Food Logistics July 2017 by Supply+Demand Chain/Food Logistics

SPECIAL EDITION: HOTTEST SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

Food Logistics

BLOCKCHAIN IN THE FOOD CHAIN

CAN A DISTRIBUTED DATABASE MAKE THE FOOD CHAIN SAFER?

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Global Supply Chain Solutions for the Food and Beverage Industry

TRENDSETTING TECHNOLOGIES

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN HOW SOFTWARE AND TECH IS CHANGING THE WAY BUSINESSES MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE, IMPROVE VISIBILITY AND MORE

Issue No. 188 July 2017

FoodLogistics.com

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THE F-650/F-750 /// FORD.COM

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ON THE MENU

OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE NO. 171

July 2017 ISSUE NO. 188

18 COVER STORY

How Technology is Transforming the Food Supply Chain Technology provides relief for businesses tasked with maintaining compliance, tracking food from farm to fork, and more.

FEATURES

SPECIAL REPORT

3 0+ Trendsetting Technologies

This year’s hottest software and technology tools optimizing the food supply chain.

DEPARTMENTS

Supply Scan 14 Food on the Move 41 Ad Index 8

COLUMNS FOR STARTERS

A mazon, the Great Disruptor

The online retailer’s recent bid to acquire Whole Foods Market draws much speculation about how it will impact the grocery sector, consumers and food logistics providers.

COOL INSIGHTS

C hina’s Cold Chain is Growing to Meet Demand Despite Its Many Broken Links

As Chinese consumers’ desire for fresh foods and other perishables grows, the country’s fragmented and inefficient cold chain can’t keep up. FOOD (AND MORE) FOR THOUGHT

B lockchain and the Food Chain: A Track & Trace Dream Team?

Adopting the distributed database technology can make the food chain safer.

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Published and copyrighted 2017 by AC Business Media Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Food Logistics (USPS 015-667; ISSN 1094-7450 print; ISSN 1930-7527 online) is published 10 times per year in January/February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November/December by AC Business Media Inc., 201 N. Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Food Logistics, P.O. Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605. Canada Post PM40612608. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Food Logistics, Station A, P. O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Subscriptions: U.S., one year, $45; two years, $85; Canada & Mexico, one year, $65; two years, $120; international, one year, $95; two years, $180. All subscriptions must be paid in U.S. funds, drawn from a U.S. bank. Printed in the USA.

FOOD LOGISTICS | JULY 2017

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The secret sauce of the food and beverage industry. Every great recipe has a secret ingredient. For all of the top ten Fortune® 500 Food and Beverage companies, that secret ingredient is Ryder. With our proven safety culture, industry-leading resources, and years of expertise delivering success in this highly competitive category, it’s no wonder people are always whispering about us. Be Ever Better. Discover how outsourcing with Ryder can improve your fleet management and supply chain performance at Ryder.com.

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FOR STARTERS

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

AMAZON,

THE GREAT DISRUPTOR

M SOWINSKI

onths after making the move into air cargo and ocean freight forwarding, Amazon grabbed headlines again in June with its announcement to buy Whole Foods Market. The move immediately generated fervent speculation on how the development would impact the retail grocery sector, consumers and food logistics providers. A few things caught my attention. One is Amazon’s insatiable appetite to acquire data. In an article from The Wall Street Journal, a former Amazon executive said the two companies’ combination of online and in-store knowledge will provide powerful insight into what goods to carry in each store. Others say that Amazon is likely to create a team to examine Whole Foods’ strategy, cost structures and business practices. At the same time, consumers’ purchasing habits online are quite different than in-store, noted a retail technology provider. Online shoppers are more targeted, while those in a store are more apt to browse and make impulse purchases. Amazon’s brick-and-mortar bookstores (there are eight now and another five on the way) are already collecting data on how consumers shop in a store. According to the article, Amazon is expected to use some of the data to introduce changes at Whole Foods related to price and selection—two variables that can vary widely from one region to the next.

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The data also will help Amazon make decisions around private label goods—like which ones to expand and new ones to launch. Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value brand accounted for 15 percent of the grocery retailer’s sales last year. The 365 brand could get top positioning on Amazon’s website and also lessen Amazon’s reliance on brands from makers such as Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo. Consumers are more comfortable buying private label brands today. They generally trust the quality, and the lower pricing also is attractive. Costco’s Kirkland and Target’s Archer Farms are two examples of private label brands that are experiencing growth. It’s also worth noting that 62 percent of Whole Foods’ shoppers are also members of Amazon Prime, which presents a great opportunity for cross selling. Finally, allowing in-store shoppers to use Amazon Pay, which is similar to PayPal, would provide even richer data on consumer spending habits. Amazon’s strategy to imbed itself in every aspect of the supply chain, looking for inefficiencies to exploit and data to mine, shows no sign of slowing down. The question is, what’s next for the Great Disruptor?

DETAILS

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WWW.FOODLOGISTICS.COM PRINT AND DIGITAL STAFF Group Publisher Jolene Gulley Associate Publisher Judy Welp Editorial Director Lara L. Sowinski lsowinski@ACBusinessMedia.com Editor Ronnie Garrett rgarrett@ACBusinessMedia.com Assistant Editor Amy Wunderlin awunderlin@ACBusinessMedia.com Senior Production Manager Cindy Rusch crusch@ACBusinessMedia.com Creative Director Kirsten Crock Audience Development Director Wendy Chady Audience Development Manager Angela Kelty ADVERTISING SALES (800) 538-5544 Associate Publisher (East Coast) Judy Welp (480) 821-1093 jwelp@ACBusinessMedia.com Sales Manager (Midwest and West Coast) Carrie Konopacki (920) 542-1236 ckonopacki@ACBusinessMedia.com National Automotive Sales Tom Lutzke (630) 484-8040, tlutzke@ACBusinessMedia.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jaymie Forrest, Chief Supply Chain and Commercial Officer, ScanTech Sciences Inc. John Haggerty, Vice President of Business Development, Burris Logistics Robert A. Norton, Ph.D., Professor of Veterinary Microbiology, Public Health and Biosecurity, Auburn University; Coordinator of National Security Initiatives, The Futures Laboratory Jon Shaw, Director of Sustainability and Global Marketing Communications, UTC Climate, Controls & Security Smitha G. Stansbury, Partner, FDA & Life Sciences Practice, King & Spalding CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS P.O. Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605 (877) 201-3915, Fax: (847)-291-4816 circ.FoodLogistics@omeda.com LIST RENTAL Elizabeth Jackson, Merit Direct LLC (847) 492-1350, ext. 18; Fax: (847) 492-0085 ejackson@meritdirect.com REPRINT SERVICES Carrie Konopacki (920) 542-1236 Fax: (920) 542-1133 ckonopacki@ACBusinessMedia.com AC BUSINESS MEDIA INC. Chairman Anil Narang President and CEO Carl Wistreich CFO JoAnn Breuchel Digital Operations Manager Nick Raether Digital Sales Manager Monique Terrazas Published and copyrighted 2017 by AC Business Media Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

LARA L. SOWINSKI, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LSOWINSKI@ACBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

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SUPPLY SCAN

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

CANADIAN TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANY CONTRIBUTES $500,000 TO UNIVERSITY IOT INITIATIVE

Bell MTS—a Canadian-based telecommunications company—is looking to influence the next generation of Internet of Things (IoT) innovators. The Manitoba-based telecommunications company donated $500,000 to the University of Manitoba’s (UM) Front and Center campaign, to launch the Bell MTS Innovations in Agriculture Program. The new program seeks to provide UM students with the opportunity to develop IoT applications in agriculture and food services. “Working on IoT solutions within the agriculture, food and nutrition sectors not only offers our students a unique skills development opportunity that will support their future career opportunities, it is critical to the advancement of our agriculture and food economy,” said Karin Wittenberg, dean of the faculty of agricultural and food sciences, in a media release. According to the campaign website, the University of Manitoba launched its Front and Center campaign to help ensure the province’s “long-term economic, social and cultural viability.” The Front and Center campaign hopes to raise $500 million.

VIKING COLD SOLUTIONS PARTNERS WITH SALT RIVER PROJECT AND BASHAS’ FAMILY OF STORES

Viking Cold Solutions is collaborating with Salt River Project (SRP) and Bashas’ family of stores to install and evaluate the performance of its environmentally friendly thermal energy storage (TES) system at Bashas’ distribution center in the Phoenix metro area. This low-impact, sustainable system is expected to offer significant energy savings, energy demand management and heightened protection for frozen food products. The TES system also will reduce energy distribution and delivery challenges for SRP by shifting energy demand to night hours. The passive TES system stores energy at night for subsequent day use, enabling less refrigeration runtime and reduction of load during peak afternoon hours. “We are very pleased to support this project with Bashas’ and Viking Cold Solutions and to evaluate a technology that shows potential as an energy management tool for us and our customers,” said Nathan Morey, manager of SRP Product Development, in a news release. “SRP is excited to learn more about thermal storage technologies, which can provide energy savings for customers with industrial freezers like Bashas’ and provide long-term benefits to all customers by reducing peak demand during summer months.” This project includes the installation of the Viking Cold Solutions TES system and 24/7 energy monitoring within the Bashas’ ice cream freezer at its distribution center. “We continuously evaluate energy efficiency opportunities, as refrigeration is one of our highest operating expenses. SRP is an innovative power utility, and we are excited about this partnership and glad we were able to come together to fund this project,” said Mike Basha, vice president of Logistics at Bashas’. SRP also will fund the third-party research analysis for the project, evaluating the TES system’s Phase Change Material (PCM) for its efficiency improvements and effectiveness at shifting energy load from on-peak to off-peak hours. SRP collaborated with Arizona State University’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, along with Nexant’s Utility Services Group, to measure the results of the project and extrapolate the potential impact of this technology on additional low-temperature refrigeration loads in the Phoenix area.

