Most Recommended Food Supply Chain Companies

Howcroft,

From Editor’s Desk

Asitisrightlysaidthatnothinginthisworldispermanent,andthatappliestoourever-changingneedsanddemands too.Whatremainsaconstantneedis–Food.Yes,whateverwedo,itbringsusbacktofood,asyouarewhatyoueat. ThereisnoquestioningtheimportanceoffoodandespeciallytheFoodSupplyChainindustry Thereisalwaysa growing need for trusted and reliable Food Supply Chain companies, that can rise to challenges and deliver exceptional results,everytime.

Today’s food supply chain is one of the most crucial and complex industries, with many moving parts, often at risk of disruption. Many companies operate in this challenging domain and are perpetually searching for an advantage via comprehensive,scalable,andcost-effectivesolutionsthatenhancetheirbusinessandpropeltheirgrowth.Thecomplexityof thefoodsupplychaincallsforasophisticatedapproach,increasinglywithAIandmachinelearning,toaddresstheissues.Yet theskillsandresourcestodeliveronthesetechnologiesarescarce.

FeaturingforTheEnterpriseWorld’sthisissueofMostRecommendedFoodSupplyChainCompaniesarethestoriesofsuch successfulbusinesses,thathavemadeitthrougheveryoddstormandmadeittothetop.

FortheCoverStoryreadaboutSwarm Engineering: SWARM Engineering is a rising star that is transforming the way food supply chain companies are managingtheirkeychallengesforcompetitiveadvantage.WithauniqueapproachtoChallengeManagement–aspecialist aspect of the multi-billion-dollar market for decision intelligence – and offering an array of advanced solutions that incorporateAI,MachineLearning,andOperationalResearch,SWARMEngineeringisrapidlygainingadedicatedbandof followers. The company have acquired several prestigious clients and shown multi-million-dollar cost savings with substantialreturn-on-investmentratios.SWARMEngineeringbeganitsjourneyin2016,withafocusontransformingthe way people tackle operational challenges in their business. The company aims to provide fool proof and comprehensive solutions to challenges such as balancing supply and demand more effectively, managing logistics in a highly disruptive environment, or integrating sustainability metrics into core sourcing decisions. These are just a handful of the scenarios whereSWARMEngineeringcanprovidevalue.TheirgoalistodemocratizeAIsothatanybusinessusercandefineandsolve operationalchallengesaseasilyastheymightbuildareportinaBItool.

Foods Connected: Foods Connected innovates & transforms food supply chain processes through our one-stop-shop softwaresolutionthatdeliversincreasedtransparencyovereachelementofsupplychainmanagementforourcustomersin thesimplestwaypossible.Allofoursupplychainfunctionalityistailoredtoreal-worldapplications,basedonrequirements fromourcustomersandthein-depthknowledgeofourteamofindustryexperts.FoodsConnectedisdesignedspecificallyfor the food industry, specializing in end-to-end supply chain management including; Supplier Compliance, Food Safety & Quality, CSR, Procurement & Supply Chain, Specifications & NPD, Traceability and Reporting & Analytics. Foods Connectedhasbeenbuiltentirelybyfoodindustryexperts,manyofwhompreviouslyworkedonfactoryfloorsandtherefore havefirst-handexperienceoftheissuesfoodbusinessesfacedailyandhaveasolidunderstandingofhowbesttoimplement customerprojectstomaximizereturnsandmitigaterisk.

halmaliS

“Good buildings come from good people, and all problems are solved by good design.” — Stephen Gardiner

Shalmali W.

Leaders in Spotlight

FortheCoverStoryreadabout-

SwarmEngineering:SWARMEngineeringisa risingstarthatistransformingthewayfood supplychaincompaniesaremanagingtheirkey challengesforcompetitiveadvantage.Witha uniqueapproachtoChallengeManagement–a specialistaspectofthemulti-billion-dollarmarket fordecisionintelligence–andofferinganarrayof advancedsolutionsthatincorporateAI,Machine Learning,andOperationalResearch,SWARM Engineeringisrapidlygainingadedicatedband offollowers.Thecompanyhaveacquiredseveral prestigiousclientsandshownmulti-million-dollar costsavingswithsubstantialreturn-on-investment ratios.SWARMEngineeringbeganitsjourneyin 2016,withafocusontransformingtheway peopletackleoperationalchallengesintheir business.Thecompanyaimstoprovidefoolproof andcomprehensivesolutionstochallengessuch asbalancingsupplyanddemandmoreeffectively, managinglogisticsinahighlydisruptive environment,orintegratingsustainabilitymetrics intocoresourcingdecisions.Thesearejusta handfulofthescenarioswhereSWARM Engineeringcanprovidevalue.Theirgoalisto democratizeAIsothatanybusinessusercan

defineandsolveoperationalchallengesaseasilyas theymightbuildareportinaBItool.

