Top Supply Chain Trends of 2021

Posted on December 15, 2021August 4, 2023 by rfxadmin

The supply chain has been grabbing headlines since the pandemic began, but this year was especially newsworthy. From flotilla-like bottlenecks at major U.S. ports to warnings about counterfeit toys in Santa’s sleigh, it’s been a challenging time for supply chain stakeholders and consumers alike. So, as the year winds down, we thought we’d take a look at some of the top supply chain trends of 2021.

The year’s supply chain trends

Before we start, please note that this isn’t a ranked list or a “countdown” to the No. 1 supply chain trend of the year. It’s just a collection of trends that have occurred in different industries and that have made industry news as we’ve worked our way through the year. That said, without further ado, here are the top supply chain trends of 2021.

Automation

Automation includes robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, process mining, drones, and driverless delivery systems. This trend dates back to the first half of 2019, when companies in North America spent $869 million on more than 16,000 robots. This year, the World Robotics 2021 Industrial Robots report said there were 3 million industrial robots operating in factories globally, a record number and an increase of 10 percent. The report also said sales of new robots grew 0.5 percent, with 384,000 units shipped globally in 2020.

Blockchain

Blockchain has been a buzzword for years, and worldwide spending on the technology has been predicted to reach more than $11 billion by 2022. In regard to supply chain management, blockchain has great potential for traceability because it allows the provenance of any product to be easily demonstrated with and supported by immutable, tamper-proof data. It’s a big topic, so download our “Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Traceability” white paper to learn more.

Sustainability

There’s been a barrage of research about supply chain sustainability, particularly consumers’ expectations for transparency and environmentally friendly products and packaging. In one recent survey, 83 percent of respondents said it was “important or extremely important” for companies to design environmentally conscious products. Another found that 81 percent of shoppers say transparency is important or extremely important to them. In short, more companies are choosing to make their supply greener and more transparent.

Consumer engagement/customer experience

Consumer engagement and customer experience have always had a place in marketing and branding, but they’ve risen to a priority position over the last several years. (See a tidy summary of why here.) But what does your supply chain have to do with any of this?

The short answer: Your supply chain is a gold mine of information that can be leveraged for robust, innovative engagement/experience strategies. The basic building block is serialization. Read our two-part series to learn more. And definitely read our article about how supply chain traceability is building a “consumer kingdom.”

“The Trifecta”: Traceability, Visibility, Transparency

It should come as no surprise that we’re including these three “must-haves” on our list of the top supply chain trends in 2021. We’ve always maintained that visibility, transparency, and traceability are the key to a successful supply chain; however, the last two years have shown us that this trifecta is more important than ever and is the best way to optimize, safeguard, and leverage your supply chain for business value.

Visibility means using data to gain insight into how your supply chain is functioning and to take steps to make it run more efficiently. The goal is to see every ingredient/input, every product, every partner, every handoff … everything. Transparency means communicating supply chain knowledge internally and externally so all stakeholders, including consumers, can see how you operate. Traceability means you can follow a product to its point of origin and prove what it is and where it came from.

We have written extensively on these topics. Here’s a suggested reading list:

Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT is a network of physical objects that connects to the internet via sensors and software. It’s the basis of our Integrated Monitoring solution. It enables greater visibility and flexibility across your entire supply chain. For example, IoT-enabled sensors placed in a shipment of vaccines will send a real-time alert if a problem arises, such as a temperature excursion or route diversion. We’ve written about IoT in the food and beverage industry, and rfxcel CEO Glenn Abood wrote a great article about real-time monitoring in the pharma cold chain. We also have a great video about it.

Digitization

If we were ranking the 2021′ supply chain trends, we’d make digitization No. 1. A supply chain that isn’t digitized cannot function efficiently. It cannot give consumers what they demand. It cannot comply with regulations. It cannot compete. It cannot make your business better.

Final thoughts

As we move toward the New Year, it’s a good time to think about the future of your supply chain. Ask yourself some basic questions:

- Are you keeping up with the trends we talked about today?
- Are there gaps and blind spots in your supply chain?
- Are counterfeits a problem in your industry?
- Are you doing everything you can to protect your brand?
- Are you actively reaching out to your customers to bring them closer to your brand?
- Are there compliance deadlines on the horizon?
- Are you certain your current supply chain solutions are truly optimal?
- Are you using your supply chain as a strategic asset?

The next step is to contact us. Our digital supply chain experts can share a short demo of our award-winning Traceability System that will clearly show why it’s the best solution for any business, under any circumstances.

What is the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)?

Posted on December 1, 2021November 10, 2023 by rfxadmin

Today’s question: What is the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)?

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) was passed on November 27, 2013. Envisioning a 10-year journey leading to the complete serialization of the U.S. pharma supply chain and electronic, interoperable exchange of product information, the law is scheduled to take effect on November 27, 2023.

We’ve written extensively about the legislation, but with the deadline for full compliance quickly approaching, we thought an overview was in order.

So let’s take a look at the DSCSA from top to bottom — milestones, requirements, highlights, expectations, and challenges — and answer the question, What is the Drug Supply Chain Security Act?

The Most Recent DSCSA Developments

As the timeline below shows, the FDA has adjusted DSCSA compliance deadlines during the rollout. The most recent — and arguably most significant — happened in August 2023, when the Agency announced that it was delaying by one year enforcement of key DSCSA requirements. This “extended stabilization period” moves the enforcement date to November 27, 2024.

However, it’s vital that all supply chain actors understand that the original compliance deadline of November 27, 2023, still stands. The Agency has made it clear that the stabilization period is not a delay of the 2023 requirements: It expects companies to have implemented the mandated systems and work to ensure they are operating correctly, smoothly, etc.

In Enhanced Drug Distribution Security Requirements Under Section 582(g)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act — Compliance Policies, the FDA states:

This guidance is not intended to provide, and should not be viewed as providing, a justification for delaying efforts by trading partners to implement the enhanced drug distribution security requirements under section 582(g)(1) of the FD&C Act. FDA strongly urges trading partners to continue their efforts to implement necessary measures to satisfy these enhanced drug distribution security requirements.

So what’s the key takeaway: Don’t stop preparing for the DSCSA. If you have questions about the DSCSA stabilization period or are concerned that your current provider isn’t doing everything it can to set you up for success, we encourage you to contact us today to speak with one of our DSCSA experts. We are 100 percent committed to ensuring all of our customers meet DSCSA compliance.