FOOD LOGISTICS | JULY 2017

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A BAY AREA BIOTECH COMPANY WANTS TO END FOOD RECALLS

A San Francisco biotech company that had just three employees when it formed in 2014 is set to go worldwide with a food safety platform as early as 2019. Clear Labs, which aims “to index the world’s food supply and set worldwide standards for food integrity,” according to its website, has in the past year nearly doubled its staff from 20 to 35. It recently moved to a larger space, where it can accommodate an additional 10 employees and begin working on its platform. “We started out with the vision of building a platform for the food industry to identify any ingredient type within a food item and really build a safer food supply around the globe,” co-founder Mahni Ghorashi tells The Mercury News. www.foodlogistics.com

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SUPPLY SCAN

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN Daily Updates at FoodLogistics.com

WMS MARKET EXPECTED TO GROW 14 PERCENT BY 2023

RAYMOND WILL REMANUFACTURE FORKLIFTS IN NEW RAYBUILT CENTER

The Raymond Corporation has announced plans for a center dedicated to the remanufacturing of Raymond forklifts, including the truck body, as well as the truck’s components, including motors, drive units, handles and hoses. The new Raybuilt Center of Excellence, located in East Syracuse, New York, will include more than 40,000 square feet for the remanufacturing area, in addition to more than 40,000 square feet for the Raymond Leasing Division. In the center, the remanufactured product line will grow to include additional drive units and steer gear motors, Reach-Fork truck carriage assemblies, and hydraulic pump and motors. New lift chain assemblies also will be

During an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the RayBuilt Center of Excellence on June 9, Raymond also announced the expansion of its Raymond Parts Division.

cut in the new Raybuilt Center of Excellence. “The Raybuilt Center of Excellence products are exclusively supported by The Raymond Corporation, utilizing the exact same engineering specifications and Toyota Production System (TPS) principles as all Raymond manufacturing facilities follow,” says Michael Field, CEO at The Raymond Corporation. Raybuilt has been a division of Raymond since 1991. To date, the facility has recycled more than 8 million pounds of core material.

ALDI ANNOUNCES $3.4 BILLION STORE EXPANSION PLAN

Aldi, a Germany-based chain whose supermarkets offer deep discounts on a selected assortment of groceries, will spend $3.4 billion to enlarge its chain to 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022. Image courtesy of Aldi’s at www.corporate.aldi.us.

At a time when traditional grocers feel fortunate to add a dozen new stores per year, Aldi plans to add about 200 stores per year over the next five years. The $5 billion total capital investment speaks to the opportunities Aldi sees in an oversaturated market, and offers further evidence that a new era of discount retailing is dawning in the United States. The discounter’s small format and low overhead costs mean it can open quickly in more places than other retailers. It also can potentially reach more customers with its low prices and increasing fresh appeal. Once its expansion plan is complete, Aldi estimates it will serve 100 million U.S. customers each month.

Research and Markets projects the Warehouse Management System (WMS) market to reach $3.23 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 14.1 percent, between 2017 and 2023 Key factors driving the growth of this market include emergence of multi-channel distribution networks, growth of the e-commerce industry, increased adoption of on-cloud WMS solutions, and globalization of supply chain networks. The software segment accounted for the largest share of the WMS market in 2016. However, the services segment of this market is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR between 2017 and 2023. The need for constant upgrade of WMS software to ensure data security and the rising demand for regular maintenance and testing of the software are key factors driving the demand for WMS services. Key factors restraining the growth of the WMS market are high installation cost of on-premise WMS for small and medium-sized companies and reluctance in replacement of legacy systems.Major market players such as SAP SE, Manhattan Associates and Oracle have adopted key growth strategies, such as new product launches, expansions, contracts and collaborations to enhance their product offerings and expand their businesses.

FDA LAUNCHES ACCREDITED THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION WEBSITE The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a website last month, where organizations can apply to be recognized as a third-party accreditation body. According to a news release, the website will implement the Accredited Third-Party Certification program, a voluntary program established by the Food Safety Moderniza-

FOOD LOGISTICS | JULY 2017

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tion Act (FSMA) to expand FDA’s oversight of imported foods. The certifications are used either to establish eligibility to participate in the voluntary qualified importer program, which provides expedited review and entry of food for eligible participants, or in circumstances in which FDA requires

an imported food to be certified to keep potentially harmful food from entering the United States. Foreign governments and agencies or private third-parties may apply to be recognized as an accreditation body, according to the release. The process includes a webbased application and a user fee. www.foodlogistics.com

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Software that connects brands and co-pack suppliers for perfect order execution. www.nulogy.com

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FOOD ON THE MOVE

LOGISTICS TRENDS IN OUR INDUSTRY

FOURKITES RELEASES INDUSTRY’S FIRST REAL-TIME TEMPERATURE TRACKING SOLUTION FOR SHIPPERS FourKites recently launched the industry’s first real-time temperature and location tracking solution for shippers. The offering will allow FourKites’ customers to monitor shipment temperatures and ensure compliance across their supply chains. FourKites’ real-time temperature tracking makes it easier for enterprise shippers to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which requires shippers and carriers to take steps to ensure that temperature-sensitive foods remain within specified safe temperature ranges during transit. Using FourKites, shippers can reduce spoilage, operational costs and one-time spot buys. They also can increase customer satisfaction by identifying potentially non-compliant loads earlier in the shipping process, before those loads make it all the way to their destinations or have to be diverted to quality centers. “As a partner to the largest food and beverage companies in the U.S., helping our customers achieve FSMA compliance is a natural evolution of our product,” said Mathew Elenjickal, founder and CEO of

FourKites in a press release. “Our real-time temperature tracking solution will enable customers across a wide range of industries to ensure the safety and freshness of their products.” One such customer using FourKites Temperature Tracking is Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest producer of pork products, with leading consumer packaged meat brands across categories. “As the world’s largest pork producer, we are committed to delivering the market’s freshest and highest quality product,” says Dennis Organ, senior vice president of Supply Chain at Smithfield Foods. “The temperature tracking solution from FourKites will help us consistently ensure that our product meets stringent temperature requirements across our operations, using the same innovative FourKites technology that we use to track our shipments around the country.” Transporting temperature-sensitive goods like produce and pharmaceuticals cross-country has historically created challenges, even for vehicles equipped with the latest refrigeration and telematics systems, because of the lack of real-time connectivity between carriers and shippers. FourKites’ solution solves that challenge by relaying load temperatures in tandem with location data every 15 minutes from leading telematics and trailer temperature tracking manufacturers. Customizable notifications alert users as soon as temperatures fall outside a specified range. Visualization and analysis tools enable shippers to review individual and aggregated load temperatures over time to spot trends and to compare against industry benchmarks to improve operationally.

DAT SOLUTIONS’ MONTHLY FREIGHT REPORT

A Sizzling Start to Summer By Mark Montague Mark Montague is an industry rate analyst for DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT network of load boards and RateView rate-analysis tool. For information, visit www.dat.com.

The robust supply of van and refrigerated truckload freight in May and June, combined with higher spot market rates and load-to-truck ratios, are signs that the freight recession is over. Compared to April, van freight volume was 16 percent higher in May, while refrigerated freight volume was up 19 percent. And compared to May 2016? Van freight is up 86 percent, and reefer is up 87 percent. Spot truckload rates rose, too. The average van rate in May gained 2 cents to $1.69 per mile compared to April and was up 15 cents year-

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over-year. At $2.02 per mile, the reefer rate was 8 cents higher compared to April and up 13 cents compared to May 2016.

Driven by an abundance of produce, freight volumes show no signs of abating. By the middle of June, the national load-totruck ratio was the highest it’s been in three years, and the reefer ratio topped 10.0, meaning there were 10 loads on the DAT network of load boards for every posted truck. Regionally, California continues to set the pace for reefer activity, and Texas, the southeast and Plains states are in that 12.0-plus load-totruck range. Reefer carriers should stay busy until at least the Fourth of July, when freight volumes typically begin to taper off until November and December.

