikkel Svold (03:10):

And now coming back to basically the title of this episode, which is future-proofing-

Niels Vindsmark (03:16):

Yep.

Mikkel Svold (03:16):

... future-proofing the food sector. And what do you see as the main components or building blocks, and I guess business areas as well, that companies need to focus on in order to, I guess, future-proof their production?

Niels Vindsmark (03:31):

Well, we need to understand and define where we will be in 5, 10 years from now. What will be the challenges? How do we live our lives? How do we eat? Do we still make food at home, or are we still supporting the trend of having pre-dished, pre-cooked, ready meals that will challenge the food's safety?

Mikkel Svold (03:51):

How is that different?

Niels Vindsmark (03:53):

Well, if you cook food in your... If you go down and buy raw meat and you cook it, you will kill all the bacteria that is in the raw material, and you won't get sick of it. If you have a ready meal or a precooked, you are not killing the bacteria in the material. So if there is a pizza or a ready meal or a sausage that has bacteria in it, you'll get sick by eating it. But the way we live our lives, the way the middle class also in the upcoming markets live their lives, we don't know how to cook anymore. We live our lives very quickly. We don't have time. So we eat ready meal, pre-cooked food, and that is jeopardizing our food safety.

Mikkel Svold (04:31):

Do you think this trend is continuing? Do you think in 20 years that next to no one would be cooking their own meals?

Niels Vindsmark (04:37):

Definitely. I mean, look at what's happening in Asia in the upcoming markets. It's everywhere. So definitely it's getting more and more important. So we need to understand where we are in 10, 15 years from now, and we need to make sure that we proactively work towards that trend.

(04:53):

So we cannot, as many has done in the food, maybe not only in the food production area, but also in the machine building areas, we need to be responsible, we need to be actively playing a role in making some choices, changing some of the ways we live and do today, so that we will be more future-proof. We'll do something that fits for tomorrow's needs. Another thing is you can say earthquakes. I mean, we see that earthquakes are occurring more frequently all over the world. You can, as a machine builder, take actively approaches towards having something that can sustain and over-live seismic activity to a certain level. That needs to be done. You need to take... It's a business opportunity, and it is a risk. So depending on how you approach it.

Mikkel Svold (05:41):

Why is it a risk?

Niels Vindsmark (05:43):

Well, it's a risk if you do not wish or do not have the capabilities and the knowledge to take actively part in that and modify your solutions, but you wish to keep on doing what you did have done the last 20 years.

Mikkel Svold (05:57):

It's always interesting to me to know whether people out there, the facility managers, the production managers, are they aware that they need to do something? Because a lot of times people will hesitate to change things to start new initiatives. What do you meet when-

Niels Vindsmark (06:24):

Well, all changes are difficult, right? I mean, if you want to stop smoking, if you want to stop drinking, if you want to lose 20 pounds, it's always difficult because you need to change behavior. You cannot optimize something without changing. If you need to change something, you need to do the right assessment. And it will take time and different efforts to change something.

(06:42):

So making an upgrade, changing something is difficult. It's very complex. So it needs to be decided on a management level. You need to dedicate the necessary resources to get it done. You need to make sure it is done, also on the floor level you need to follow it up and assure that the positive things are being enhanced and continued and further developed. So it is definitely a project and a process that needs project managing. So it is complex and it is difficult, but it is necessary.

Mikkel Svold (07:12):

And do you find that, before we turned on the microphones we talked about some of the global events, and I guess also some of the consumer behavior changing that you mentioned. Do you find that global events, pandemic, all these kind of things, that they push people to start changing their production, to start thinking in more hygienic solutions, start innovating also?

Niels Vindsmark (07:38):

Necessarily. The food producing industry has been very labor heavy, very labor heavy. So a lot of the people has been working, doing manually what's done in a food facility. During pandemic, during COVID, they were very challenged because if an outbreak were realized in a food facility, they were needing to close down, which is very, very expensive.