DSCSA Timeline

DSCSA at a Glance

Created as Title II of the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), passed by Congress in November 2013, the DSCSA is an initiative to prevent the introduction and distribution of counterfeit, stolen, contaminated, or otherwise harmful drugs in the United States. It outlines steps to build an interoperable electronic system to identify and trace prescription drugs as they are distributed throughout the country. By providing comprehensive FDA guidance, the act facilitates the accurate tracing of products from the point of production to distribution to dispensation and beyond.

Understanding the Drug Supply Chain Security Act

If you’re a pharmaceutical company — a manufacturer, wholesaler, dispenser, repackager, or third-party logistics provider — you must comply with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) if you want to do business in the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the goal of the DSCSA is “to build an electronic, interoperable system to identify and trace certain prescription drugs as they are distributed in the United States.” The Act “will enhance [the] FDA’s ability to help protect consumers from exposure to drugs that may be counterfeit, stolen, contaminated, or otherwise harmful” and “improve detection and removal of potentially dangerous drugs from the drug supply chain to protect U.S. consumers.”

As we said above, the law has been rolled out in phases since it was passed nearly 10 years ago. Even though enforcement was delayed until November 2024, the FDA expects all supply chain stakeholders to keep preparing.

Key Requirements of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act

The DSCSA requirements can be divided into several categories that apply to manufacturers, repackagers, wholesale distributors, dispensers, and 3PLs. Each is important, but four are particularly vital to being ready for November 2023 because they require these stakeholders to have specific systems in place to be fully compliant. These are the “four cornerstones” of DSCSA compliance:

Product identification (serialization)

Manufacturers and repackagers must put a unique product identifier (PI), such as a bar code, on certain prescription drug packages. This must be able to be read electronically.

Product tracing

Manufacturers, wholesale distributors, repackagers, and many dispensers (primarily pharmacies) must provide certain information about the drug and who handled it each time it’s sold:

- - Transaction information (TI) includes the product name; its strength and dosage form; its National Drug Code (NDC); container size and number of containers; lot number; transaction date; shipment date; and the name and address of the businesses from which and to which ownership is being transferred.
  - The transaction statement (TS) is a paper or electronic attestation by the business transferring ownership of the product that it has complied with the DSCSA.
  - A third type of information, Transaction history (TH), is an electronic statement with the TI for every transaction going back to the manufacturer. It is required before the November 27, 2023, deadline; it is not required after that date.

Verification

Manufacturers, wholesale distributors, repackagers, and dispensers must establish systems and processes to verify PIs for certain prescription drug packages. For saleable returns, manufacturers and wholesale distributors must use the Verification Router Service (VRS). Like everything else in the DSCSA, we’ve written extensively about the VRS. Our “DSCSA Saleable Returns Verification Requirement: Just the Facts” article is a good place to start.

Authorized trading partners (ATPs)

All manufacturers, wholesale distributors, repackagers, 3PLs, and dispensers must be ATPs and be able to electronically verify that their trading partners are ATPs.

In broad terms, to be an ATP you must meet certain registration, licensing, and licensure reporting requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and comply with state licensing requirements. The definitions of ATP also include language about accepting or transferring direct ownership or possession of products.

There are “four cornerstones” of DSCSA compliance requirements:

Other DSCSA Requirements to Consider

Detection and response + notification: Stakeholders must quarantine and promptly investigate suspect or illegitimate drugs. They must also notify the FDA and other interested parties when they find such drugs.

Licensing: Wholesalers must report their licensing status and contact information to the FDA. Third-party logistics providers must obtain a state or federal license.

Final thoughts

What is the Drug Supply Chain Security Act? The DSCSA requires pharma stakeholders to work together to secure the U.S. supply chain. It doesn’t matter if you’re a manufacturer, wholesaler, repackager, third-party logistics provider, or a dispenser — the law affects how you conduct business. Your compliance depends on making sure you can meet your responsibilities.

That’s where rfxcel comes in.

We have 20 years of experience providing the pharmaceutical industry with leading regulatory and compliance software. So if you aren’t sure if you’re going to be ready for DSCSA 2023–2024 or you’re wondering if your current solution provider is doing everything it can to prepare you for compliance, contact us today.

Our DSCSA experts can show you a short demo of our solutions, clarify what your responsibilities are, and answer questions about your needs and how to meet them, no matter your role in the supply chain.

In the meantime, check out some of our other DSCSA resources, including our DSCSA: Preparing for the Full Serialization of the U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain white paper and our DSCSA 2023 webinar series. These are great resources to help you better understand the law. You can click on those links or jump right to our DSCSA Compliance Library, a clearinghouse of all our information about the law.

Top Reasons Your Supply Chain Is the Key to an Effective Consumer Engagement Strategy

Posted on November 15, 2021October 9, 2023 by rfxadmin

Welcome to Part II of our series about effective consumer engagement. In Part I, we talked about the benefits of consumer engagement. Today, we’re focusing on your supply chain — and how you can use it for a next-level consumer engagement strategy. Let’s jump right in.

It’s all about data from your supply chain

Your supply chain is a gold mine of information that you can leverage for a robust consumer engagement strategy. The basic building block is serialization, which turns each one of your products into what we call “digital assets.” Each digital asset has a unique digital identity that can be monitored from production all the way to the person who buys it.

With rich, traceable data about every item in your supply chain at your fingertips, you can establish and maintain connections with consumers before, during, and after the sale. (You can also do much, much more, but that’s beyond the scope of what we’re talking about today.)

Four ways supply chain data supercharges your consumer engagement strategy

1. You’ll share the product information that consumers demand.

Consumers demand information. Every product — every digital asset — in your supply chain can be “loaded” with data that consumers can access at the store, at home, at a restaurant, at a sporting event. Anywhere. For example, a quick scan of a 2D Data Matrix code or QR code with a smart phone will reveal every detail you want to share about your product: where and when it was grown or made, its ingredients, the route it took to get to the consumer. This demonstrable provenance using supply chain data builds consumer trust and confidence; it is foundational to consumer engagement.

2. You’ll create compelling customer experiences.

Consumers also want experiences. With data from your supply chain and other brand resources (e.g., an app) you can curate experiences such as contests, loyalty programs, games, and unique online content. You can encourage storytelling about your brand. If you’re a winemaker, connect people to a virtual tour of your vineyard. If you sell organic foods, share video recipes online or invite people to see your sustainable operations. If you make cosmetics, link to virtual try-ons. Importantly, you can hyper-personalize and hyper-target every engagement, and even “broadcast” specific information to specific locations or events.