www.foodlogistics.com

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FOOD ON THE MOVE

SOFT DRINK COLD CHAIN DELIVERS VACCINES TO AFRICA

LOGISTICS TRENDS IN OUR INDUSTRY

LINEAGE LOGISTICS ACQUIRES EUROPEAN AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE LEADER

Lineage Logistics LLC has acquired Partner Logistics, Europe’s leading cold storage Thanks to specialized refrigeration supprovider and world’s largest automated cold storage company. The transaction marks port from Coca-Cola, vaccines are getting the first international acquisition by Lineage, and represents significant growth in the to where they company’s warehouse automation strategy. are needed, Lineage specializes in supply chain transformation for the world’s leading food, retail even in the and distribution brands. Operating one of North America’s largest and most diverse ILE most remote warehouse networks, Lineage creates high-impact logistics solutions through valueST M A L ECT J places in sevadded services, including managed transportation, customs brokerage, processing and O R P eral African manufacturing. The company has grown through major acquisitions and new construccountries. tion since its founding in 2008, with its domestic U.S. facility footprint reaching over The expan100 locations and 609 million cubic feet of temperature-controlled capacity. sion of Project With the acquisition of Partner, Lineage adds more than 101 million cubic feet of Last Mile, which delivers life-saving temperature-controlled capacity, and expands its operations to include six state-of-themedicines to hard-to-reach communities, art, fully automated warehouses and one conventional warehouse in the Netherlands, was announced in June at the EuropeBelgium and the United Kingdom. Headquartered in Netherland’s Bergen op Zoom, an Development Days. The project is a Partner’s network of cold storage facilities has a total capacity of over 500,000 pallets public-private partnership that makes use and is designed to maximize the efficiency and cost effectiveness of its customers’ of Coca-Cola’s supply chain management supply chains. and expertise to support African governThe deal marks an important step in Lineage’s broader automation strategy, which has ments in reaching the “last mile” to deliver been in development for over three years. Earlier this year the company announced plans vaccines. to construct its first automated cold storage facility in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, marProject Last Mile works in partnership ket, and will use the acquisition of Partner as an additional platform for new automated with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuprojects in U.S. and European markets. Lineage intends to combine its existing expertise berculosis and Malaria, USAID and the Bill in automation with the intellectual property and best practices of Partner to further and Melinda Gates Foundation. reduce product damage, enhance efficiency and improve customer experience. Making vaccines available to a given BUSINESS SKILLS African country is not the end of the story. Even when they are available, vaccines are HAPAG-LLOYD IMPLEMENTS SECOND often confronted with “thermostability” CANCELLATION FEE IN ASIAN MARKET issues, meaning they should be transportHapag-Lloyd thelife-saving second carrier to impose a cancellation fee in June, with CMA to Helpwas get medicines ed in the cold chain. CGM imposing a $150supplies per TEU cancellation on its Europe to Indian subcontinent, and medical the “last fee mile” that on need it 1.most? A company like Coca-Cola has the Gulf andto Redthose Sea routes June capacity to penetrate African countries The German carrier announced last month a “Booking Cancellation Fee” of $60 for down to the most remote areas, providing export shipments from Singapore to India, which took effect June 9. The fee will apply to THIS IS cool drinks to its clients. Governments all bookings that are cancelled within three calendar days prior to vessel arrival. could only dream of aPROJECT cool chain to LAST MILE This is Hapag-Lloyd’s second implementation of a no-show fee in Asia, where reports deliver vaccines of the kind the soft drink of over-bookings are significant. In October, theThe line instituted $40 cancellation fee for result ais This powerful collaboration among The Coca-Cola Company, USAID, company has. shippers The Global Fund and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in is the ports of Hong Kong and Macau. transforming African governments’ medical supply chains. By drawing on Coca-Cola’s 85+ years of experience distributing beverages to the most remote corners of Africa, life-saving improvements are being made to the storage, distribution and marketing of critical medicines and medical supplies.

CATCH-UP LOGISTICS INVESTS IN RAIL WITH NEW TRANSLOADING FACILITY

communities. And we’re not done. Project Last Mile is gaining momentum and expanding to more countries. Multiplying hope for many more people.

Taking advantage of both new and old CSX. This location offers one-day shipping technologies, Catch-Up Logistics recently to major cities from Boston to Atlanta and announced the construction of a rail-truck Chicago to New York. tation, EDI/RF/barcoding, serial number and GETF transloading food grade facility inWHO western The- Equitable 100,000-square-foot, secure facility lotHealth control, *WHO, Policy Perpectives on Medicines access to essential medicines: a framework for collective action, World Organizationfood 2004. and packaging distribution. Pennsylvania. has 10 rail doors and 15 truck doors, and is At full capacity, it will operate 24 hours The center is conveniently located at FDA compliant, with dry, refrigerated, and a day, seven days a week. Full staffing is the intersection of interstates 70 and 76 frozen capabilities. It offers 24/7 online in- expected to employ 32 full- and part-time and is rail served by Norfolk Southern and ventory management, stock segregation/ro- positions. www.foodlogistics.com

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COOL INSIGHTS

BY BARRY HOCHFELDER

CHINA’S COLD CHAIN IS GROWING TO MEET DEMAND DESPITE ITS MANY BROKEN LINKS

A HOCHFELDER

Hochfelder is a freelance journalist who has covered a variety of industries in his career, including supply chain. He also served as the former editor of Supply and Demand Chain Executive. Hochfelder is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

s China continues its logistics firms. The market is extransition from a manufactremely fragmented; the China Fedturing-led to consumer-led eration of Logistics and Purchasing economy, and its middle class grows Cold Chain Logistics Committee eslarger and stronger, the desire for timates that revenue from the top fresh foods, pharmaceuticals and 100 cold chain logistics companies other perishables is growing along accounts for less than 10 percent of with it. Unfortunately, the overall market. the Chinese suffer from a fragmented, inefficient cold chain that can’t keep up. China accounts for 17 percent of U.S. agriculture exports, making it the largest agriculture export market for the United  While Chinese people want more fresh foods, a lack States. At nearly $1.4 of cold chain infrastructure means that those who live trillion, agriculture in remote areas are less likely to enjoy this bounty. comprises more than 10 percent of the Chinese economy, Although the market is growing, but the country’s massive size and the unreliability and “breakage” of population, along with a lagging the cold chain remains a concern. infrastructure in some of its more As ownership of each stage of the remote areas, make it difficult to cold chain—warehousing, ground expand the cold chain. transportation, airfreight, airports, The Chinese cold chain market distribution and other services—is has grown more than 20 percent fragmented, the lack of an endover the past five years, according to-end process control results in to research from London-based widespread mismanagement of global management consulting firm, logistics. Additionally, the use of L.E.K. Consulting. The market has temperature-monitoring technologrown from 80 billion Ren Min Bi gy, information systems and other (RMB), or $11.73 billion in 2011, to forms of technical assistance is still 160 billion RMB ($23.5 billion) in very immature. As a result, the rate 2015. L.E.K. forecasts that the cold of cargo damage to fresh product chain industry will be valued at 400 within the cold chain is as much billion RMB ($58.6 billion) by 2020, as 20 to 30 percent—much higher with transportation making up 40 than the average 5 to 10 percent percent of the market, cold storage in developed countries, L.E.K at 30 percent, and the remainder of research says. the market covering other services. The Chinese government has Despite this remarkable growth, taken a number of steps, in conjuncthe development of China’s cold tion with industrial associations, to chain industry is still young, and introduce a series of standards and truth be told, can be an intriguing policies to regulate and help develmarket for investors, third-party op its cold chain logistics market, logistics providers (3PLs) and other which include:

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 The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and Standardization Administration of China issued the first Operation Specifications for drug cold chain logistics.  In 2014, the National Development and Reform Commission introduced guidelines for cold chain logistics services for aquaculture products.  Also in 2014, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) introduced a formal certification, “CEIV Pharma,” for medical logistics projects in China. In February 2016, Shanghai Pudong International Airport was the first and only airport to achieve this certification.  The “No. 1 Executive Order” of the Central Government in 2016 re-emphasized the plan to accelerate the development of cross-region cold chain logistics industry through pilot projects. The China Business Review points out that to keep up with the rapid growth of air transportation in the cold chain, a number of temperature-controlled warehouses have been built around airports and the surrounding Airport Economic Zone. Top domestic Chinese airports with cold storage capacity include Pudong Airport (Shanghai), Baiyun Airport (Guangzhou) and Kunming Airport. Additionally, firms such as Xiamen Wanxiang Cold Chain Logistics Centre, Central China Hub of Frozen and Fresh Produce, and Hangzhou Pharmaceutical Logistics Park of Stater Logistics have invested heavily in cold storage infrastructure in the surrounding Airport Economic Zone in recent years. www.foodlogistics.com

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COVER STORY

BY MARY SHACKLETT

HOW TECHNOLOGY

IS TRANSFORMING THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

Technology provides relief for businesses that want to maintain compliant, track food from farm to fork, and more.

Technology can address operational efficiencies in daily supply chain activities.”

.S. retailers, wholesalers and distributors use technology to maintain documents from every supplier to verify their supply chain’s compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). These documents can be facility registrations, foreign supplier verifications, food safety plans, food defense plans, or sanitary transportation records, depending on the supplier—but it all adds up to many documents that must be actively maintained. “Unfortunately, most companies don’t even have an accurate list of suppliers with whom they do business, and many times a supplier’s information reflects that of the broker,” says Leigh Feitelson, business development executive at ReposiTrak—Park City Group, a supply chain solution provider. “This is a risk because under FSMA, the FDA now has expanded records access. As of now, all FDA record inquiries must be answered within 24 hours and can go back two years. Failure to respond to a records inquiry is considered a ‘prohibited act’ and could land a CEO in jail.” Of course, compliance is not the

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only thing that’s on food suppliers’ minds when they look to technology for relief. “In addition to food safety compliance, trading partners in the food supply chain need to take a look at the latest tools that help optimize inventory positions through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies,” says Feitelson. “These solutions are more precisely predicting consumer demand, so companies can ensure the right product is on the shelf when wanted.” A key methodology is track and trace, which has the ability to track food through the entire food supply chain from farm to table. This comprehensive food tracking not only ensures on-time deliveries of fresh foods to consumers, but can be used to quickly track a product back to its source if there is a product recall or adverse event.

Technology Propels Food Supply Chain Management Technology can address operational efficiencies and quality improvement in daily supply chain activities—and at the same time, it can capture data for real-time and later-time analytics that are crucial

to decision making. Here are several technologies that are beginning to transform the food supply chain:

P rocess Automation in the Warehouse Scanners, barcode readers and even robotics are part of the new automated warehouse. They interface with most vendor-supplied warehouse software. “This technology tracks every single item and operation in the warehouse,” says Keith Phillips, president and CEO of Voxware, which provides cloudbased voice and analytics solutions to improve efficiency and productivity in the warehouse. “It is no longer a technology that just checks whether an item is received.”

