Expert interviewees’ salient points
| Expert ID | Industry/area of specialisation | Interview salient points |
|---|---|---|
| •Expert #1 | UK Food Regulatory Body/Digital Platform Liaison Lead | – Digital food platforms can have an inbound and outbound disintermediation role between regulators and (smaller/emerging) firms – Digital food platforms provide a unique avenue for regulators to drive compliance in the food retail sector – Digital food platforms can help local and national authorities drive compliance and standards – Firm-level flexibility and resource provisioning are the most critical capabilities for resilience and efficiency – Smaller, emergent firms are generally more agile – due to several reasons, such as potentially lower foreign direct investments or investments of their own – do not have the same background |
| •Expert #2 | UK Food Regulatory Body/Head of Analytics and Chief Economist | – A strong interconnected nature of digital food providers exists – Many benefits lie in encouraging the self-governance aspects of digital food platforms in the UK food supply chains (i.e. incentivising high food standards as platform entry requirements for local food businesses) – One of the major challenges is reassuring that e-commerce firms are following the rules and regulations – The UK imports a high percentage of food. Developments like Brexit will further disrupt the global food supply chains and stress food business operators more |
| •Expert #3 | Academia/Industry 4.0 Adoption and Technology and Entrepreneurship | – Significant supply chain process changes occurred due to global disruption (i.e. in procuring physical goods). It now makes sense to short-term source contracts where it previously was not a viable option – Transformation of public health/consumer behaviour as well – not only is there greater resource scarceness on the supplier level, but an added more significant challenge in the procurement (i.e. social distancing, particularly for those most vulnerable) – Gig economy workforce allows for greater flexibility in general operations. Process and resource flexibility (e.g. driven by the necessity of higher food scarcity/demand consumers willing to pay more) |
| •Expert #4 | Industry/Serial (angel) Investor, Digital Start-up Innovator and Author | – Digital food platforms provide considerable headway in integrating technologies such as process monitoring and predictive analytics (e.g. for demand-sensing) – Digital platform technology can be particularly relevant and valuable in identifying, quantifying and reducing food waste in the UK and global markets – Need for greater regulation compliance is apparent as keeping pace with the rapid scale of digital food platform transformation is challenging |
| •Expert #5 | Academia/Operations Management, Food Supply Chain and Resilience | – Digital platforms have evolved primarily to look at how to match supply and demand and create admissions – Digital platforms give visibility and foresight (e.g. through platform ecosystem involvement and bidirectional interactions) previously inaccessible to smaller firms – Although digital food platforms offer users product/service diversification, the physical element and experience of in-person dining cannot be diminished. However, this notion is refuted depending on whether consumer/consumption behaviour will undergo considerable transformative or long-term change |
| •Expert #6 | Academia/Director, School of Logistics; further experience in Operations and Supply Chain Management | – Collaboration and integration of systems regarding suppliers, manufacturers and other actors are essential – Digital platforms can help find replenishment and in conducting reliable demand forecasting – Technology heavily incorporates the management of time and process – Small suppliers require protection for further sustainable ecosystem development |
| •Expert #7 | Industry/Principal Consultant, Digital Supply Chain | – Support diversification and collaboration to reduce risk and increase system capacity to respond to change is important – Interconnectedness and interoperability are necessary – when food business operators are better connected with their supply chains, supply-demand signals flow more smoothly – Food waste incurs higher costs for inbound members, thus affecting margins and subsequent consumer prices |
| Expert ID | Industry/area of specialisation | Interview salient points |
|---|---|---|
| UK Food Regulatory Body/Digital Platform Liaison Lead | – Digital food platforms can have an inbound and outbound disintermediation role between regulators and (smaller/emerging) firms | |
| UK Food Regulatory Body/Head of Analytics and Chief Economist | – A strong interconnected nature of digital food providers exists | |
| Academia/Industry 4.0 Adoption and Technology and Entrepreneurship | – Significant supply chain process changes occurred due to global disruption (i.e. in procuring physical goods). It now makes sense to short-term source contracts where it previously was not a viable option | |
| Industry/Serial (angel) Investor, Digital Start-up Innovator and Author | – Digital food platforms provide considerable headway in integrating technologies such as process monitoring and predictive analytics (e.g. for demand-sensing) | |
| Academia/Operations Management, Food Supply Chain and Resilience | – Digital platforms have evolved primarily to look at how to match supply and demand and create admissions | |
| Academia/Director, School of Logistics; further experience in Operations and Supply Chain Management | – Collaboration and integration of systems regarding suppliers, manufacturers and other actors are essential | |
| Industry/Principal Consultant, Digital Supply Chain | – Support diversification and collaboration to reduce risk and increase system capacity to respond to change is important |
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