• Technological innovation is an integral part of specialty coffee, redefining processes and reimaging what’s possible in terms of quality and flavour.
• In fact, technology and software have become so integrated into the coffee industry that it’s almost impossible to perform most tasks without them.
• Roasting is the prime example; software is a tool that almost all roasters rely on to achieve consistent, high-quality results.
• But beyond roasting, technology across the supply chain has evolved to support all types of coffee businesses across various operations.

There’s no denying that technology has revolutionised the coffee industry. Data collection and analysis, automated software, and, most recently, AI-driven features have changed how we grow, process, roast, and brew coffee.

Given the scale of its impact on this sector of the industry, we often focus on roasting when talking about tech in coffee. Automation has not only significantly improved roasting efficiency and consistency, but has also opened up entirely new possibilities for flavour and sensory experiences.

But simultaneously, technology’s influence on the broader supply chain – including coffee farms, export offices, cafés, and roastery operations (beyond simply roasting) – can’t be ignored. Moreover, as new technologies develop, they are set to redefine industry standards to new levels.

I spoke to Branson Sondrol at Buddy Brew Coffee and Daniel Mendoza at Cropster to learn more.

You may also like our article on why streamlining roastery operations has never been so important.

The ongoing technological revolution in coffee roasting

Third wave and specialty coffee were born of the appreciation for artistry in growing, processing, roasting, and brewing coffee. Consumers valued the technical skills and knowledge of producers, baristas, and roasters who dedicated time and effort to honing their craft.

To deepen their understanding of how fermentation impacts flavour, humidity influences roast profile development, and grouphead temperature affects espresso extraction, for instance, coffee professionals turned to technology.

Initially perceived as “at odds” with the industry’s emphasis on artisanry and the human touch, technology was quickly embraced once producers, roasters, and baristas demonstrated how it improved consistency, quality, and efficiency.

Its positive influence on roasting has arguably been the most noticeable. Over the last decade or so, the growing use of specialist roasting software paired with modern machinery has helped deliver consistently high-quality coffee to increasingly discerning consumers.

“Since I started in coffee back in 2011, roasting has always been the primary focus; consumers perceive it as secretive and magical,” says Daniel, the Senior Community Manager at Cropster, a software developer and supplier for coffee businesses across the supply chain, including roasters.

“Roasting also represents the biggest initial investment for a retail coffee company. It then makes sense that technology first focused on creating a way to visualise what happens during the roasting process,” he adds. “It’s helped develop new ways to achieve the perfect roast profile development based on information about green coffee, like origin, variety, processing method, and more.”

Historically, many roasters relied on visual and audio cues to identify key points in the roasting process, such as the first and second cracks, which determine overall quality. Even for the most experienced professionals, this is difficult to achieve accurately.

But as technology began to shape the modern coffee industry, roasters were equipped with tools that shortened the learning curve for new roasters and helped develop more rigorous protocols that led to consistent results – a key factor in driving consumer retention.

How technology supports the entire coffee supply chain

While the focus on roasting is warranted, technology has reshaped the entire coffee supply chain over the last decade. 

“People are slowly realising that a roastery is a food manufacturing company, and its success depends just as much on managing the entire business as it does on roasting itself,” Daniel explains.

From farms and export offices to roasteries and cafés, the growing prevalence of automation and software is transforming how coffee businesses of all types operate.

The coffee industry has faced one of its most turbulent periods in recent history over the last two years. Green arabica futures hit an all-time high in February 2025 and have remained high and volatile since. Unprecedented tariffs and rising inflation rates create additional complexity for producers, traders, roasters, and café owners alike, squeezing margins and accelerating the need for operational efficiency.

“We’ve used Cropster more and more to gather data and metrics to measure our efficiency of production,” says Branson, the production roaster at Buddy Brew Coffee, a roastery and café chain with eight locations in Tampa, Florida, US.

“Coffee is a tight-margin industry, so it’s essential for us to always reflect on where we can be more efficient in our production. The metrics obtained from Cropster have also helped us to identify sales trends throughout the year,” he adds. “Being able to predict both peaks and valleys of volume has allowed us to be better prepared for those seasons.”