(08:03):

So the pandemic has made it more obvious that you need to invest more in CapEx, unfortunately. Not in people, but in machines. You need to make sure that you have machines being able to work, not getting sick. So definitely the pandemic is something that has emphasized the importancy of investing in equipment, and in automatization and in digitalization. So you need to be future proven. We cannot depend, unfortunately, on humans only anymore. It needs to be both.

Mikkel Svold (08:33):

But is it that, before and now, is it harder or easier now to uphold a certain hygienic level?

Niels Vindsmark (08:41):

It's the same. It's not, it hasn't changed at all. The complexity and the difficulties are the same as before. We are getting... So people lower the barriers, they get more aware and more professional. You have to be a part of it. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So you need to make sure that you know where you need to be in five years, and you need to start now working towards that goal. So you need to be changeable, you need to be adaptable. If you're not adaptable as an organization, as a company, as a product, you'll be challenged very, very soon, because people need to change in order to be relevant tomorrow.

Mikkel Svold (09:22):

I was just about to say, how quick is this transformation? How fast do you need to be on your feet in this process of changing, in your opinion?

Niels Vindsmark (09:33):

Well, I mean, we see what's happening on the political, environmental, global scale. We see it in the TV every day. We read about it in the newspaper. We can't... Well, it is obvious we need to do something now relatively quickly, because otherwise the transformation is taking a downhill very quickly. So you need to move on it now, both in terms of being relevant as a business, and for us, being able to make sure that our children have a world valuable to live in tomorrow. So it needs to be done relatively now. And that can be a challenge if you don't have the capabilities, if you do not have a plan, and you do not have the resources. But it's a huge opportunity for the companies who are willing and able to adapt and try actively to support this development and actually help it become a doable transition. So for us, we see it as a huge opportunity.

Mikkel Svold (10:30):

And can any company uphold this transition, or is it something that's reserved for only the large companies or just for the small companies? Because I'm guessing that depending on the size of your company and the complexity of your company, it's going to be a different challenge to change honor.

Niels Vindsmark (10:49):

So big companies are just big, small companies. The difficulties in small companies are exactly the same in big companies. They're just scale to a different level. So it's definitely nothing to do with big or small. You need, on a management, you need all levels to buy in on this and acknowledge the importance of it, and then you need to act accordingly. So whether you're big, you're small, you're in Europe, you're in the United States, everybody can do it. You need to embrace it and you need to start working on it. And very often it's like if you are a person and you know that you need to change your behavior because you are facing a heart attack, you're thinking about it, you're talking about it, but you're not acting on it. But if you feel sick, you break down, you go to the doctor and he tells you either you do it or you die, then you start acting upon it. So if you are with... Against the wall, you need to act on it. And right now we need to act on it. So if-

Mikkel Svold (11:45):

We are against the wall now.

Niels Vindsmark (11:46):

We are against the wall. So either we do it now or we will as company, as organization, as possible supplier become less relevant in the future.

Mikkel Svold (11:55):

Now, you mentioned briefly digitalization and technology. How does digitalization... That's a long word, isn't it?

Niels Vindsmark (12:07):

It's difficult, yeah.

Mikkel Svold (12:08):

It's real. Making something digital.

Niels Vindsmark (12:10):

Yep, very good. Good quote.

Mikkel Svold (12:13):

And the technological solutions, how does that impact? And how can you utilize digital solutions technology today to future-proof your business for tomorrow, your food producing business for tomorrow?

Niels Vindsmark (12:30):

We are overloaded with data. There are data everywhere. So the business model is not to create data, it's to know what we use the data for. Because otherwise the data, they are overloaded, they're not relevant anymore.

(12:42):

Within the food industry, we will be able, in our small components, to put in a different sensors that helps us track how management is asking their people on the floor to behave, and if the people on the floor have the actual behavior, and if that then results in an improvement towards hygienic design, towards cross-contamination, towards a lot of relevant issues that today is a risk on the floor in a food producing facility. So data is a vital tool to follow up on if the change of behavior is working, and if it has the desired results, and if it makes sense. But we need to make sure that we can capture data, we can take out the relevant ones, and we can use them to improve if necessary.

