Traceability
So what’s this all about?
Companies have a lot of questions about serialization concepts. How will they affect my business? How much will they cost? Is it all about technology? How will they affect the different departments within my business? Who will help with implementation? There are so many questions and so little time. It’s a real challenge!
It's all about consumers
Commercial borders are disappearing. The rapid flow of information and goods is not equally balanced with consumer protection. Industries need to mitigate counterfeiting, and traceability is one of the most powerful tools to do it; benefiting both manufacturers and consumers.
Food Industry
Via the Internet, the world is constantly in touch with its food, virtually instantly. Yet it seems we still frequently hear of food “incidents.” No one is immune. Today, more than ever, consumers are sensitive about their food, and producers will be in a position to use evolving technology to improve food safety. Regulations, both formal and informal; e.g., EU 1169/2011 or the PTI initiative in the US, are defining an acceptable framework for producers. Consumers need better and simpler access to straightforward communication; those who don’t provide it will be at competitive disadvantage.
Beverage Industry
Wine and liquor in particular suffer significant counterfeiting. Poor quality, or worse, often cause irreversible reputational damage. Brand authentication through uncompromised serialization and tamper evidence provide a layer of assurance to consumers that product is genuine and from original packaging. A digital-physical interface with product creates a 1:1 personalized relationship between brand and consumer. Just bring your smartphone.
Toy Industry
Irrespective of price, assurance that toys are sourced from legitimate suppliers whose manufacturing processes are compliant with all hazardous materials and safety regulations must be verifiable. Serialization must be standardized and standard.
Luxury Goods
No one wants to be scammed, especially when buying expensive items. And luxury goods are one of the most counterfeited and gray marketed, enabled through modern production processes, porous supply chains and online shopping. Serialization tools for both online and offline product confirmation have the potential to mitigate fraudulent product.
Automotive Industry
The automotive industry, especially spare parts, are subject to counterfeiting, particularly online, but also in the legitimate supply chain. Serialization tools for both online and offline product confirmation have the potential to mitigate fraudulent product.