3. You’ll communicate directly with consumers.

Your serialized product is a device for one-on-one communication with the person who bought it. When a customer accesses the information from your digital asset, you can connect them to your website, social media, an app, a survey, or other forums where they can start a conversation with your brand. They can ask questions and provide feedback — and you can give answers and reactions. Relationship-building is another cornerstone of an effective consumer engagement strategy, and the products people are literally holding in their hands are the first step of the conversation.

4. You’ll gain valuable insight into your customers.

An effective consumer engagement strategy creates a world for your customers. And as they navigate and participate in that world, they share information. Where are they buying your products? What do they like? What don’t they like? What inspires them? What engagement activities resonated the most? This business intelligence can inform every part of your business, from how your supply chain works to creating better consumer engagement strategies.

Final thoughts

The purchase used to be the last part of your supply chain; now it’s the beginning of a new realm of possibilities. Every digital asset is an opportunity to connect your customers to your brand and put your products front and center in their lives.

rfxcel’s Traceability System is an end-to-end supply chain solution that creates the digital assets. It gives you in-depth, real-time insights all the way from production to your final customers. The data you connect to your products will fuel compelling consumer engagement activities that can reach people everywhere you do business.

And now, as part of Antares Vision Group, we can offer even more ways to engage with consumers. Contact us today to find out more.

BONUS CONTENT!

Last year, we did a piece called “Supply-Chain Traceability Is Building a New Kind of Consumer Kingdom.” Here’s an excerpt that ties into what we’ve said about an effective consumer engagement strategy:

In fact, consumers are not only thinking deeply about where the things they buy come from and what goes into making them, they are actually becoming a pivotal part of the supply chain itself. What’s more, they’re participating willingly and with gusto, demanding detailed information about the goods they purchase and even expecting to interact with products far beyond the point of sale. Just how far will they go to get what they want? More than 70% of customers say they’re willing to share their data in exchange for a more personalized experience, according to one recent survey.

Read the full article here.

Why Your Supply Chain Is Vital for Effective Consumer Engagement

Posted on November 11, 2021August 4, 2023 by rfxadmin

Consumers are exposed to countless brand messages every day. They see an endless variety of product information and opportunities, from ads, promotions, friends, and influencers on social media to signage in brick-and-mortar stores and website pop-ups. This is consumer engagement.

Or is it? It’s easy to throw an ad or a video online and say you have a consumer engagement strategy. But there’s a difference between consumer engagement and effective consumer engagement — and believe it or not, it’s your supply chain that makes the difference.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Today we’re looking at why consumer engagement has become a vital part of marketing strategies. Part II will get into why your supply chain is the key to effective consumer engagement. Let’s get started.

What is consumer engagement?

Consumer engagement is part of a larger marketing strategy with interlocking elements that support and complement one another. It’s often mentioned in the same breath as customer experience (a.k.a. CX or CEX) and user experience (UX). It is definitely part of brand protection, which we’ll be talking about in another blog series.

The goal of consumer engagement is to establish and maintain a connection with your customers. It is a sustained interaction between brand and customer. It is fueled by content such as videos, rewards programs, and games/contests, and on-demand product information, such as traceability data that proves that your product is what you say it is.

Top benefits of effective consumer engagement

Consumers are not the only ones who reap rewards from consumer engagement. You — your company, your brand, your bottom line — stand to gain a lot. Here are just a few examples:

You’ll promote stronger customer relationships

Your consumer engagement strategy should make your customers want to continue buying your product. Engaging customers across touchpoints and channels will increase the likelihood of forming stronger relationships with them. When you move beyond pitching only your products and begin adding value with activities and incentives, your consumers will be more inclined to turn to you when they plan to make a purchase. This allows you to develop a community of engaged loyalists who are willing to choose your brand, even if your products are more expensive than your competitors’.

You’ll get more (and better) customer feedback and insight

No matter the channel — an app, a social media platform, an email, a text message — consumers are more and more willing to share what they think about the things they buy and the experiences they have. With this valuable data about your customers, you can improve your products and product experiences and continue honing your consumer engagement strategy.

You’ll leverage personalized, proactive communication

Today, it’s all about personalization. You want to make your brand relevant to each person’s daily life. For example, if you have a product you know a consumer might find valuable, you can reach out proactively and help them understand its usefulness. You can promote a contest, a promotion, a rewards program — anything. When you communicate personally in this way, you create new value for your product while letting people know you’re interested in making their lives and product experiences richer and fuller. Artificial intelligence is likely to be the cornerstone of this type of fast, individualized consumer engagement.

You’ll build customer trust and loyalty

You don’t want your relationship with your customers to end after they purchase your product. You want them to be loyal to your brand. You want to position your brand as part of their daily lives. You want them to trust you. And you want them to tell others about you. By regularly engaging with customers — via their preferred communication channel or channels — you can demonstrate the benefits of your products. An effective consumer engagement strategy will also help you identify your customers’ concerns and determine what they care about. For example, do they demand to know where their foods come from? Are they concerned about sustainability?

This is where brand protection enters the picture. Consumer engagement is absolutely part of an effective brand protection strategy. Come back to our blog next week to read more about that!

Final thoughts

Consumer expectations are changing faster than ever before. Just talking about your brand and hoping that people notice it is not enough — you need to start interacting and incentivizing. This is the basis of all consumer engagement.

We covered some fundamentals today. In Part II, we get into the cool stuff: Why your supply chain is the key to effective consumer engagement. It’s all about traceability, serialization, digitization, and data. So take a look at that and contact us with your questions or to schedule a short demo of our Traceability System. You can also read more about how we can help you take your consumer engagement activities to the next level.

READ PART II OF OUR CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT SERIES

rfxcel, Part of Antares Vision Group, and MVC Sign Agreement with Lebanese Republic to Deploy End-to-End Pharmaceutical Traceability Hub

Posted on September 22, 2021October 28, 2022 by rfxadmin

The agreement continues the partners’ success in the Middle East, where they recently launched the first GS1-compliant Traceability Hub in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Reno, Nevada, Sept. 22, 2021 (EINPRESSWIRE). rfxcel, part of Antares Vision Group and a global leader in digital supply chain traceability solutions, today announced that it signed a five-year cooperative agreement with the Lebanese Republic’s Ministry of Public Health to provide a GS1-compliant Traceability Hub to secure the country’s entire pharmaceutical supply chain. The company will implement the system with its partner Medical Value Chain (MVC), the Bahrain subsidiary of U.S.-based AVC Global.