Mikkel Svold (13:29):

In general, you say there's a lot of data out there. Does that count for all food producing companies?

Niels Vindsmark (13:36):

It does.

Mikkel Svold (13:37):

Yeah.

Niels Vindsmark (13:38):

It counts for every industry, the data everywhere. We can track so much data from machines, from the processes, there is traceability on raw materials. I mean, we have an enormous amount of data, but if we don't use them, it's like the internet. I mean, you can do anything, but if you don't know where to go, you'll end up somewhere not relevant.

Mikkel Svold (13:57):

Probably get lost.

Niels Vindsmark (13:58):

Yeah, you'll probably get lost. So you need to have... Again, you need to know what you want to do, you need to know what you want to obtain and collect, and you need to know what systems you are collecting the data in and how it's transferred in something you can use.

Mikkel Svold (14:10):

Have you stumbled upon any best practices in this regard?

Niels Vindsmark (14:14):

Well, we are, even though we are only ourselves supplying relatively simple components, rather far with the processes of creating internet tools, knowledge sharing platforms that takes this data and shares it with machine builders, with end users producing the products, with stakeholders such as certification industries. We might also hook it up with some supermarkets so they can see what's going on. So definitely the data can be used in relevant circles across the entire supply chain.

Mikkel Svold (14:47):

Do you find that people in general understand how to use the data they get?

Niels Vindsmark (14:52):

If it's presented in the right way, they do. But that's why we... Well, we are not only focusing on our products, we focus very much on non-product services and processes. That helps our customers become more competitive as companies. So it's not just about the product, it's becoming less important, the product. Because the product needs to be there, but we need to make sure that we have processes that will help our customers improve their competitiveness, otherwise we become irrelevant as a supplier in the future.

Mikkel Svold (15:25):

Do you find that there has been a transition in the strategies that companies need to approach now compared to say 20 years ago?

Niels Vindsmark (15:38):

They need to be much more aware of what is needed. They need to be much more willing and able to transition into new opportunities or new challenges. So they're not just looking at the moneymaking, because the moneymaking will jeopardize their agility. So you need to be agile, you need to focus on the process, and thereby we have to assume that the results and the money will follow along, because otherwise we will live the next five years and then we'll die.

(16:08):

So definitely we need to be much more professional, we need to be much more open-minded, because we are sitting in a glass house. In the old days, the board meeting, I don't think they had any windows, so they could decide what they wanted to do. Today they're sitting in a glass house in front of the library, and everybody can look and hear what they're doing. So they need to know what they say, and they need to do something that makes sense for them as a business, but also makes sense for all the stakeholders socially and business-wise that they're interfering with. Otherwise, they won't be relevant. So it's a complex thing.

Mikkel Svold (16:38):

Yeah, it must be.

Niels Vindsmark (16:39):

It is.

Mikkel Svold (16:40):

It must be. Now, are there any key advices that you would offer businesses in the food sector or in the hygienic industries aiming to, well, I guess survive? What would you say now?

Niels Vindsmark (16:56):

It's a big question, but you need to be relevant. You need to take a stand, and you need to dedicate resources to follow it up. If you continue to do what you've done the last 20 years, you will be challenged. So you need to be relevant.

Mikkel Svold (17:13):

Sounds tough. Good luck out there. And that's it for today's episode. Thank you, Niels Vindsmark, again for a great perspective into future-proofing the food industry. I think it's been really, really insightful, and we've also touched on quite a lot of things. And of course, dear listener, if you wish to continue listening to this conversation, then go in and subscribe to Behind Clean Lines. Just click that subscribe button wherever you listen to your podcast. And for now, thanks for joining us, and we'll be back soon with more enlightening discussions, hopefully. Until next, and yeah, keep innovating.