Digitalization in the Bakery Industry in 2026: Which Tools Are Really Worth It

"Digitalization" is a big word for an industry that is, at its core, a craft. Bakeries bake bread, not software. And yet, today, hardly any business can do without digital tools—from point-of-sale systems to accounting and workforce planning.

The question isn't whether digitalization is worth it, but where it really pays off. Not every tool on the market is a good fit for a bakery. And not every investment pays off. This article provides an honest overview: What works—and what can you do without?

What is already being done digitally in most bakeries today

Most companies have long since laid the groundwork:

Point-of-sale (POS) system. Hardly any bakery operates without a digital POS system these days. Systems such as HS Soft, ProtecData, Lightspeed, and other industry-specific solutions track sales, manage inventory, and provide daily reports. The POS system is the most important piece of digital infrastructure in the business.

Accounting. Whether it’s Bexio, Abacus, or an accounting firm using DATEV—financial accounting is typically digitized and often outsourced.

Communication. WhatsApp groups, email, and perhaps a scheduling tool for shifts. Internal communication is digital, though rarely structured.

Those are the basics. The more interesting question is: What else is there?

Where digitalization has the greatest impact in the bakery industry

Not all sectors benefit equally from digital solutions. The greatest potential for improvement lies in the areas where the most time, money, and patience are currently being wasted.

Production Planning and Procurement

This is where the greatest potential for improvement lies. In most bakeries, the daily decision of how much of each product to produce is still a manual process—based on experience, Excel spreadsheets, and gut instinct.

AI-based sales forecasts automate this process. They analyze sales data from the point-of-sale system, take into account weather, holidays, school breaks, and other factors, and provide daily production recommendations by item and location.

GoNina one such solution. It connects directly to the POS system, generates forecasts for the next 14 days, and feeds order suggestions back into the system. This helps businesses save up to 12 hours per month on planning and reduce their excess inventory by up to 52%.

Inventory Management and Raw Material Planning

If you know how much will be produced tomorrow, you can plan your purchases more effectively. Some ERP systems for bakeries—such as BackStar, crustico, or OrgaBack—offer modules for recipe management, raw material costing, and ordering. These systems are particularly useful for larger businesses that want to map their entire value chain.

For many small and medium-sized bakeries, however, a full-scale ERP system is overkill. In such cases, combining a good point-of-sale system with AI-based forecasting is often the more efficient approach.

Workforce Planning

Shift scheduling, time tracking, and leave management are tasks that are particularly complex in bakeries—with early morning shifts, weekend shifts, and rotating teams. Tools like gastromatic or Planday are designed for this purpose, even if they aren’t specifically tailored to bakeries.

Online orders and customer platforms

Pre-order systems, online stores, and apps for pre-order sales are becoming increasingly relevant for some bakeries, especially in urban areas. For most artisan bakeries, however, this is not yet a decisive factor.

Where you can save on investments

Not every digital tool is worth it for a bakery. Here are a few honest assessments:

Complex ERP systems for small businesses. A business with one to three locations generally doesn’t need a full-fledged ERP system. A robust point-of-sale system, a good accounting solution, and AI-powered forecasts for planning cover the essential needs.

Social media automation. Tools that automatically generate and publish posts sound appealing. In practice, social media works best for bakeries when it’s authentic and local—a photo of fresh bread in the morning is more effective than an automated post.

Expensive consulting projects. Digital transformation in a bakery doesn’t have to start with a strategic project. The most effective steps are often concrete and manageable: integrate the point-of-sale system, implement forecasting, and measure results.

How to Get Started

The best place to start depends on where the pain is most intense today:

"We throw away too much." → Implement AI-based sales forecasts. This is the most direct way to reduce returns while ensuring sales.

"Our planning takes too long." → The same goes for sales forecasts. If it takes an hour to prepare the daily baking sheet, this effort can be reduced to just a few minutes with automatic order suggestions.

"We don't have a clear overview of our stores." → A point-of-sale system with centralized reporting, combined with location-specific forecasts.

"We want to become more efficient overall." → Step by step. First, automate the planning process; then use the data to improve other processes.

GoNina a 4-week trial period with a money-back guarantee to get you started. The GoNina handles the integration with your POS system—so your business can test it in a real-world setting with no risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to switch my POS system to use AI forecasts?No. GoNina with existing POS systems, including HS Soft, ProtecData, Lightspeed, and others. The integration is done via direct interfaces—without any hardware changes.

Do I need IT skills to set this up?No. The GoNina will handle the setup and integration. In day-to-day use, it’s as easy as reviewing a suggested order. Support is available in German, French, English, and Italian.

What's the first step?Book a demo. During a brief conversation, the GoNina will show you how the solution works and whether it's a good fit for your business. Afterward, your business can decide whether a trial period makes sense.

Conclusion

Digitization in the bakery doesn't have to be complicated. The biggest opportunities lie in production planning—and that's exactly where the technology is now mature, affordable, and easy to implement.

Those who have to decide on a daily basis how much of each product to produce stand to benefit most quickly and significantly from AI-based sales forecasts. Everything else can come later.

You can find a comprehensive overview of AI sales forecasts in our complete guide for bakeries.

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