The announcement comes only a few months after rfxcel and MVC were selected by Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority and Supreme Council of Health to provide the first GS1-compliant system to track the Kingdom’s entire pharmaceutical supply chain on a blockchain platform.

The Lebanon Traceability Hub will deliver end-to-end visibility into every aspect of the country’s pharmaceutical supply chain, from the manufacturer of origin, importers, wholesalers, and distributors to pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals — all the way to individual patients. It will integrate with the Ministry of Public Health’s MediTrack system for domestic manufacturers.

The Hub is designed to achieve the following:

Lower the cost of pharmaceuticals
Provide patients with only authentic, safe medications
Combat drug counterfeiting and smuggling
Ensure access to pharmaceuticals subsidized by the Banque du Liban, the central bank of Lebanon
Prevent hoarding of medicines

“The Hub is all about leveraging leading-edge technology to secure Lebanon’s pharmaceutical supply chain and safeguard patients and consumers,” rfxcel CEO Glenn Abood said. “Security and safety — these are the very reasons I founded rfxcel almost 20 years ago. We’re eager to begin our work with MVC in Lebanon, and we’ll continue to focus on bringing Traceability Hubs to other countries in the Middle East and beyond.”

MVC Co-Founder and President Leo Giacometto said, “The MVC technology platform with blockchain revolutionizes the delivery and integrity of pharmaceutical supply chains in Lebanon. We are excited and honored to deploy our platform in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health in the Republic of Lebanon.”

Emidio Zorzella, Antares Vision Group CEO, said, “We’re all eager to start working with the Ministry of Public Health and gratified that everything has come together so well. When we unveiled the Bahrain Traceability Hub in June, I said we’d be announcing national hubs in other countries. Here we are today, continuing our vision of protecting products and people, and making supply chains safer and more efficient.”

About rfxcel

Part of Antares Vision Group, rfxcel provides leading-edge software solutions to help companies build and manage their digital supply chain, lower costs, protect their products and brand reputations, and engage consumers. Blue-chip organizations in the life sciences (pharmaceuticals and medical devices), food and beverage, worldwide government, and consumer goods industries trust rfxcel’s Traceability System to power end-to-end supply chain solutions in track and trace, environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, serialization, and visibility. Founded in 2003, the company is headquartered in the United States and has offices in the United Kingdom, the EU, Latin America, Russia, India, Japan, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

About Antares Vision Group

Antares Vision Group protects products, people, and brands with inspection systems featuring 6,500 quality controls, track and trace software solutions for end-to-end transparency and visibility in digital supply chains, and smart data management tools for maximum operational efficiency, from raw materials to final consumers. It provides solutions to five primary industries: pharmaceuticals and life sciences (medical devices and hospitals), food and beverage, cosmetics, and consumer packaged goods. Active in more than 60 countries, Antares Vision Group has seven production facilities and three Innovation and Research Centers in Italy, 22 foreign subsidiaries, and a global network of more than 40 partners. Today, 10 of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies use its solutions to secure their production and supply chain operations; worldwide, it has deployed more than 25,000 inspection systems and more than 3,500 serialization modules. Antares Vision Group has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange’s AIM Italia market since April 2019 and in the STAR Segment of the Mercato Telematico Azionario (MTA) since May 2021.

For further information

Antares Vision S.P.A.

Via Del Ferro, N. 16

25039 – Travagliato (BS)

Alessandro Baj Badino, Investor Relator

Tel.: +39 030 72 83 500

E-mail: Investors@antaresvision.com

Herb Wong, rfxcel Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Initiatives

Tel.: +1 925-791-3235

E-mail: hwong@rfxcel.com

Exploring Meat Traceability in the Food Supply Chain: Getting to Know Your Protein

Posted on March 10, 2021August 16, 2023 by rfxadmin

Today’s consumers demand transparency, particularly when it comes to the meat they consume. They want more information about how and where the livestock was raised and processed — not just from a nutritional standpoint, but also with regard to food safety practices, animal care practices, environmental impact, and worker safety. Put simply, they want meat traceability.

Consumers are making an emotional connection to the foods they buy and consume; they want to feel good about where their money is going and what they are putting into their bodies. While this trend has been growing over the past several years, it has gained significant traction recently. Add the pandemic into the mix, and you’ve got an even greater demand for transparency amid an environment driven by heightened health and financial concerns.

The supply chain saw significant disruption during the pandemic, as high infection rates in processing plants led to a marked curtail in operations in pork, beef, and poultry plants—and in some cases, plant closures. In fact, roughly 65 percent of meat processing plants experienced outbreaks and 20 percent were forced to temporarily suspend operations, which, in a consolidated meat industry, had a ripple effect across the country. As the outbreaks played out publicly, consumers grew even warier of the origins of their meats.

Adding more complexity to the issue, bad weather over the past year meant smaller corn and soybean harvests, making it harder and more expensive for cattle, hog, and poultry farmers to feed their herds. The last time the industry saw such high grain prices was during the 2012 U.S. drought.

As meat supplies diminished, consumer demand grew, with more people stuck inside and forced to cook and eat at home. The result: price inflation at the grocery stores, making it more expensive for consumers to feed their families. As they pay more for the foods that nourish their families and read headlines about the pandemic’s effects on the food supply chain, their demand for transparency has only become greater.

Meat traceability is more essential than ever

As we usher in a new era in food safety, meat traceability is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s essential. With increasing consumer demand for more information about where their protein is coming from, clear documentation from the farm to the end product is a must.

The Global Food Traceability Center defines traceability as the “ability to access any or all information relating to a food under consideration, throughout its entire life cycle, by means of recorded identifications.” This goes beyond the information itself; it’s about linking the information throughout the supply chain and ensuring coordinated processes and end-to-end meat traceability.

The good news is that tech-enabled meat traceability doesn’t have to be complicated, and its benefits are vast and powerful. From increased meat quality, improved food safety, and fewer product recalls to better inventory tracking and superior customer service, traceability delivers a range of benefits that go far beyond simply responding to consumers’ demand for information. With visibility across the entire supply chain, manufacturers can document and link the production, processing, and distribution chain of their protein products, which results in greater organizational efficiencies, reduced market and operational risks, a stronger competitive advantage, and a better brand image.

