Nestle boasts of supply chain transparency

In this era where social media prevails, consumer expectations for supply chain transparency are at an all time high. Whether it is corporate values, fair trade, or product quality, manufacturers are responding to the increasing demand to pull back the curtain and reveal the inner workings of their supply chain.

According to the Chairman of Nestlé, Peter Brabeck, because of social media, “The consumer now wants to know where the coffee in the Nespresso capsule comes from.” This new consumer thirst for product information not only extends to the origin of food products, but to the ingredients, manufacturing practices and carbon footprint of just about all consumer goods.

To get a tighter grip on product quality and traceability at Nestlé, Brabeck has decided “…to double the ratio of commodities we buy directly—so not via traders—in the years ahead, especially for coffee and cocoa.” As a result, Nestlé now has around 670,000 farmers under direct contract. It’s to handle precisely this evolution that companies like Nestlé are experiencing, that FASTechnology Group developed PACKprint®. PACKprint® tracks all the details necessary to satisfy increasing consumer – and supply chain — demands for product information.

PACKprint® attaches a cloud-stored product DNA to a scannable package code so that lot and ingredients information, actual weights, time stamps, operational details, warehouse location, logistics, even merchandising, marketing and product comparison information may be recorded at appropriate points in the product’s manufacture. Supply chain can manage the codes for enhanced logistics capabilities, simplifying product tracing and recall, and eliminating labels. Consumers can scan the same codes for a different experience altogether. Their interface can detail information pertinent to ingredient profile and enhanced promotions, allowing them to make better-informed buying decisions.