Augmented Reality Augmented reality (AR) combines voice and scanning with vision and image capture to remove warehouse guesswork. “It is always possible to use voice-based technology and to do a scan of an item, but you can still end up picking the wrong item,” says Phillips. “With AR, you have the ability to validate an item pick by comparing an image of the item stored in a database. This assures that you’re always picking the right item, and that you’re always handling, and ultimately, packaging it correctly in the way that it’s shown. www.foodlogistics.com

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ANATOMY OF A RAPID EDI IMPLEMENTATION Leading consumer brands constantly seek to streamline supply chains for greater efficiency, profitability and customer service. Electronic data interchange (EDI) is one common tool for doing so. But not all implementations are equal. ARI Packaging, an Alsip, Illinois-based provider of contract manufacturing, packaging and fulfillment services, has a reputation for establishing long-term, strategic relationships with its brand customers. “One of the goals we have as a supplier to CPG (consumer packaged good) customers is to integrate our systems. It allows us to go from being merely a vendor to a strategic partner,” says Gary McCullough, CEO at ARI. While ARI has successfully completed many integration projects with major CPGs, recently they surprised one such leading brand with the fastest EDI implementation it had ever seen—despite having completed dozens of EDI projects with other suppliers.

sumption of components (i.e., food product and packaging materials), inventory movements, and shipment of ARI’s outbound goods to the brand. In all, the team implemented 20 EDI transaction sets. Being highly integrated in its own operations prepared ARI for this EDI implementation project. When the team had to choose which EDI translator software to convert electronic data into the standard X12 EDI transaction formats, the decision was made to go with a solution that had worked for ARI in the past: use of Nulogy’s translation tool and integration services to eliminate the need for another vendor in the mix. The result was a scalable, future-proof solution for direct (point-to-point) data communiARI manages all cation between the partners’ facets of last-stage management systems. product customiza-

tion and order fulfillment at the line level using Nulogy’s PackManager, which automatically populates EDI reports.

Retail Deliveries Three Days Faster

The benefits of the project reveal how a collaborative and strategic relationship between Opportunities for supply chain partners can Improvement improve planning, reporting Initial investigations by the brand and and inventory accuracy for all co-packer identified areas for improveparties—and most importantly ment, beginning with high-priority better service to retailers. goals, such as enhancing the speed of When the brand eliminated processing inbound delivery receipts. manual data entry processes, The brand sought to reduce delays in it gained faster turnaround of the time it took its personnel to enter inproduct from ARI and reduced coming data from ARI shipments into its order-to-delivery time by two to SAP system. This data entry was done three days (depending upon the only during the day shift, which delayed product mix). inbound receipts and tied-up resources The brand’s project leader by delaying cross docking of materireports he has seen some of the ARI studied opportunities for improvement from the front office to the warehouse, including the time spent by forklift als on other, outbound customer orders. greatest benefits from autodrivers processing incoming shipments on their mobile apps. Additionally, the brand sought to reduce mation of the highly complex the time and labor needed to maintain Advance Shipping Notice transinventory accuracy between its systems and ARI’s—something that action, which allows his forklift operators to scan pallet labels upon occupied one full-time employee. return shipments from ARI. This has reduced the receipt process by For its part, ARI had already identified opportunities to enhance reat least 30 minutes for every inbound shipment. Additional improveporting efficiency across its four facilities using Nulogy’s PackManager ments include better case-fill rates, on-time demand KPIs, inventory cloud-based functions and database. But before establishing EDI comaccuracy and other operational enhancements. The project leader remunications with the brand, reports were still fairly manual: ARI downports that automating transactions into SAP has saved his organization loaded data for daily (and other) reports from that platform and emailed the equivalent of half a full-time analyst’s salary. them to personnel who manually keyed data into the SAP system. In turn, ARI, between July 2016 and January 2017, slashed more Initial work on the initiative began in December 2015, approval came than 400 labor hours related to preparing and processing shipments, in February of 2016, and the solution went live in July 2016. preparing receipt reports and updating inventory adjustments. Wagner cites “exponential savings” beyond these hours in additional shopTargeting Key EDI Transactions floor activities. Business is set to expand with the brand to additional Following audits, modeling of workflows and other preliminary ARI facilities and greater user of EDI. steps, the brand, supplier and tech-vendor team moved to eliminate “We’ve made large investments in capacity and our people,” says repetitive data entry and the use of spreadsheets that could be autoARI’s McCullough. “We’ve also made large investments in the sysmated via PackManager and transmitted via EDI. tems that support both of them and our customers. We believe that The team ultimately settled on the highest-priority EDI transaction we’ve laid the foundation to grow the business without having to sets, spanning areas of production planning, order processing, coninvest further.”

www.foodlogistics.com

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COVER STORY

Realtime and predictive analytics are crucial components to successful supply chain management.” Keith Phillips, Voxware

continued

“When we first started with voice-based technology in the 1990s, we were using voice primarily for picking in the warehouse,” he adds. “But the ability to combine voice with many different types of technologies has certainly expanded since then. Today, we have implementations of voice-based technology with scanning and with augmented reality technology that captures images that then can be combined with voice to make communications clearer. Our objective is to make sure that the very best technologies are used for any given task.”

H elp in the Cloud for Compliance The job of maintaining compliance with FSMA is full time. While larger companies have dedicated compliance staffs, this might still not prove to be enough, especially when there is uncertainty as to what a particular regulation means, or how to comply with it. This is where subscribing to a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution can pay off. Feitelson says that the combination of cloud-based compliance technology and expertise offered by companies like her own “can reduce non-compliance by 70 percent among new suppliers within the first six months.”

Analytics With the automation of warehouse operations and the use of mobile, real-time technology to track the flow of goods, modern warehouse information systems can check where an item was ordered from, who supplied it—and then track the item all the way to the customer. Tracking once the item leaves the warehouse depends upon the logistics sen-

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sors attached to pallets, boxes and/ or trailer compartments in trucks. These sensors can track temperature, humidity and tampering of the containers for perishables and other goods. The devices issue auto alerts to supply chain managers as soon as one of these conditions is violated, so that food safety situations are immediately actionable. A second application of food supply chain analytics is in non-real time. Here, data from supply chain operations is accumulated in a central database that various supply chain stakeholders all access. This ensures that everyone is using the same data, and that reporting is consistent. In this environment, user dashboards, reports and custom queries can be developed. They can tell you if you’re spending too many of your transportation dollars for food transport on a given route, or whether that last lettuce shipment is in danger of spoiling as it makes its way to Atlanta. They also can provide you with predictive insights, such as what the impact of a drought in a particular area of the country or the world is likely to have on your food supply chain— and how you can plan for it. “Real-time and predictive analytics are crucial components to successful supply chain management, but for the food supply chain, it is mission critical,” says Phillips.

Tech in the Fields “New technologies are dynamically transforming agriculture, although there are still many businesses that are doing business the same way they did 50 years ago,” says Roger Royse, attorney and founder of Royse Law Firm, which focuses on the growing agricultural technology sector, representing producers, technology companies focused on agricultural solutions and investors in AgTech companies. “We are starting to

see clients with technologies that can monitor the chemicals that fruits and vegetables give off as they ripen. As these items move from field to table, the gases tell supply chain professionals which fruits and vegetables need to get to the shelf first, so spoilage can be avoided. There are also spectral imaging technologies that can monitor not only ripeness, but health of the plant. Some of these technologies can even detect pathology issues early in the process, so the items never enter into the commercial food chain.” Royse adds that in many cases, millennials are driving technology adoption on the farm because they want transparency. “They want to know where their food came from and what chemicals were used,” he says. Producers also are beginning to use technologies that support precision agriculture to better control crop yields and fetter applications. Precision agriculture (PA) is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter- and intra-field variability in soils, pests and crop yields. “Farmers are continually tasked with trying to determine the correct fertilizer and proportions of ingredients in the fertilizer, to apply to their fields,” says Carl Crozier, professor of Crop and Soil Science and extension specialist at North Carolina State University (NCSU). “The problem is the soils in every field are inherently variable, so there isn’t really a uniform fertilizer prescription that works for every spot in the field. This is important to producers because fertilizer is expensive.” By using geospatial technology, farmers can divide their fields into “grids,” and program their spreaders to change the fertilizer mix as they cross different areas of their fields. “It took us a long time to get to this point,” says NCSU associate professor of Crop and Soil Sciences Jeff White, “But we eventually got the technology aligned with what we needed to do, and today, we have major agricultural equipment manufacturers that offer this software option on their equipment.” www.foodlogistics.com

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COVER STORY

With a controlled environment enclosure, you might even be able to

grow pineapples in Montana.” Roger Royse, Royse Law Firm

continued

Technologies also are emerging for controlled environment agriculture. “With a controlled environment enclosure like a greenhouse, you can literally grow any crop locally, and avoid having to ship it in from distant locales,” says Royse. “You might even be able to grow your own local pineapples in Montana.”

State of the Industry Of course, technology only delivers benefits when it is adopted. “Many companies are behind when it comes to adopting new technology to improve the performance of the food supply chain. In most cases, it is because they don’t have a good understanding of where they need to get, or how technology can help them get there,” says Phillips. Smaller companies often lack in-house strategic and operational

know-how to effect technology-driven change, and they also lack cash. Larger enterprises have the resources and the cash, but often are so compartmentalized that they fail to achieve an end-to-end vision of their supply chains, and how these supply chains can be improved. A good example of this is the compliance and FSMA function that most large companies have dedicated resources for, says Phillips. “These people can do a great job in compliance, but they don’t connect on a daily basis with those who are actually operating areas of the supply chain that are downstream from them,” he notes. Feitelson adds: “Technology itself can be a barrier, mostly because some of the solutions are too hard to use, and others simply don’t provide the decision support business users need. But both of these issues point the finger back to the real culprit—the organization.” Nevertheless, there are industry successes.

