There are moments in business when change isn’t optional—it’s survival. When the systems that once powered your company begin to break down under new demands, and everything you thought was “good enough” suddenly isn’t. That’s the moment the beverage alcohol industry finds itself in right now.
Direct Store Delivery (DSD) is under pressure. Legacy workflows, outdated systems, and disconnected teams are struggling to meet modern expectations. And the pressure is only increasing—with AI, real-time data, mobile-first operations, and omnichannel distribution setting new standards at warp speed.
We are standing at the edge of a tsunami. The question is no longer whether to change. It’s how fast and how far you’re willing to go.
The Analog-Digital Advantage
Our generation of industry leaders holds a unique position. We’ve lived through both analog and digital eras. We remember when handwritten invoices were standard and “real-time” meant someone running a report. But we also know how to navigate platforms, cloud infrastructure, and automated intelligence.
That makes us the bridge—the translators between operational wisdom and technological capability. And that dual fluency isn’t just helpful—it’s exactly what this moment requires.
I started in this business when processes lived in people’s heads and routes were optimized by feel. Today, insights are pulled in real time from sensors, sales systems, and AI. But what’s coming next isn’t evolution—it’s reinvention.
Five Imperatives for System Transformation (Part 1)
To survive and lead in this new landscape, it’s not enough to upgrade your tools. You need to transform how your business thinks, connects, and acts. Here are the first three imperatives:
1. Don’t Just Adopt AI—Understand Its Dependencies
AI isn’t a magic bullet. It’s an engine—and data is the fuel. But most organizations have data that’s messy, siloed, and incomplete. Retail execution doesn’t talk to inventory. Route planning isn’t connected to field sales. The result? AI systems produce faster confusion, not better outcomes.
Before layering AI, ask:
- Is our data clean, structured, and current?
- Do our systems speak to one another?
- Will this tool help us act—or just analyze?
2. Digitize Not for Visibility, But for Actionability
Visibility is table stakes. Actionability is the goal. Too many dashboards are overloaded with lagging data that ends up in a presentation deck. You don’t need prettier reports—you need systems that alert, adjust, and correct now.
The value of digital systems isn’t in the data they collect. It’s in how fast they enable frontline teams to pivot when something’s off.
3. End the Tennis Match: Embed Commercial Leadership in Development
One of the most common pitfalls? Building systems in a vacuum. IT creates a solution. The business pushes back. IT revises. By the time it’s usable, the need has changed.
You can’t transform an industry this way. True success comes when commercial leaders and operational teams are embedded in the development process from day one. My role isn’t to code—it’s to translate field needs into digital realities that actually deliver.
We’re only halfway through the blueprint. In Part 2, we’ll explore how to scale these principles across functions—and why mindset is the final, and most critical, transformation.
Author: Sean Baker, Category Solutions Specialist, Delivery Solutions