ifkad articles

Agrifood 4.0: Assessing the Impact of Digital Technologies in Family Business

Domenica Barile, Giustina Secundo

During the 21st century, digital technologies have developed exponentially, leading society to experience a fourth industrial revolution. One of the sectors most affected by the Digital Transformation is the AgriFood sector, traditionally not very inclined to innovation, revolutionized not only in terms of improving efficiency but also for the realization of responses to new food safety requirements. Within AgriFood sector several changes and innovations are affecting the management of the entire Supply Chain (production, logistics, etc.) where the combination of tradition and innovation still implies certain challenges today. The research analyses how digital technologies such as mobile computing and big data analytics are innovating the sub-chains of bakery products and pasta within agrifood sector with reference to the activities related to customer interactions, delivery and marketing during the Covid-19 pandemy. Moving from a critical literature review about the perspectives of digital technologies within the tradition of Agrifood sector, an action research has been adopted to analyse in deep a case study of the start-up “ArteBianca Delivery” located in south Italy. Insights about the digital transition realised through the adoption of methodology for assessing the level of digital maturity of companies defined Digital Maturity Model (DMM) is presented to support the digital innovation of companies belonging to more traditional sector. Finally, the development of a KPI – Key Performance Indicators tool applicable when measuring the performance of start-ups has been developed to support decision- making of family business entrepreneurs.

IN: Proceedings IFKAD 2022 – Knowledge Drivers for Resilience and Transformation
PP: 2061-2080