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), one of the country’s leading supermarket cooperatives, needed to comply with FSMA, plus wanted an automated supplier approval program for food and non-food suppliers and the ability to collect more corporate and food safety documentation. “When they adopted document management technology, they were able to manage all of their regulatory, financial and brand risks associated with safety issues in their global food supply chain,” explains Feitelson. “As a result, AWG now has an accurate list of suppliers, can more easily qualify new suppliers, and has increased the breadth of documents required to reduce risk on behalf of its retailer members. Supplier compliance is now at more than 60 percent and improving every month.”

Moving Forward Every food supply chain participant has its unique challenges and

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advantages, so the key is finding the right technology mix to make your supply chain better. Here are five best practices that can help you develop a supply chain technology approach: ➊ Get your compliance under control—Companies need to take an active approach to managing their compliance, says Feitelson. “Other systems depend on the voluntary self-management of suppliers, but that’s really a passive approach with little results. Without constant contact and follow up, suppliers will fall out of compliance and increase brand risk,” he adds. ➋ Reconsider how you view ROI—Phillips notes that when he talks to companies, it is usually the mid-level supervisors and managers who are carrying the ball and exploring technology options for the food supply chain. “They look primarily for ways to justify the technology by way of a return on investment (ROI) within 12-24 months,” he says, adding that there

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are many other elements that aren’t on the discussion table at all—like conversations about food safety or risk management. ➌ Focus on data capture—Your use of food supply chain technology should begin with a focus on capturing data. “First, if a product isn’t barcoded, it won’t be able to be tracked,” says Phillips. “Second, the barcoding that you and your suppliers use has to be able to be read by today’s technology, whether it comes in the form of voice, scan or digital image. Third, you need this data capture to give you real-time traceability of food from farm to table. Finally, once data has been gathered, you want to be able to learn from it to continuously improve your supply chain. You can do this by organizing the data in a central data repository and then performing analytical queries of the data to assess your supply chain’s performance, risk areas and opportunities.” ➍ Look at what’s automated and what’s not—The future of the food

supply chain rests with automation. If you want to know how you can best optimize your supply chain, perform a gap analysis to see the areas of the supply chain where you don’t have any automation in place. These are good areas to target for your technology investments, because anywhere you have a gap in automation, you’re also likely to have a gap in tracking and traceability. You don’t want track and trace gaps, because those are where your risk, supply chain performance, compliance and safety exposures are likely to be. ➎ Join a food supply chain or agriculture community—Royse suggests attending a trade show or searching the web for active supply chain professionals. “A trade show or an active community of professionals will have websites, shows, conferences and education they share that will help you stay on top of new technological developments. You can also pick up information on best practices,” he adds.

Mary Shacklett is the president of Transworld Data, a technology analytics, market research and consulting firm. Prior to founding the company, she was vice president of product research and software development at Summit Information Systems. She can be reached at mshacklett@twdtransworld.com.

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SOFTWARE/TECHNOLOGY

PRODUCT PROFILES

BY EDITORIAL STAFF

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest software and technology tools optimizing the food supply chain

TRENDSETTING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNET OF THINGS

RIPE.IO BLOCKCHAIN FOR FOOD ripe.ioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blockchain of Food increases information transparency and coordination across the food supply chain by bringing together Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and blockchain technology. The startup is creating a dynamic scorecard system that measures growing, transportation and storage conditions to improve understanding of food provenance, alert the ecosystem for spoilage, and enable automated food purchasing based on optimal ripeness. Their technology provides a distributed, shared system of trust needed for the food supply chain to profoundly change and improve industry goals.

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ROAMBEE BEE Roambee Corporation is an IoT supply chain and enterprise asset visibility company that is pushing the boundaries on the real-time visibility of assets and goods through the use of advanced technology. Roambee offers the Bee, which is a portable wireless locator packed with a variety of sensors that monitor shock and vibration, temperature, humidity, tampering and more. The device also has a global SIM within it that enables customers to monitor their shipments locally as well as globally. The Bee collects this data in real time and connects it to various back-end devices, such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. The technology takes 5,000 to 10,000 alerts about a shipment, and then, using rules defined in advance, trims that number to only those that require action.

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FRESHSURETY ASSURED FRESHNESS Fresh produce is a $600 billion worldwide business that loses 30 percent of its product from farm to table. Much of this loss is caused by lack of product shelf life information throughout the supply chain. Because no one knows the freshness and shelf life of each carton or pallet of product, retailers suffer costly product shrink, and consumers are stuck with inconsistent quality products. FreshSurety tackles this problem with its Assured Freshness system, which has been trialed with leading producers and grocery retailers and employs the IoT to measure and report fresh produceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality and shelf life throughout the supply chain. This enables retailers to manage sourcing, inventory and merchandising based upon the actual shelf life of each pallet. The system prevents food loss by employing low-cost chemical sensors to measure metabolites emitted by fresh produce as it ages. The device collects data on temperature, humidity and pallet geolocation every 10 minutes throughout the life of each pallet. This information is transmitted to the cloud, where it is converted by product-specific food spoilage algorithms into a quantitative freshness score for individual cartons and pallets.

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SOFTWARE/TECH: PRODUCT PROFILES continued

LABELING

SMITH CORONA BARCODE LABELS Smith Corona direct thermal and thermal transfer barcode labels are used not only to keep track of inventory, but to give shippers visibility into their product. Their most cost effective solution is the 4Ă&#x2014;6 Thermal Transfer Label, which is used by some of the largest logistics companies in the world. These durable labels, with freezer adhesive, provide strong protection against harsh elements and maintain their stick in deep freeze, frozen and chilled environments. They are great for cold storage or when an application requires a much stronger adhesive than normal. This item comes with four rolls to a box for a total of 4,000 labels.

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INFRATAB FRESHTIME Infratab recently unveiled smart cold chain apps and tags in its upgrade of Freshtime, its freshness monitoring suite of software apps and RF/ NFC tags for perishables. Freshtimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to calculate hours of freshness through its sensors and proprietary points system gives users insight into freshness budgeting for improved customer outcomes and an ability to monetize product freshness in a secure and data-efficient system. Tag-level improvements include: expansion of Near Field Communication (NFC) support, including full points log support, modifications for freezer use and better battery life, and greater sensitivity in user-selected ranges. Freshtime Go improvements include: Excelsupported reports and pdf reports, available with or without cloud access; automatic notifications to subscribers; customized versions of Freshtime Go, including user-level dashboards and customized sharing functions; support for additional RFID reader manufacturers and multiple attached readers; and addition of a web API. Freshtime Mobile (for Android and Windows phones; iOS support expected in first quarter of 2018) provides additional supply chain support, including tracking transports, transfers and groups, NFC and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) status checks; secure, confirmed and unconfirmed handovers; inspection notes; and tag and batch grouping functions.

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FLEXSTR8 SMARTLABEL FlexStr8 has developed a cost-effective, long-lasting, intelligent and disposable SmartLabel that provides users with a complete temperature history of perishable goods. The smart label has a one-year life span and a 28-kilobyte memory that holds up to 14,000 measurements. The disposable device, which is small enough to be integrated into packaging, has an internal accurate temperature sensor with a range of -20 degrees Celsius (C) to 50 degrees C. Communication with the We will help you be compliant with the tag is done through NFC, a wireless communication technology that is available on most mobile devices. Customers use the FlexStr8 android app to turn the label on or off, set log intervals (as short as every 5 seconds to as long as every 10 hours), and to define temperature limits. The system provides users with graphically displayed log data, which can be dumped to device memory, uploaded to the cloud, and/or emailed for further analysis. This information provides complete transparency on temperature, and allows companies to make corrections in real time and assign liability.

FSMA Mandate

TRENDSETTING TECHNOLOGIES

www.foodlogistics.com

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Vehicle & Trailer Tracking â&#x20AC;˘ E-Logs â&#x20AC;˘ Temperature Monitoring

a 877-477-2690 l GPSINSIGHT.COM GPS Insight works with food delivery businesses that have fleets of vehicles and other mobile assets to solve your unique challenges through increased revenue, reduced costs, and reduced risk.

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SOFTWARE/TECH: PRODUCT PROFILES continued

TRACK & TRACE

DP WORLD WHERE’S MY CONTAINER? DP World’s Where’s My Container? app gives users greater visibility into their cargo and improves speed-to-shelf opportunities. The app allows shippers and their freight forwarders to pinpoint the status of any container in the operator’s ports by inputting the container number. After entering the container number, the app allows carrier customers, as well as haulers, to see where the box is, according to one of five stages, as it makes its way from vessel to out-gate. The stages are: vessel at sea, on vessel at berth, on hold (often for customs inspections), available for collection and departed by road. The container tracking solution reduces administration and provides better data quality for DP customers’ planning and logistics efforts. DP World will roll out the solution in a phased manner, with its UK terminals getting access to it first.

GPS INSIGHT HOURS OF SERVICE SOLUTION The GPS Insight Hours of Service (HoS) Solution comes to the market with a feature set that will streamline fleet management and ensure U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) compliance. The electronic logging device (ELD) bundles an Android tablet hardwired to a GPS tracking device. The management portal is web-based, secure and accessible via PC, tablet or smartphone. GPS Insight’s solution allows messaging between drivers and dispatch, includes route navigation, and combines electronic logs with a GPS monitoring, alerting and reporting solution. The GPS Insight HoS Solution is an alternative to paper logs and provides many benefits beyond compliance.

