Beyond the Bakery: Why This Matters for Other Businesses

While PGD is in food manufacturing, the themes of this transformation apply broadly across sectors facing similar pressures — supply-chain demands, margin squeeze, labour shortages, and sustainability regulation. Some of the broader insights:

Efficiency + Scale

By automating many manual tasks and integrating data systems, PGD can scale production without linear increases in labour or cost. Similarly, any company doing high-volume repetitive tasks — whether in manufacturing, logistics, or administration — can benefit from automation to unlock capacity.

Data-Driven Operations Win

Having real-time visibility means PGD can spot bottlenecks, adjust flows, use predictive maintenance, and optimise energy usage. In other industries, the same system of sensors, MES/ERP integration, and data dashboards can deliver measurable gains.

Automation Does Not Equal Fewer People (If Done Well)

PGD emphasizes that the plan is not job-cutting, but job-redefining. Repetitive roles are automated, while humans move into oversight, innovation, and craftsmanship roles. This is critical to maintain morale, culture, and to get the best results from automation.

Sustainability Can Be Built In

PGD didn’t just automate for productivity; it also converted ovens to solar-electric and adopted recyclable packaging. Automation and sustainability go hand-in-hand. For businesses under ESG pressure, this dual advantage is especially valuable.

Competitive Advantage Through Innovation

In many sectors, incumbents may still rely on legacy workflows. PGD’s early mover status gives it an advantage. For any business asking “how do we stay relevant in the next decade?”, automation + data + workforce strategy is the key.

How Your Company Can Apply These Lessons

If you’re looking at automation and operational transformation in your business, here’s a practical roadmap inspired by PGD:

1. Map and audit your workflows – Identify tasks that are repetitive, time-consuming, and labour-intensive but low in unique value creation.

2. Collect real-time data – Invest in sensors and IoT systems to connect machines and processes, tracking product flows, environmental conditions, and quality metrics. Without visibility, you cannot optimise.

3. Pilot automation selectively – Start with one line or process where gains are clear, such as transport, stacking, packaging, or inspection.

4. Plan for workforce transition – Communicate clearly and provide training or upskilling so that human staff move into valuable roles like data analysis, supervision, creativity, and innovation.

5. Embed sustainability – When redesigning operations, include energy-efficient equipment, renewable power, and recyclable materials.

6. Measure outcomes and iterate – Track KPIs such as throughput, defects, labour hours, downtime, and energy consumption. Refine systems and scale successful initiatives.

7. Select the right partner – Automation and AI deployment are specialized. Having the right engineering, controls, and data systems partner (locally or regionally) is crucial for success.

Why Now Is the Time

The market is moving faster than ever:

• Labour costs and shortages are pressuring many industries.

• Consumers and regulators demand more sustainable production and packaging.

• Data and computing power have matured to make “smart factories” or “digital operations” feasible beyond traditional manufacturing.

• Early adopters like PGD are demonstrating that automation combined with workforce strategy is not just feasible — but profitable.

If your business is contemplating the next major operational step, now is the right moment to act rather than wait.

Final Thoughts

Priestley’s Gourmet Delights has done more than open a new factory — it has set a blueprint for how a modern manufacturing business can combine automation, data-driven systems, human workforce development, and sustainability into a competitive advantage.

Whether you’re in manufacturing, logistics, services, or back-office operations, the same principles apply: automate the repetitive, gather the data, upskill the people, design for sustainability, and measure for results. If you get these right, you turn operational excellence into strategic advantage.

Want to bring these efficiencies to your own business? You can get your company automated with HolisticAutomation.ai — helping organizations streamline workflows, reduce manual workload, and boost efficiency through tailored AI and automation solutions.