Global soft drinks company Suntory Beverage & Food and Japanese multinational conglomerate Hitachi have developed a new system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create plans to optimise processes at production plants.

The system was designed to help beverage manufacturers worldwide meet consumer requirements despite frequently changing trends, fluctuating demand and complex constraint conditions.

Suntory expects to use the system to establish a framework for a stable supply of products to meet changing consumer demands and enhance productivity by improving workflow efficiency. The company intends to introduce the concept at both its own facility and outsourced plants in Japan.

“Suntory intends to use the new system to increase productivity and promote workstyle reforms.”

Suntory noted that its traditional planning method only optimised specific areas of the business, rather than achieving overall optimisation. In addition, it took nearly 40 hours per week to formulate a single production plan. The new system combines Hitachi’s AI technology and Suntory’s planning know-how to provide full optimisation in approximately one hour.

Going forward, Suntory intends to use the new system to increase productivity and promote workstyle reforms. Hitachi plans to adapt the system and deploy it as one of its Lumada solutions for the manufacturing industry.

Lumada is Hitachi’s advanced digital solution that provides business insights to drive digital innovation.