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ORBCOMM VESSELCONNECT ORBCOMM’s VesselConnect enables local and remote management and control of refrigerated containers on board a sea vessel. The solution helps ensure cargo integrity and reduces operating costs by allowing crews to locally monitor temperature, humidity, location and slot position, reefer status and more from the VesselConnect application on the ship, which also can be synchronized through the cloud for remote land-based access. It virtually eliminates the need for manual checks, enhancing efficiency and minimizing risks to crew, especially in inclement weather. Using on-board GSM infrastructure, powered by Vobal Technologies, VesselConnect creates a wireless local data transport network on the ship, enabling refrigerated and other containers fitted with GPS/ GSM modem devices to continue to report while the vessel is on the water. This low-infrastructure system can be installed with no downtime to ensure immediate vessel redeployment. Deck crew receive real-time event-based alerts on handheld devices, so they can take immediate action, while office-based crew can access the central terminal, which displays all bays and containers at a glance on an icon-based interface that can be easily and universally interpreted and understood.

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MACROPOINT FREIGHT VISIBILITY PLATFORM MacroPoint’s freight visibility platform seamlessly integrates with logistics service providers and automatically produces frequent and detailed updates on the status of shipments. The platform’s advanced tools provide essential tracking information food companies need to compete by directly integrating with enterprise and transportation management systems. Because the rapid growth of freight tracking meets a distinct need and provides higher supply chain productivity and efficiency, MacroPoint’s platform is essential to accurately calculate and determine the Total Cost of Visibility (TCV) of any solution. The cost factors for freight visibility solutions include: the number of loads tracked, the ratio of manually tracked loads versus THE NEW WAY TO MOVE FREIGHT: those tracked through automated solutions such as LoadExpress is the online › Lower freight cost by MacroPoint’s platform, the multiple carriers bidding freight auction and cost per load for automated tracking, and the cost per for your shipment directly. matching marketplace load for manual tracking. where shippers and › Lower operational cost, Knowing your true TCV relies on an understanding higher productivity, carriers deal directly of the solution you are reduce daily hassles of without brokers. deploying and your logistics. exact costs for manual and automated tracking Ideal for on-demand › Only FMCSA-authorized processes. TCV also can be carriers are used. measured in productivity freight booking and and efficiency, such as the management. › Totally FREE to join. number of reassigned roles from manual check call resources to other areas Join the Future of Logistics with us! of the food supply chain. Visibility is no longer an www. loadexpress.com Email: sales@loadexpress.com added benefit; it now is an Phone: 619-916-3123 Ext. 1711, 1712 indispensable business need.

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| FOOD LOGISTICS

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SOFTWARE/TECH: PRODUCT PROFILES continued

ELD & FLEET MANAGEMENT

IT RATIONALE ENTERPRISE CONTAINER MANAGEMENT IT Rationale Inc.’s Enterprise Container Management (ECM) solution uses NetSuite’s cloud technology to provide robust data related to shipments moving via ocean carriers. ECM allows consolidation of purchase orders into single or multiple containers and provides intelligent tracking of goods throughout the journey. It also provides status updates on product availability, along with the estimated time of arrival (ETA) dates during the sales cycles, and makes booking customer orders easy and accurate. Including the Advanced Landed Cost module allows you to apply both distributed and direct landed costs to shipments before they are received at the warehouse.

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PARAGON ROUTE PLANNING SOFTWARE Paragon Software Systems route planning software was designed to help transportation planners harness data gathered to comply with the ELD mandate to drive greater operational efficiency. Reporting functionality available in Paragon’s route planning software can be used to analyze data, including HoS information, truck utilization and on-time delivery performance, to identify areas for improvement, which can help transportation operations plan more effectively and counter feared productivity losses arising from compliance with the rule. The logging devices also can record a wide range of data points, such as date, time, location information, ignition events, engine hours, vehicle miles, speeding, harsh braking and idling. The software interfaces with a wide range of vehicle tracking and ELD systems via the Paragon Route Execution module. This allows customers the freedom to choose their preferred electronic log vendor or multiple log vendors if more than one type of device is used across the operation. It manages transportation plans in real time, allowing transportation managers to see where trucks are on the road and how the day’s plan is progressing at any given time. By integrating with vehicle tracking systems, Route Execution can alert management to any vehicles that are running late or early, so that it can make timely alternative arrangements, such as diverting another nearby vehicle to make a scheduled pickup or contacting the customer to inform them of late running. Paragon’s route planning software also can help planners create more precise truck distribution routes, which can help operators more easily comply with the HoS regulations.

www.foodlogistics.com

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ZEBRA SMARTPACK TRAILER Zebra Technologiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SmartPack Trailer provides the transportation and logistics industry with real-time operational visibility. This innovative technology lowers operational costs while improving efficiency in loading trailers, along with load quality, staff training and safety. SmartPack Trailer represents the first in a portfolio of solutions that can help public and private carriers of freight and parcels across ground and air transport modalities build a smarter, more connected distribution network, resulting in real-time, informed decision-making that improves loading operations. SmartPack Trailer captures operational data, such as load density,

www.foodlogistics.com

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trailer fullness, images of loads in progress, and number of packages scanned and loaded per hour, giving organizations insights to achieve peak levels of performance and profitability. Additionally, the solution delivers on Zebraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Enterprise Asset Intelligence (EAI) strategy by sensing operational data at the point of activity, and then analyzing that data to derive actionable insights for personnel and dock managers. Due to a lack of visibility in the loading process, trailers often are loaded improperly, wasting available space. SmartPack Trailer solves this issue by drawing actionable insight from data provided by 3D sensors and camera technology on the loading dock, allowing organizations to eliminate wasted space and time. This helps decrease the number of trailers on the road, thereby reducing fuel and maintenance costs.

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ELD SOLUTIONS ELD DEVICE ELD Solutions (ELDS) has introduced an ELD for the trucking industry and is accepting orders for subscription services. The ELDS’ product was created with input by trucking industry veterans and uses technology developed over the past decade. It is designed to simplify the compliance process for companies affected by the ELD mandate. The company offers basic, deluxe and premium ELD subscriptions. Customers can mix and match device types throughout their fleet, providing carriers the ability to customize their solution. All packages come with an ELD Module and ECM plug. Dedicated device packages also include an 8- or 9.6-inch tablet and a rugged case with a monthly subscription.

ALERT GPS ELD AlertGPS Inc.’s Alert ELD system meets the ELD mandate compliance solution for optimizing fleet management by recording HoS. It is registered and certified with the FMCSA, and is designed for fleet owners who want to reduce HoS violations and paperwork while improving safety. The system features GPS fleet tracking software that is integrated with an ELD, providing fleet owners with an easy-to-use, real-time tracking solution for complying with the FMCSA’s ELD mandate. The system also can help fleet managers increase productivity, improve HoS recording accuracy, save fuel and time, reduce company costs, improve safety and security, enhance customer service and, reduce unauthorized vehicle use.

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WA R E H O U S I N G

VECNA ROBOTIC TUGGER The RT4500-DO Robotic Tugger is a multipurpose, fully autonomous, mobile robotic solution for material handling that requires no infrastructure changes. Capable of pulling up to 4,500 kilograms, it can carry items ranging from fully loaded shelves or cages to pallets. It can be deployed in a wide range of scenarios, including goods-toperson and lineside supply. Additionally, the RT4500DO coordinates with all of Vecna's other material handling solutions via their intelligent Fleet Manager, integrating directly with a company’s Warehouse Management System (WMS) for automatic dispatching and fleet management, and comes with Vecna’s Remote Assist and VGo Telepresence solutions to offer comprehensive remote technical support.

www.foodlogistics.com

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& C O L D S TO R AG E

LOCUS ROBOTICS LRAN Locus Robotics has introduced Locus Robotics Advanced Navigation (LRAN), which advances Locusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; autonomous robotics navigation software, enabling multi-robot warehouse fulfillment for retailers and third-party logistics (3PLs) providers. Prior to this introduction, it was challenging to have multiple robots operate in a coordinated fashion in a warehouse environment. The LRAN system can support large numbers of robots, operating seamlessly and collaboratively alongside workers in a warehouse. Locus Robotics currently has eight LRAN deployments in North America. The LRAN software has been deployed to these sites through Locusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; automatic cloud distribution system, and the company reports its customers have already noted immediate improvements in navigational accuracy and pick performance rates.

CONTINUOUS INNOVATION. Technology is in our DNA. Originally founded as a software company, Coyote has been a pioneer in transportation technology since day one. Our constantly-evolving systems are imagined, built, and updated in-house. From automated solutions to fully customizable supply chain management, Coyote capitalizes on market disruptions to bring cuttingedge solutions to shippers just like you. No Excuses.

Want to ship with Coyote?

877-6-COYOTE WWW.COYOTE.COM

www.foodlogistics.com

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DSA SYSTEMS PICAVI SMART GLASSES DSA Systems has developed an order picking application for smart glasses, called “Pick by Vision,” and developed into a market-ready solution. Picavi Glass incorporates augmented reality into a visual display headset that will interface with a warehouse’s WMS, optimizing picking order efficiency and accuracy. The glasses also feature an integrated barcode scanner and ring scanner. The picker leaves both hands free to work, with one look, one pick and done. Optimized routes allow the picker to move quickly from one pick to the next, saving both time and unnecessary distance. These headsets are being used successfully in several warehouses of different sizes and in different sectors globally. Picavi reports that the acceptance of the technology by workers is very high, with the error rate minimizes close to zero. Additionally, Picavi ensures up to 40 percent in time savings.

NATIONAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WEB-BASED REFRIGERATION CONTROLS It is a known fact that cold storage units consume about 30 to 50 percent more energy than they should, a huge consideration as utility costs continue to rise, especially during periods of peak electrical use. National Resource Management Inc. offers web-based refrigeration controls that can minimize electrical demand during peak periods, while optimizing overall refrigeration system operation through strategic scheduling of loads. Operators can use this remote-based system to efficiently operate coolers and obtain use histories from their mobile phones. These web-based controls have been available since 2000, with a phone app added in 2003. Since that time, National Resource Management Inc. has been responsible for 40,000 retrofits of inefficient coolers in refrigeration facilities.

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PROSHIP AUTOMATED PACKAGING SYSTEM The CVP-500 automated packing solution was selected from more than 150 entries as the winner of the prestigious 2017 MHI Innovation Award in the Best New Innovation category, due to its fit-to-size packing automation that optimizes all steps of order fulfillment. The system builds, fills, folds and labels single and multi-item orders every seven seconds, and completely eliminates void fill. The fit-to-size parcel reduces package volume up to 50 percent and includes ProShip’s multicarrier shipping software that can “rate shop” up to 70 potential carriers for the lowest possible shipping costs, saving retailers and customers $1 to $2 in shipping costs per parcel. Additionally, ProShip claims the system increases throughput and speed while driving out unnecessary costs, resulting in an 88 percent reduction in packaging labor, 32 percent reduction in shipping and dimensional weight (DIM) costs, 20 percent reduction in corrugated material, and 50 percent reduction in shipping volume and the elimination of void fill costs.

www.foodlogistics.com

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SAFETY & SECURITY

CITADEL FLEET SAFETY Food and beverage represents the No. 1 target for cargo thieves. While keeping stolen product off the market is obviously a priority, so too is protecting drivers who transport these cargoes. Citadelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driver emergency response system is a new product in that effort, consisting of a fob that drivers clip to their belt or wear on a lanyard around the neck. The fob features two-way voice communication with built-in speakers, nationwide coverage that operates on the local cellular network, and a 24/7 U.S.-based monitoring and dispatch team that is trained to quickly assess any situation and dispatch appropriate emergency services. Citadelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s device is charged via a cradle or charger cord and is designed to go with the driver, not the vehicle.

CARRIERSEDGE FOOD SAFETY FOR DRIVERS TRAINING MODULE CarriersEdge offers the Food Safety for Drivers training module, which is designed to help drivers meet the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This 30-minute module uses images, interactivity and real-life examples to cover what drivers need to know about preparing themselves and their trailers for transporting food in accordance with FSMA regulations. The module uses quizzes and a final test, which carriers can use to maintain food safety training records. Once drivers complete the module, they will be able to describe the hazards that cause food contamination, detail how food borne illnesses occur, explain the purpose of FSMA regulations and understand their roles in keeping food safe.

Compliance made simple: easy to deploy and easy to use Time-temperature configurations to fit nearly any cold chain Readable by existing scanners, including iPhone and Android devices Comprehensive cloud-based reporting and management system

www.foodlogistics.com

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RAYMOND VIRTUAL REALITY TRAINING The Raymond Corp. introduced virtual reality (VR) training for forklift operators this spring at ProMat 2017 in Chicago. The tool allows operators to use a Raymond forklift truck in simulation mode for training using preprogrammed exercises. After securing the VR headset, the user is immersed into an enhanced training experience that simulates the movement and feel of operating a Raymond forklift in a warehouse environment while using the truck’s actual controls. This experience has been designed as a supplemental training tool and also can be used to help new forklift operators become comfortable with the vehicle and its controls before ever operating within a warehouse environment. Raymond’s design is unique in that the tool can be plugged directly into the forklift.

SMARTDRIVE 360 SmartDrive 360 expanded its on-demand video capability in April with triggering on up to four cameras simultaneously based upon high-risk maneuvers, providing better insight into frequent causes of collisions and clearly exonerating drivers in all collision types. In addition to delivering an unprecedented level of coverage, SmartDrive 360 provides the fastest insight to risk. Offloaded in minutes, and in most cases, reviewed by an expert driving analyst within one hour, confirmed collisions and alerts are sent to customers, so they can react swiftly to the incident. This immediate access to video allows fleets to improve their safety programs, reduce claims processes and increase safety measures. Since 35 percent of collisions are side and rear incidents, a growing number of fleets are adding more cameras to their trucks. By capturing triggered video across these additional cameras, fleets can now gain immediate visibility to the highest risk—and most costly events—in and around their vehicles. The new SmartDrive 360 multi-camera triggering makes it easy for customers to quickly access and view the complete picture of high-risk events. When a vehicle with SmartDrive 360 experiences a risky maneuver, such as swerve, U-turn, high impact/collision, or the driver initiates a manual recording, video is captured from all four cameras. SUPPORTING SPECIFIC NEEDS The video is then automatically offloaded from the IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY SmartRecorder, along with the in-cab and forwardMultiple Date Tracking Recall Management facing camera views. Previously, these videos were FIFO Efficient Space Utilization Detailed Audit Trails Just-In-Time Process only available on-demand. Environmental Controls Cycle Counting

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BSI FOOD SAFETY AND ASSET MANAGEMENT MODULES BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions has released food safety and fraud intelligence and assessment management modules to help the food industry take a proactive approach to potential threats that could affect their customers, brand and bottom line. The new modules allow users to monitor and assess the threat of food contamination, food adulteration, mislabeling, recalls and otherwise deceptive food and beverage products. BSI’s web-based intelligence solution, Supply Chain Risk Exposure Evaluation Network (SCREEN), has launched two risk indicators, food safety and food fraud, that provide threat ratings for 200+ countries, along with interactive risk maps and qualitative reports. SCREEN’s Food Module provides insight into food safety and fraud risks, as well as global security, corporate social responsibility and business continuity threats and trends that could impact the food supply chain. Additionally, it provides real-time updates regarding food-related incidents. BSI also has released a Supplier Compliance Manager (SCM) Food Module to help food manufacturers and retailers assess the quality, safety and security of their supply chain and business partners. SCM is a webbased, automated assessment management solution that allows users to fully manage the assessment process from beginning to end. SCM provides a single solution to manage selfassessments, on-site audits, corrective actions, communications and more, along with a robust dashboard to track progress year-over-year.

APPS

WERNER FINAL MILE Werner Enterprises launched the Werner Final Mile app in May as a logistics solution for the last-mile of delivery. Werner Final Mile will primarily deliver large or heavy items using two uniformed associates operating a lift gate straight truck. The software platform was carefully developed over the last year and allows for fully automated, high volume e-commerce delivery of non-conveyable products, from white-glove home and business deliveries, including returns and exchanges. Key features include a barcode scanner that allows the user to scan on the bill of lading (BOL) to instantly view the consignee’s name, address and phone number, as well as important product information. Additionally, overage, shortage, or damage issues (OS&D) can be reported in the app. Photos of damage and instructions are directly delivered to the app through the dispatcher.

π SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS

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www.foodlogistics.com

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PAYAPP BY ICONTROL PayApp by iControl is a business-to-business (B2B) mobile payments solution providing suppliers and distributors with a cost-effective and streamlined solution to invoice and collect payments from independent and small merchants in the field or from a centralized accounting office. PayApp also improves the availability of invoices, as they are presented electronically to the merchant, while providing the ability to process payment via bank transfer, saved credit cards, physical card swiping, and even a submitted check capture. iControl’s PayAppPRO is designed for electronic payment requests, processing and tracking at enterprise level, and it provides merchants with centralized approval and processing of business services payment requests.

The world’s most trusted labeling and barcode software.

TELOGIS SPOTLIGHT The Telogis Spotlight mobile app gives supervisors and fleet managers an easyto-read snapshot of what’s happening in the field by providing up-to-date analytics about the health of their vehicles and driver performance. Spotlight highlights critical data and areas of concern. Spotlight automatically curates important analytics information into dashboards and scorecards and helps interpret the severity of vehicles’ diagnostic trouble codes. Field managers can easily locate and contact their teams in the field through the app and receive visual representations about safety, fuel efficiency and vehicle health, as well as nearby vehicles and drivers in either map or list views. Managers also can set up push notifications for key information and can easily share insights and information with others. The company also has enhanced the Telogis Compliance app for managing FMCSA regulations for HoS requirements to help simplify meeting this mandate. The improved Telogis Compliance app ensures drivers’ HoS logs are up to date, while supporting federal and state rules, as well as widely used local exemptions. The app has an intuitive design that allows drivers to easily provide information to law enforcement during an inspection.

For more than 30 years, we haven’t just been in the barcode, RFID and labeling business, we’ve been in the same business as our customers: • Food safety • Logistics efficiency • Supply chain enablement • Anti-counterfeiting

Try It Yourself! Download the free, 30-day Trial Edition to experience all of BarTender’s powerful features. Learn more at

FOOD LOGISTICS | JULY 2017

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www.foodlogistics.com

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EDUCATION YOUR WAY. ON YOUR SCHEDULE. AT YOUR LOCATION.

SUPPLY CHAIN LEARNING CENTER

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‘BREAK THE BANK’ Staff training can be expensive. From tuition to travel, a 2-day class can cost between $2,400-5,900 per person. For education that is far easier on the budget and far more effective, choose on-site training through the Supply Chain Learning Center.