Delivering consistent products, especially blends with multiple components, and services year-round can be challenging. Having access to platforms that capture data across the supply chain means business operators have much greater visibility and can flag problem areas before they arise.

“The biggest unexpected expense I run into is running out of coffee or delays in transits that affect our ability to promptly fulfill orders,” Branson explains. “With Cropster’s inventory reports, I can see not only my weekly and monthly usage of inventory but also changes in volume usage compared to previous periods. 

“I can quickly identify any unusual spikes in usage to prompt me to get ahead of the curve and either bring in more inventory or source replacements,” he adds. “When I run out of coffee, that’s when we have to spend extra resources to cover our delay in production.”

Eyes on wider operations

With some coffee businesses still relying on pen and paper or basic spreadsheet systems, the risk of overlooking key data that could improve efficiency or minimise risk increases.

“As the coffee industry continues to grow and evolve, we as businesses must evolve with it,” Branson tells me. “Just as almost every other industry incorporates tech and software infrastructure into its processes, so must coffee.

“It’s through this infrastructure that we’re able to gather more refined data that will lead to new discoveries of innovation, but will also alleviate time to invest in them,” he adds.

This means having access to a single platform that stores and analyses key information points across the supply chain becomes all the more important.

“Cropster offers a solution for the coffee industry that benefits its key players, creating one flow of information from the farm all the way to the cup. Each platform is a key link in that chain,” Daniel explains. “It starts with Cropster Origin, which helps producers, mills, and exporters capture all the critical data at the source – farm harvest, processing details, lot information, inventory, and more.

“Cropster Roast will allocate that information through samples managed in the buying programme. Here, you cup your samples, analyse green coffee, and decide what to buy based on your budget, market, and sensory and physical data,” he adds. “Once you buy the coffee, you can manage the green inventory with projections, plan production, and, most importantly, roast consistency.”

Many roasters also have wholesale operations and cafés, where data capture and analysis also play a critical role.

“Cropster Commerce handles the operational side. It looks at the orders from the wholesale clients and creates a clear production and fulfillment plan so you know exactly what to roast, bag, and ship each day,” Daniel explains. 

“Finally, Cropster Café closes the loop by tracking what happens in the retail operation. It provides the data from your espresso machines – how many shots you pull, the percentage of waste, and how you use the equipment – so you can improve consistency, prevent costly breakdowns, and reduce waste.”

Why technology will shape the future of the coffee industry

With roasters leading the way in incorporating tech into their daily practices, producers and café operators have also begun to focus on industry-specific data gathering to deliver higher levels of consistency and quality for their customers. 

“As a business grows, the cost of growth also appears,” Daniel explains. “Many operators I meet are running on intuition and a lot of spreadsheets, which works for a while, but when complexity grows, the only way to be efficient and keep costs under control is to use solutions like Cropster that give you real data. 

“We are seeing more business owners realising they need this data to make better decisions, to oversee their key departments, and to achieve sustainable growth instead of just being reactive,” he adds.

As with many industries, the rise in data analytics, automation, and AI-driven technologies has helped future-proof supply chains and services, allowing businesses to focus on other areas that drive growth.

“Automation and AI help alleviate time resources in our schedule,” Branson explains. “Time is the most valuable currency we spend daily, and we must ask ourselves, ‘Where are we spending it?’

“These technologies open the door to surrendering time-consuming tasks to allow us to invest in higher impacts of our business,” he adds. “Although AI is a tool that should be used with discretion, it does have a place in our industry to help propel us into spaces where we can tackle the larger issues at play.”

While roasters have been the primary adopters of technology in coffee, we’re increasingly seeing tech-driven processes and data platforms cater to the needs of a wide range of coffee businesses.

By leveraging new technologies and automated features, operators across the supply chain can manage quality, optimise efficiency, and oversee margins – all of which have never been more important in the coffee industry.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how data can be used to improve espresso extraction.

Photo credits: Cropster, Vincent Forstenlechner

Perfect Daily Grind

Please note: Cropster is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.

Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!