Press Release

State College, PA — June 9, 2026 — Global food and beverage manufacturers face growing pressure to reduce waste, improve throughput, protect margins, and maintain consistent product quality across increasingly complex global operations. A recent study from Deloitte shows 40% of food & beverage supply chain planners say data and process gaps block progress, underscoring the need for stronger analytics and more reliable process controls.

Minitab, a global leader in data collection, statistical analytics, predictive modeling, and process improvement, helps food and beverage manufacturers use production data to solve critical operational challenges, including downtime, process variation, material waste, and quality control issues.

Across the food and beverage manufacturing industry, companies have used Minitab solutions to move beyond trial-and-error troubleshooting and to identify the process factors that most affect performance.

In one example, a global beverage manufacturer used Minitab Statistical Software as part of a Lean Six Sigma project to reduce production line changeover downtime. As the company expanded its portfolio to over 200 brands, frequent changeovers increased planned downtime and costs.

Using tools such as Pareto charts, histograms, hypothesis testing, process mapping, and root cause analysis, the team reduced planned downtime by 34%, cut downtime-related costs by more than $430,000, improved production restart times by nearly 40%, and created a repeatable toolkit later deployed across more than 180 facilities. Read the full case study.

In another example, a global food ingredients manufacturer used Minitab Statistical Software, Salford Predictive Modeler®, and Minitab Engage® to improve consistency in a corn sugar crystallization process. The team analyzed over 1,000 variables, including temperature, flow rates, pH, and chemical conductivity, and narrowed them to eight critical predictors affecting particle size variation.

The predictive model explained nearly half of the variation in test samples, giving operators a clearer way to control the process, improve consistency, and support quality expectations in food production. Read the full case study.

In a third example, a leading sugar manufacturer in Thailand used Minitab solutions to improve consistency in employee performance reviews across three sugar factories. The team analyzed evaluation scores by department to identify outliers, potential bias, and differences in how managers scored performance. The analysis helped the company redesign its appraisal form, standardize evaluation criteria, and establish clearer guidelines for fair compensation. Read the full case study.

“Food and beverage manufacturers are working with increasingly complex operations, where even small process changes can affect cost, quality, food safety, throughput, and waste,” said Cheryl Pammer, Senior Head of Marketing Insights at Minitab. “These examples show how data analytics and process improvement help teams understand what is really driving performance, make better decisions, and scale improvements across their operations.”

As food and beverage manufacturers continue to modernize, analytics play a critical role in improving efficiency, reducing waste, strengthening quality control, and supporting continuous improvement.

To learn more about how Minitab helps manufacturers use data-driven insights to improve operational performance, visit Minitab.com.

About Minitab, LLC 

Minitab is a global leader in data analytics solutions with over 50 years of experience helping organizations harness their data to deliver high-quality products and services. By integrating statistical process analysis, predictive modeling, real-time monitoring, and continuous improvement solutions with embedded AI capabilities, Minitab helps global organizations consolidate data, uncover insights, accelerate decision-making, and achieve measurable results. 

Minitab’s solutions include Minitab® Statistical Software, Minitab Solution Center™, Real-Time SPC™, Minitab Connect®, Prolink™, and Simul8™, supported by expert services that leverage advanced analytics to attain process excellence. The world’s leading companies and institutions rely on Minitab to solve critical challenges and drive sustained performance improvements. Minitab serves customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.minitab.com.

Media Contact

Albe Zakes
Communications Director
Email: azakes@minitab.com
Phone: +1.267.221.4800