There are tons of articles by many experts on how technology has changed our world. I'm certainly not an expert, but looking at both sides of the same coin, what has technology done to our baking business?

It's safe to say all the available data has nearly eliminated risky decision-making, but it has also prolonged making decisions.

Unless there is true product uniqueness, supermarket buyers now have most of the power and bakers now have most of the problems. Product pricing can now be quoted to the fourth decimal place for a year, while materials volatility continues to have a field day on the "big board."

Somewhere down technology road, in-house apprenticeship training got lost along the way. Before technology came along, most people stayed at the same company for years, learning each job over time.

For example, after several years on the job, a dough mixer could tell by feeling the dough if it would perform well on the sheeting line, or an oven operator knew what oven adjustment was needed for baking during the winter and summer. Today, that is not the case — unless a GE or Microsoft sign appears on the door.

Equipment has certainly become more reliable and more precise, while people seem to have become less reliable and less precise. Front-line bakery personnel turnover is high, and "expertise" is far and few in-between. Instead, there is more reliance on costly outside expertise, which can be more time-consuming and have a higher operating cost.

If you were in school more than 30 years ago, you learned that mining, manufacturing and agriculture were the key components for any country to create wealth for its populace. Today, we learn that iPhone apps like Candy Crush create wealth.

Our technological world has given us the tools (iPads and smartphones), to stay in touch with business or each other 24/7, yet we find there are not enough hours in the day.

Science and technology have been able to control preciseness of mixing, proofing, baking, cooling and hands-off packing, but they have not been able to control Mother Nature, which still requires the art of baking.