Final thoughts

While challenges continue to emerge amid a rapidly evolving global landscape, brands have an opportunity to tell a story that evokes a positive emotion and inspires a purchase. Consumers want to know that their meats were produced ethically and safely, and, of course, pose no risk to themselves or their families. As more and more people scan labels and packages for information about where their food came from and how it was made, transparency will play an increasingly crucial role in a meat producer’s brand image. It really comes down to trust: If consumers don’t trust your brand, they’ll be more than happy to buy another company’s product. Meat traceability satiates a consumer’s need for information, which builds trust with your brand.

From farm to table, rfxcel’s food supply chain solutions have you covered. Our award-winning Traceability System (rTS) is the basis of a modernized, digital supply chain with fully customizable and scalable solutions that yield complete end-to-end meat traceability. It is the foundation of a digital supply chain and a successful food recall management system that operates with surgical precision.

Offering the most complete and flexible raw materials and meat traceability solution for food and beverage, we’ll help you to optimize your supply chain operations while catering to the consumers’ increasing demand for information about the meats they consume.

rfxcel Enters into Acquisition Agreement with Antares Vision Group

Posted on February 19, 2021October 28, 2022 by rfxadmin

The combination of rfxcel’s industry-leading traceability software platform and Antares Vision’s solutions for intelligent track and trace will create significant value for customers.

Reno, Nevada, Feb. 19, 2021 (EINPRESSWIRE). rfxcel, a global leader in digital supply chain traceability solutions, today announced that it had entered into an acquisition agreement with Italy’s Antares Vision Group, a leading global provider of intelligent track and trace, inspection, and smart data management solutions for the life sciences and food and beverage sectors.

rfxcel CEO Glenn Abood said the agreement marked the start of an expansive era for the company he co-founded with Chief Strategy Officer Jack Tarkoff in 2003. “This is an exciting new chapter for rfxcel,” he said, “a time for the company and our customers to look to the future.

“Becoming part of Antares Vision Group will give us new ways to strengthen our relationships with our customers and provide them with enhanced solutions as they do their important work in the life sciences, food and beverage, consumer goods, and government industries. Plus,” Abood continued, “the integration of our companies’ capabilities will enable us to drive into new markets and geographies as the undisputed leader in supply chain track and trace solutions. It really is a ‘win-win’ for our global teams and our customers.”

The Antares Vision Group will leverage rfxcel’s capabilities and signature rfxcel Traceability System (rTS) software suite to help customers accelerate their transition toward digital and sustainable supply chains characterized by full transparency and visibility. Together, the companies will provide a full stack, end-to-end digital supply chain solution that will optimize and streamline customers’ operations while providing complete end-to-end visibility, from product ingredients and raw materials to the end customer experience.

rTS is a digital supply chain visibility platform comprising up to eight discrete solutions that work in concert to harmonize, optimize, automate, and monitor virtually every aspect of supply chain operations, including serialization, regulatory compliance, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled monitoring, and raw materials and finished goods traceability. rfxcel also offers a Mobile Traceability app that extends the power of rTS to users at every node of the supply chain, from remote fields and warehouses to retail outlets.

Emidio Zorzella, chairman and CEO of Antares Vision, said he and co-founder Massimo Bonardi were “delighted” about the agreement with rfxcel. “Demand for traceability and serialized products and services has increased significantly over the last few years,” he said, “and this transaction accelerates our ability to offer best-in-class propositions in all our key reference sectors, life science and food and beverage. We look forward to welcoming the management and employees of rfxcel to the Antares Vision Group and working together to serve our customers across the world.”

Abood added that both companies shared the same goals and Antares Vision would help rfxcel accelerate its plans. “The rfxcel management team is delighted to join with Antares Vision to offer customers the most complete end-to-end solution for track and trace on the market today.”

For more information about the acquisition agreement or the companies’ solutions, contact Herb Wong, rfxcel’s vice president of marketing and strategic initiatives, at hwong@rfxcel.com or 925-824-0300.

About rfxcel

Founded in 2003, rfxcel provides leading-edge software solutions to help companies build and manage their digital supply chain, lower costs, and protect their products and brand reputations. Blue-chip organizations in the life sciences (pharmaceuticals and medical devices), food and beverage, worldwide government, and consumer goods industries trust rfxcel’s signature Traceability System (rTS) to power end-to-end supply chain solutions in key areas such as track and trace, environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, serialization, and visibility. The company is headquartered in the United States and has offices in the United Kingdom, the EU, Latin America, Russia, India, Japan, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

About Antares Vision

Listed since April 2019 on the AIM Italia market of the Italian Stock Exchange, Antares Vision Group guarantees the protection of products, people and brands through inspection systems for quality control, track and trace solutions for anti-counterfeiting and supply chain transparency, smart data management tools for maximized efficiency and digitalization of the supply chain, from the point of production to the end consumer. The Antares Vision Group is active in the life science sector, including the pharmaceutical, medical device, and hospital segments, as well as in other industries, including, primarily, food and beverage, cosmetics, and in consumer-packaged goods. The Group reaches over 60 countries worldwide with complete and flexible solutions, hardware, and software, with related services: it has five offices in Italy (Brescia, Parma, Piacenza, Latina and Vicenza), 15 foreign branches (Germany [2], France [2], USA [3], Latin America [2], India, Russia, Hong Kong, China, Croatia, and Serbia), three Innovation and Research Centers (Italy) and a worldwide network of more than 40 partners. With the 20 years of experience in vision technologies of the two founding partners, the Antares Vision Group is the supplier of 10 of the 20 leading pharmaceutical companies in the world (by turnover), with more than 25,000 inspection systems, which ensure everyday product safety and quality, 6,500 quality controls, and more than 3,500 serialization modules on lines installed all over the world. With the aim of continuing and supporting the growth and development strategy, during 2019, Antares Vision finalized participation agreements with T2 Software, a Brazilian company specialized in smart data management solutions, and Orobix, an Italian company leader in artificial intelligence services, and acquired 100 percent of FT System, leader in control and inspection in the beverage sector. In 2020, Antares Vision acquired 82.83 percent of Tradeticity, a Croatian company specialized in software management of traceability and serialization processes, 100 percent of Convel, an Italian company specialized in automated inspection machines for the pharmaceutical industry, the assets of Adents High Tech International, a French company specialized in software for serialization and traceability, and 100 percent of Applied Vision, a global leader in inspection systems for glass and metal containers in food and beverage. In 2019, Emidio Zorzella and Massimo Bonardi won the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award for innovation. For more info: www.antaresvision.com.

rfxcel Welcomes Lincoln Manning as Chief Revenue Officer

Posted on September 25, 2020December 2, 2020 by rfxadmin

Reno, Nevada, Sept. 17, 2020. rfxcel, the global leader in digital supply chain traceability solutions, today announced that Lincoln Manning has joined its executive team as chief revenue officer. Mr. Manning will be responsible for all aspects of revenue generation, including worldwide sales, ecosystem partnerships, sales operations, and systems engineering for the company’s verticals, which include the life sciences (pharmaceuticals and medical devices), food and beverage, government, and consumer goods.