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are available for various professional certification programs. Contact us now for more information about learning opportunities through the Supply Chain Learning Center Jolene Gulley, Group Publisher Supply & Demand Chain Executive & Food Logistics Magazines Phone: 480.413.0354 Mobile: 262.473.9285 jgulley@ACBusinessMedia.com

Competition for top talent is fierce. Build loyalty and ensure you retain your experienced employees by offering affordable professional development courses through the Supply Chain Learning Center.

Judy Welp, Associate Publisher Food Logistics Magazine Phone: 480.821.1093 jwelp@ACBusinessMedia.com

For more information or course catalog, visit SupplyChainLearningCenter.com

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ZELLO

OCTOBER 15-17, 2017 GAYLORD NATIONAL RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER National Harbor, Maryland

2017 IFDA DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE SOLUTIONS. INSIGHTS. RESOURCES. NETWORKING.

DISTRIBUTE FOOD? THIS IS YOUR OPERATIONS CONFERENCE! AT THE SOLUTIONS EXPO: See the latest technology and material handling equipment that make your operations efficient and safe, and meet top service providers supporting DC and transportation operations. AT WORKSHOPS: Hear the latest food distribution best practices around warehousing, transportation, HR, technology, and regulatory compliance — plus a selection of professional development sessions. WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT SLATE OF GENERAL SESSIONS INCLUDING “Foodservice Distribution: A C-Suite Perspective” Moderator: John Tracy, executive chairman of Dot Foods. Panelists: Andy Mercier, president and CEO of Merchants Foodservice, Nicole Mouskondis, co-CEO of Nicholas & Company, Inc., and Jeff King, president and COO of Reinhart Foodservice, LLC.

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To REGISTER and access full conference information, visit www.theifdaconference.com. SPONSORS

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#IFDADSC17

Zello is an instant communication app that turns a smartphone, tablet or PC into a push-to-talkover-cellular (PoC) device. The benefits of Zello over using regular two-way radios or a phone include: clearer communications, unlimited range, Wi-Fi or cellular data network accessibility, and conversations on a private network. Plus, when paired with accessories like those from Pryme Radio, Zello users can have hands-free push-to-talk (PTT) communications. Zello provides two PoC solutions via smartphone applications: a free consumergrade service and an enterprisegrade service known as ZelloWork that provides greater levels of reliability and security. Zello is useful in any situation where workers need to communicate quickly, no matter where they are— whether it be the warehouse or truck.

www.foodlogistics.com

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UBER FREIGHT Uber Freight is a new service from the ride hailing company that pairs up trucking companies, including independent operators, with loads that need to be hauled from one place to another. The app looks a lot like the main Uber app, but is targeted toward vetted and approved drivers who can browse for nearby available loads, see destination information, distance required and payment upfront, and then simply tap to book. The app, which is downloaded on a mobile device, takes the guesswork out of finding and booking freight, and eliminates the anxiety of load confirmation with an instant confirmation notice. Additionally, it makes payment easy, with a commitment of payment within a few days rather than the current standard of 30 days or more.

S C M , I N T E G R AT I O N & O P T I M I Z AT I O N

ADVERTISER INDEX ADVERTISER............................................. PAGE

BluJay Solutions Co...................... 31 Coyote Logistics............................. 33 Detroit - A Daimler Group Brand.......................... 12-13 Flux Power........................................ 25 Ford Motor Co............................... 2,3 GPS Insight....................................... 27 Great Dane Trailers Inc...............44 IFDA..................................................... 40 Infratab....................................... 22-23 Interlink Technologies.................36 Load Express.................................... 29 NiceLabel..............................................9 Nulogy Corp..................................... 11 Ryder System, Inc.............................5 Seagull Scientific............................. 38 Telogis - A Verizon Company.......7 TranSolutions Inc........................... 41 Uline..................................................... 37 Varcode............................................... 35 Werner................................................ 17

BLUJAY GLOBAL TRADE NETWORK Kewill and LeanLogistics rebranded as BluJay Solutions in December, revealing the BluJay Global Trade Network, a new model that goes beyond automation to help organizations harness the full power of the global supply chain ecosystem. With more than 40,000 carriers, shippers, forwarders, suppliers and local strategic partnerships (LSPs), the BluJay Global Trade Network is one of the largest in the world, creating a powerful network that delivers the benefits of universal connectivity among participants. With BluJay, organizations can easily manage goods and services across an integrated global trade network; rapidly onboard services, carriers, customers and business units; and actively collaborate with trade participants to expedite trade logistics. BluJay captures all data streaming across the network, so that organizations can analyze and operationalize it to their advantage. One of the design principles for BluJay’s Global Trade Network is full integrity, ensuring frictionless and more efficient movement of goods across any border. The product is designed to constantly reflect and incorporate regulatory requirements back into the solution, keeping customers current with regulations. In addition, the whole concept of the global trade network is speed, bringing capacity to bear where ordinarily there isn’t capacity. www.foodlogistics.com

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HOW MANY freight claims do you file per month?

If it’s more than 10, MyEZClaim Freight Claim Software can reduce your filing costs: Mine claim data to identify problem carriers or products Lower administrative costs by reducing filing time to just 15 minutes per claim Cloud-based software as a Service (SaaS) Get even more out of your system with our one-on-one freight claim training program.

TranSolutions 480.473.2453 • sales@myezclaim.com www.TranSolutionsInc.com

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FOOD (AND MORE) FOR THOUGHT

BY BARRY HOCHFELDER

Blockchain and the Food Chain:

A Track & Trace Dream Team? S

Adopting the financial technology can make the food system safer.

upply chain finance technology and food safety. At first blush, they don’t seem to mesh. How do the complexities of Bitcoin and blockchain make our food supplies safer? After all, blockchain is a digital system that allows parties to transact individual codes for goods. It’s the underlying technology behind virtual currency Bitcoin. Nice, but again, how does it make food safer? What blockchain does is provide immediate visibility into any transaction, says financial website Investopedia. “A blockchain is a public ledger of all Bitcoin transactions that have ever been executed. It is constantly growing as ‘completed’ blocks are added to it with a new set of recordings. The blocks are added to the blockchain in a linear, chronological order. Each node (computer connected to the Bitcoin network using a client that performs the task of validating and relaying transactions) gets a copy of the blockchain, which gets downloaded automatically upon joining the Bitcoin network. The blockchain has complete information about the addresses and their balances right from the genesis block to the most recently completed block.” Currently, Wal-Mart, along with IBM, is testing the technology on mangos in the United States and pork in China. “I see a lot of potential to create what I call a digital and transparent food system,” WalMart food safety vice president Frank Yiannas tells Japan Times. The technology enables different parties in the supply chain to share

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details such as the date and animal was slaughtered or the weather conditions at harvest time. Data can be stored through a photograph on a smartphone that is transmitted onto a dedicated platform. “The advantage of blockchain is that the ledger is immediately updated, and all the parties have access to the latest information,” Bill Fearnley Jr., an expert at market intelligence firm IDC, tells Japan Times. Food tainted by E. coli or salmonella can be more easily traced. Remember the packaged spinach scare of 2006? It took investigators weeks to figure out the problem. With the visibility and immediate availability of blockchain data, the problem could have been solved in days, rather than weeks.

Consumers Want to Know It’s no secret that consumers want to be more informed about what they and their families are consuming. Blockchain’s transparency will let them look up information on where food comes from and

it’s path to their grocery and home. The technology also will help ensure that foods are ethically grown, caught or slaughtered. That additional transparency also can help promote more desirable practices. For example, British online startup Provenance used blockchain technology to test tuna caught in Indonesia to help corroborate claims the fish were responsibly caught. Even fraud and delivery issues can be controlled, and not just on local deliveries. Danish shipping giant Maersk estimates the technology could save billions of dollars by eliminating fraud and incorrect deliveries. Maersk is testing the technology with container ships between Kenya and the Netherlands. But, the shipping line says, adding the technology won’t be cheap. For example, a refrigerated product raised in Africa and shipped to Europe requires at least 30 people with some 200 interactions among parties, including customs, taxes and food safety oversight. However, once in place, blockchain can make that process easier and safer. www.foodlogistics.com

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Global Supply Chain Solutions for the Food and Beverage Industry

GET THE RECOGNITION YOU DESERVE! Each year, Food Logistics recognizes individual and corporate leaders in the food and beverage industry. Plan now to enter your company â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or a cutting-edge client or vendor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in one of these industry-leading recognition programs:

2017

TOP 3PL & COLD STORAGE PROVIDERS

FL100+ TOP SOFTWARE & TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS

Honoring the leading 3PL and Cold Storage Providers that support the food and beverage supply chain

Recognizing top software and technology providers supporting the global food and beverage supply chain

Winners announced in August 2017 issue

Nomination deadline: Sept. 22, 2017 Winners announced in Nov/Dec 2017 issue

O nline nominat ions open appr ox im a te l y e i g h t w e e k s b e fo re t h e d e a d l i n e s l i s t e d a b o v e . Awar d r esult s, inf o r m a t i o n a n d n o m i n a t i o n s p o s t e d o n :

FoodLogistics.com/Awards Nomination dates and issues may change. Consult the call-for-entries email and nomination survey for confirmation

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screen simulation

TAKE ON THE FSMA

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Make a statement with Great Dane’s Everest reefer, the only trailer on the market that offers broad-spectrum, 24/7 antimicrobial protection in its liner for the life of the trailer. Exclusive Microban® antimicrobial technology fights bacteria, odors and stains, promoting a clean environment for your temperature-sensitive deliveries. This breakthrough science now comes standard—because when it comes to safety and efficiency, we always go the extra mile. Take on the FSMA with the industry’s most powerful antimicrobial protection. Let’s go.

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