Seeing through the supply chain

With calls for industry transparency growing, SIG’s Senior Product Manager Digitalization & Automatization, Ayed Katrangi, discusses its impact on the supply chain

Why are we seeing a greater need for visibility in the supply chain?

In recent years, supply chains, particularly in the food and beverage industry, have become more complex and fragmented. This is due in large part to globalisation and the increasing cross-border movement of commodities between too many manufacturers and intermediaries. This in turn has made the value chain difficult to control and trace, leading to uncertainty and a number of big challenges, such as food safety risk, higher waste and increased production costs.

What technology or innovations are helping achieve more visibility?

Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things are reshaping our industry and transforming the supply chain into a much more transparent network. The collection and analytics of data from several different stages of the supply chain is now becoming standard. And with cloud solutions, the sharing of data can happen in real-time, across intermediaries, partners, sites and boundaries, to enhance visibility and support decision making.

How is SIG utilising this technology within its own solutions?

This technology can be seen in our end-to-end traceability solution, which is part of our Connected Pack platform – a drive to deliver 100% connectivity and traceability in every single pack. The solution collects detailed real-time data throughout the entire supply chain, starting at the farm or field with raw materials, all the way through processing, filling, quality checks and logistics – storing collected data in one database and linking it to each individual pack. In addition to internal traceability, the solution connects every pack to its final point of sale for external traceability, ensuring full product visibility in the market.

How does this solution help producers optimise quality control?

SIG’s end-to-end traceability enables producers to secure full control over their processes and product quality. Imagine a quality claim identified in one specific ingredient which was used in a production batch. In real time, producers can track all of the packs produced out of this batch and trace them in the market for quick and efficient product recall.

What are the other key benefits of Connected Pack solutions?

Connected Pack solutions like end-to-end traceability can also help brands and producers protect their products against counterfeiting. The unique serialisation of each SIG pack works as a unique identifier to assure consumers of the product’s authenticity. Our digital traceability technology also enables consumers to access detailed product information via their smart phones, helping explain the product journey in a very simple and convenient way.

What other Connected Pack solutions can we expect in the future?

With our Connected Pack platform, we’ve started a very exciting journey, using the latest available technology to add further value to end consumers and help our customers boost their market positioning. Connected Pack is just the start of a brighter future in smart packaging, which will help us open up unlimited opportunities for connected consumers, households and supply chains in a rapidly growing digital world. Want to know more about supply chain traceability with SIG? Contact us now or read more about our Connected Pack solutions.