“We are glad to have Lincoln on our team,” said rfxcel CEO and Co-Founder Glenn Abood. “He brings a wealth of experience from diverse industries that he’ll be able to leverage across rfxcel. We are particularly excited about his devotion to and excellence in anticipating what customers need and doing what it takes to ensure they succeed. This is one of our corporate values.

“Lincoln also has a track record of building and strengthening sales teams. Our sales teams are solid in every market, but Lincoln will take them to the next level, helping us maintain our leadership where we’re already established and build our presence where we’re still growing.”

Prior to joining rfxcel, Mr. Manning held executive-level positions at software and digital marketing companies. He led sales, marketing, and customer success teams to increase revenue, reinvent business ecosystems, navigate post-merger corporate change, and reset reseller channels.

“There couldn’t be a more perfect time to be joining rfxcel,” Mr. Manning said. “Our mission of keeping the supply chain safe in key verticals is more important today than ever. I believe rfxcel is uniquely positioned globally to ensure products are safely delivered to patients and consumers, because of our agility and ability to respond to customer needs in today’s ever-changing environment.”

Mr. Abood co-founded rfxcel with Chief Strategy Officer Jack Tarkoff in 2003, so Mr. Manning joins the company as it celebrates 17 years of supply chain innovations and growth. Recent successes include conducting major pharma pilots for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Brazilian government; tripling the size of its team in Russia and being named an official software and integration partner of the Center for Research in Perspective Technologies (CRPT), which operates Russia’s National Track and Trace Digital System (Chestny ZNAK); releasing the latest version of its award-winning rfxcel Traceability Solution; increasing its presence in the Middle East; and being named 2020 Software Company of the Year by Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET).

“Lincoln’s joining us at a busy time,” Abood said. “We’re keeping our customers’ supply chains running during the pandemic, improving our products and developing new solutions, and expanding our operations globally. Lincoln will be a huge asset as we continue to secure and optimize the pharma, food and beverage, government, and consumer goods supply chains. By strengthening our commitment to our customers, he’ll strengthen rfxcel. We’re all excited to have him on the team.”

For more information about rfxcel’s solutions, contact Herb Wong, vice president of marketing and strategic initiatives, at hwong@rfxcel.com or 925-824-0300.

About rfxcel

Founded in 2003, rfxcel provides leading-edge software solutions to help companies build and manage every aspect of a digital supply chain, lower costs, and protect their products and brand reputations. Blue-chip organizations in the life sciences (pharmaceuticals and medical devices), food and beverage, worldwide government, and consumer goods industries trust rfxcel’s signature Traceability System (rTS) to power end-to-end supply chain solutions in key areas such as track and trace, environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, serialization, and visibility. The company is headquartered in the United States and has offices in the United Kingdom, the EU, Latin America, Russia, India, Japan, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Unlocking Efficiency in the Supply Chain: The Role of L1-L5 Solution Provider

Posted on September 21, 2020July 25, 2023 by rfxadmin

Jargon. For better or for worse, it’s a fact of life — more so for people like us who work in the highly technical field of supply chain management. From ANSI to XML, an alphabet soup of shop talk can rain down upon us without warning, often leaving us scratching our heads (or at least searching online). L1-L5 solution provider? What does that mean?

And if we say rfxcel is an L4 and L5 solution provider, what does that mean? With as little jargon as possible, let’s find out.

What does the “L” stand for in L1-L5 solution provider?

The “L” in “L1-L5 solution provider” stands for “level,” as in the level of serialization in a supply chain. To put a finer point on it, it means the level of serialization and information management in a supply chain. And if you hadn’t guessed, there are five levels:

Level 1: Device
Level 2: Packaging
Level 3: Site
Level 4: Enterprise
Level 5: Network

The list above progresses from the smallest or most localized level, the L1 device level, to the most expansive and all-encompassing level, the L5 network level. Generally, L1, L2, and L3 are grouped together because they’re happening where products are created and packaged; L4 and L5 are paired together in the realm where those products enter the greater supply chain to make their way to their final destinations.

When talking about L1-L5, let’s work backwards from largest to smallest. This way, we can “zoom in on” the details and put everything in a more vivid context.

Level 5: Network

L5 is where rfxcel has its roots and where we built our reputation for supply chain excellence. The network level is where all serialization and regulatory data is managed, including with your trading partners, regulatory authorities and their repositories, and customers. It ensures you’re communicating with partners and complying with regulations.

Level 4: Enterprise

rfxcel’s roots also run deep in L4, which manages and verifies all your serialization and regulatory data/compliance reporting before sending it to L5. It also generates your serial numbers and manages all your business processes. When you design your solutions for L1, L2, and L3, you must decide how they will integrate with your L4 solution.

Level 3: Site

This is where we enter your actual manufacturing facilities and processes. L3 manages the line systems (i.e., L2) at your site to ensure that they are working optimally. L3 is optional; if present, it serves as the “middle man” between L4 and L2, requesting serial numbers from the former and allocating them to the latter. L3 will also verify the L2 data before it is submitted to L4.

Level 2: Packaging

L2 systems control the L1 hardware and manage the serial numbers which are printed and applied on packages by L1 devices. L2 systems will communicate with the L4 (or L3,f present) to send/receive serial numbers as needed.

Level 1: Device

L1 comprises devices on a packaging line that enable serial numbers to be affixed to packaging and products, such as barcode printers, label printers, and labelers. It also includes cameras and scanners used for quality control, such as visual inspections of products and labeling.

rfxcel is an L4 and L5 solution provider that integrates with L2 and L3

As we said above, we’ve built a reputation for excellence for L4 and L5, the enterprise and network levels. This is our business: Creating innovative software solutions that optimize key supply chain requirements and functions — from the nuts and bolts of serialization and regulatory compliance to environmental monitoring and data analytics — and bring true end-to-end track and trace capabilities to any supply chain.

Our solutions ensure you’re communicating with all your trading partners, all regulatory bodies and their repositories, and your customers. We’ll help keep your lines running smoothly. We’ll yield rich, actionable data that you can use to improve your operations, connect with your customers, and build consumer trust and brand reputation.

We create one uniform, harmonized supply chain that takes care of everything from unit-level serialization and global compliance network needs to closing the last mile all the way to the person buying your product.

Final thoughts

All levels are important. They rely on one another to make things work. When you’re planning a serialization solution, you have to think very carefully about how they’ll interact and communicate.

rfxcel makes sure your data is accurate, travels quickly between and among levels, and meets the requirements of your partners and government authorities — no matter what systems you have in place now or will get in the future. Interconnectivity and interoperability are the cornerstones of all our implementations.

If you have questions about L1-L5, are looking to build a solution, or are considering switching solution providers, contact us today to talk with one of our supply chain experts and see what our award-winning rfxcel Traceability System can do.

Why We Need Wine Industry Track and Trace

Posted on September 18, 2020October 9, 2023 by rfxadmin

It was tempting to write about wine industry track and trace as a film noir (or a film pinot noir, as it were). There would be clandestine grape-stomping, midnight rendezvous in terraced vineyards, rogue chemists, cases stuffed with euros and dollars, sting operations and FBI raids, people taken away in handcuffs. In the closing scene, the one-time victim would celebrate triumph over those who did them wrong.

This much drama for wine industry track and trace? Yes, though it’s about much more than the serious work of fighting counterfeits and illicit trade. It’s about using technology to build provenance, streamline operations, and satisfy customers.

The first part of our story covers the basics of wine industry track and trace; the second part gets into specifics. Let’s start our investigation.

Seriously, why do we need wine industry track and trace?

Not all supply chains are created equal. For example, if you read our Seafood Transparency Trilogy, you know a large, geographically diverse, and fragmented supply chain poses many challenges.

Plus, some products are more complex than others, which means they have more complex supply chains. From raw materials/ingredients to what consumers expect (or demand), supply chains vary wildly depending on what’s being made, where it’s being delivered, and even “the culture” of the product.

As you might have guessed, wine has a complicated supply chain. GS1, in its 2009 Wine Supply Chain Traceability Guideline, said, “The wine supply chain has always been complex and fragmented and with more distant suppliers and ever-more demanding customers, the unique characteristics of this supply chain bring challenges to implementing an effective traceability system.”

If you wanted to get technical, you could argue that there are actually two wine supply chains.

First, there’s a supply chain for “table wine” or “mass market wine.” Depending on where you live, you’ll find these in your local grocery store, in a wine/spirits shop, or in a state-owned store (an “ABC Store,” “package store,” or “state store”). This supply chain has many actors and the product changes hands many times. The product itself changes dramatically as it moves from raw materials to a finished good. Stakeholders typically have access to technology, including track and trace technology.

The second supply chain is for “fine wines,” which are produced in much smaller quantities than table wines. Though these vintages are sold in “regular” wine shops, they’re often reserved for boutique settings frequented by aficionados with deep pockets (or at least bigger budgets they’ve set aside for their passion). The steps of production and distribution may be very localized, resulting in a supply chain with far fewer actors than for mass-produced wine. For example, a winery in Burgundy, France, might do everything from growing the grapes and bottling to distributing pallets, cartons, or cases to local retailers. Because of their size, they may not have access to the latest track and trace technology.

So, why do we need wine industry track and trace? Here are the key reasons:

It’s a complex, fragmented supply chain.
There are diverse ingredients and raw materials, ranging from fertilizers and water to bottles, corks, and caps — and, of course, grapes.
Wine is heavily regulated.
Consumers of all stripes want the full provenance for what they’re drinking.

Wine industry track and trace will improve operations for all, ensure compliance with regulations, and satisfy consumer demand for detailed information and transparency.

Two other reasons for wine industry track and trace

Like other industries, wine has business and professional organizations for its supply chain stakeholders. There are trade publications and trade shows. It does big promotions. It has all the trappings of a large, important industry.

Unlike other industries, however, wine has a following. It is more than a product. Wine is a global culture unto itself. And this means there are aspects to its history and very existence that have ramifications for the supply chain.

For starters, there’s a thriving counterfeit market and illicit trade. Granted, this isn’t unique to wine, but the intricacies of the production process and the many facets of supply and demand make it an especially daunting problem. These stories from 2020 give an idea of its scope:

Furthermore, there’s a thriving, passionate collectors’ scene around the world. There’s a huge private trade, in-person and online clubs, mega-exclusive events and dinners, and auctions with nosebleed prices. And there’s lots of money changing hands. A desirable bottle of wine can cost as much as a car. Or a house. The 2019 auction market alone was valued at more than $520 million.

As a cautionary tale that combines the scourge of counterfeiting with the rarefied air of the highest echelons of the wine elite, there’s the fascinating case of Rudy Kurniawan. If you don’t know the story, start here. You might want to grab a glass of wine — just make sure you know where it really came from.

So, counterfeiting and illicit trade are major problems, including in collectors’ circles, where today’s wines are tomorrow’s pricey classics. Provenance, therefore, is vitally important across the supply chain, which is another compelling reason for wine industry track and trace.

The wine supply chain, defined

The wine supply chain has the same core stakeholders as other supply chains: producers, distributors, and retailers. In its 2009 Wine Supply Chain Traceability Guideline, GS1 says these can be characterized as large companies with “significant technology requirements”; small- to medium-sized enterprises, many with niche specialty products and branding; and “support companies that provide materials, transportation, storage, and other services that are also impacted by traceability.”

GS1 further divides the supply chain into seven stakeholders: grape growers, wine producers, bulk distributors, transit cellars, fillers/packers, distributors, and retail stores. We describe these below, including their roles in wine industry track and trace.

Supply chain actors and their roles in wine industry track and trace

Ingredients and final products can change hands many, many times, so all actors must keep meticulous records and follow GS1 labeling standards to ensure wine industry track and trace. The requirements do get complicated, but there are a few fundamentals to keep in mind:

Global Location Numbers (GLNs)
Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs)
Serial Shipping Container Codes (SSCCs)
Application Identifiers (AIs)
GS1-128 barcodes
Human-readable codes
Universal Product Codes (UPCs) and European Article Numbers (EANs)

Grapegrowers

Grapegrowers are responsible for the production, harvest, and delivery of grapes. Wine industry track and trace begins with them, so they must keep detailed records about receiving, shipping, and the vineyard itself. The latter includes the type of vines, annual production record, origin and chemical content of water used for cleaning and irrigation, and treatments (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides).

Key data for track and trace describes the “plot” or “block” where grapes are grown. This land is identified with a GLN allocated by the grower and should include five pieces of information:

The vineyard’s name and address
The identifier for the plot
Size of the plot/number of vines
Vine variety
Contact details

Every shipment of grapes the growers send should have a GLN and the date of harvest so the receiving winery can have this provenance for the wine it makes.

Wine producers

Wine producers receive the grapes and produce, manufacture, and/or blend wine products. Key wine industry track and trace data follows the grapes as they’re transformed into wine, so producers must keep accurate records of the procedures they use to make every wine. This includes:

The grape growers’ GLNs
The wine producer’s own GLN
The location(s) at the winery where grapes or juice are processed, including de-stemming, crushing, chilling, and pressing
A GTIN for each product
An SSCC for shipping containers (e.g., tanker trucks)
An AI (315n) to indicate the quantity dispatched in liters
An AI (10) to indicate the batch number

Bulk distributors

Bulk distributors receive wine in bulk from wine producers and send it to transit cellars. They also store, dispatch, process, sample, and analyze bulk wine. The wine they receive has been identified with a GTIN and a batch number; like their downstream and upstream trading partners, they must keep records about what they receive and dispatch, including recording the SSCCs and AIs associated with bulk wine containers.

Bulk distributors are identified with GLNs. Bulk wine containers, such as storage tanks, may hold only one product, or they may hold mixed products with mixed batch numbers; these have different labeling requirements. Generally, they’re identified with an SSCC allocated by the bulk distributor. When put into barcode form, the SSCC is “represented in a GS1-128 symbol.” The containers may also require a GTIN and AIs for batch and quantity.

Transit cellars

Transit cellars are responsible for the receipt, storage, dispatch, processing, sampling, and analysis of bulk wine, plus keeping records about what they receive and dispatch. They may be part of a filler/packer company at the same site or at another location. They can also be a third-party service provider.

For wine industry track and trace, every container a transit cellar sends must be identified with an SSCC, a GTIN, a batch number, and the quantity of wine in liters. This information is encoded in a GS1-128 barcode and in human readable form. To ensure track and trace in the wine industry, transit cellars must record every SSCC, GTIN, and batch number of every item they ship.

Fillers/Packers

Fillers/Packers receive containers of bulk wine from a bulk distributor or a transit cellar. Their job is to put the wine into smaller containers, such as bottles, bags, kegs, and barrels, then send cases, cartons, pallets, or “other logistics units” to finished goods distributors. For wine industry track and trace, here are how these units should be labeled:

Cases and cartons sold at retail are identified with a GTIN and a barcode with an EAN/UPC symbol. A lot number encoded in a GS1-128 barcode should also applied as an “add-on.” Cases and cartons that will not be sold at retail are identified with AIs and GTINs encoded in a GS1-128 barcode.
Pallets are marked with SSCCs. Filler/Packers can also include a GS1-128 barcode with AIs containing other information that maintains the parent-child relationship between the pallet and its contents.
Point-of-sale units (e.g., bottles, cans, jugs, bags in boxes) are identified with a GTIN and have a barcode with an EAN/UPC symbol for scanning at the time of purchase. In the EU and elsewhere, units must display a lot number assigned during the filling process. This information can be in human readable form.

Fillers/Packers also receive the “dry goods” that come in contact with wine, such as bottles, caps, and corks, and must label them with SSCCs, GTINs, and batch numbers. Fillers/Packers also have to record other information about dry goods, such as the water used to wash filling equipment and any chemicals used for cleaning.

Distributors

Distributors receive, store, and dispatch finished goods to retailers. They are also responsible for inventory management, and may repack or re-label goods at a retailer’s request.

If cases, cartons, and pallets are not broken up before being shipped to a retailer, the identification from the filler/packer (e.g., SSCC, GTIN, EAN/UPC symbols) does not change. If items are repacked, each gets a new SSCC. (The original SSCC must be crossed out or obscured). Distributors must record the SSCC, GTIN, and lot number of the items they ship and link these to the GLN of the recipient.

The “Traceability data and GS1 Standards” for items shipped by distributors are as follows (quoted verbatim):

SSCC of the inbound pallet and GLN of its supplier
SSCC of the outbound pallet, either unmodified or newly created
Links between the SSCC of the newly created pallet and the SSCC of the pallets used in its creation and, if applicable, the GTIN and lot number of each carton shipped to the retailer
GLN of the retail location to which the pallet is dispatched

Retail stores

Retailers receive wine from the finished goods distributor for retail sale. The wine is usually delivered in cases, cartons, and pallets, and records of their SSCCs and lot numbers must be kept. Individual units sold to the final consumer are identified with a GTIN-13 allocated by the brand owner. UPCs or EANs ensure products are scanned/traced all the way to sale to consumers. If a retailer returns goods to a supplier, it must ensure it doesn’t break the wine industry track and trace links that have been established.

Final thoughts

In our faux noir introduction, we said the victim triumphed in the end. What we meant was that wine industry track and trace protects everyone in the supply chain, from winemakers and their trading partners to everyday consumers and auction houses.

Producers can prove the provenance of their ingredients and final products. They can create a story about their wines, connect with consumers, and build and safeguard their brand reputation. Distributors and retailers can maintain the chain of ownership and help ensure only genuine products make it to market, all while streamlining and automating logistics. Consumers can know more about the wines they buy, such as where the grapes were grown, when they were harvested, and if they were treated with pesticides. For fine wines that may become collectors’ items, provenance can be “passed down” as a bottle or case or entire cellar ages, providing much-needed proof that a wine is what it’s label says it is.

As the leader in track and trace technology, rfxcel can help. Our award-winning rfxcel Traceability System is perfectly suited for wine industry track and trace. For example, our Raw Materials Traceability and Finished Goods Traceability solutions create the entire product provenance with detailed data about every aspect of production. Our Integrated Monitoring solution rides along with products as they move through the supply chain, protecting them from environmental excursions, diversion, and theft. With our MobileTraceability app, you can see and control your supply chain from virtually anywhere in the world.

Talk with one of our supply chain experts today to learn more about what we can do. And check back soon for Part 2 of our wine industry track and trace series.