FoodsConnected:FoodsConnectedinnovates& transformsfoodsupplychainprocessesthrough ourone-stop-shopsoftwaresolutionthatdelivers increasedtransparencyovereachelementof supplychainmanagementforourcustomersinthe simplestwaypossible.Allofoursupplychain functionalityistailoredtoreal-worldapplications, basedonrequirementsfromourcustomersandthe in-depthknowledgeofourteamofindustry experts.FoodsConnectedisdesignedspecifically forthefoodindustry,specializinginend-to-end supplychainmanagementincluding;Supplier Compliance,FoodSafety&Quality,CSR, Procurement&SupplyChain,Specifications& NPD,TraceabilityandReporting&Analytics. FoodsConnectedhasbeenbuiltentirelybyfood industryexperts,manyofwhompreviously workedonfactoryfloorsandthereforehavefirsthandexperienceoftheissuesfoodbusinessesface dailyandhaveasolidunderstandingofhowbestto implementcustomerprojectstomaximizereturns andmitigaterisk.

ENGINEERING

Where Innovation meets Technology!

Anthony Howcroft, CEO

Founder

C O V E R S T O R Y

Today'sfoodsupplychainisone ofthemostcrucialand complexindustries,withmany movingparts,oftenatriskof disruption.Manycompaniesoperatein thischallengingdomainandare perpetuallysearchingforanadvantage viacomprehensive,scalable,andcosteffectivesolutionsthatenhancetheir businessandpropeltheirgrowth.The complexityofthefoodsupplychain callsforasophisticatedapproach, increasinglywithAIandmachine learning,toaddresstheissues.Yetthe skillsandresourcestodeliveronthese technologiesarescarce.

SWARMEngineeringisarisingstar thatistransformingthewayfood supplychaincompaniesaremanaging theirkeychallengesforcompetitive advantage.Withauniqueapproachto ChallengeManagement-aspecialist aspectofthemulti-billion-dollar marketfordecisionintelligence-and offeringanarrayofadvancedsolutions thatincorporateAI,MachineLearning, andOperationalResearch,SWARMis rapidlygainingadedicatedbandof followers.Thecompanyhaveacquired severalprestigiousclientsandshown multi-million-dollarcostsavingswith substantialreturn-on-investmentratios.

LeadingtheFoodSupplyChainSWARMEngineering

SWARMEngineeringbeganits journeyin2016,withafocuson transformingthewaypeopletackle operationalchallengesintheir business.Thecompanyaimstoprovide foolproofandcomprehensivesolutions tochallengessuchasbalancingsupply anddemandmoreeffectively, managinglogisticsinahighly disruptiveenvironment,orintegrating sustainabilitymetricsintocore sourcingdecisions.Thesearejusta handfulofthescenarioswhere SWARMcanprovidevalue.Theirgoal

istodemocratizeAIsothatany businessusercandefineandsolve operationalchallengesaseasilyasthey mightbuildareportinaBItool.

Thecompanystartedbycreatingan enginethatcouldsolvecomplex combinatorialmathproblems,usinga uniquemulti-agent+machinelearning

approach.Theteam'sinitialgoalwasto givethistodatascientiststotackle hardsupplychainproblems.Through theirjourney,theSWARMteam discoveredthatmanyoftheirtarget customersdidn'thaveanydata scientists,orthosetheyhadweretoo overwhelmedtotackleanythingnew Thus,pavingthewayforSWARMto

innovateandsimplifyAI,tomakeit availableforbusinessusersfacing operationalissues,ratherthancreate yetanothertooljustforexperts.

Becausetheywerebuildingacomplex AIproduct,theyfoundintheearly daysthatitwashardtoraisemoney frombusinessangels,asthereisalevel

ofspecialistknowledgerequiredto understandthemechanismsbehindthe company'stechnology Thischangedas theygainedtractionandattractedsome bigventurefirms.S2GVenturesin particularhavetransformedtheirroute tomarket,notjustwithcapital,but knowledge,andconnectionsintothe agri-foodspace.

Whattriggeredthegrowthof SWARMEngineering,and establishedtheirsuccessand dominantpositioninthemarket?

SWARMfirstmadeanameforitself workingaspartoftheTerracohortof startupsinaRabobanksponsored incubator,onaprojectforGrainCorp

inAustralia.Thisattractedinterest fromothercompaniesviaword-ofmouthandledtoseveralmajor projects.However,recentinteresthas beenacceleratingthankstoglowing reviewsoftheSWARMChallenge Modelerwhichletsbusinessusers rapidlydefinetheirproblemsand matchthemtoAIsolutions.Sincethe firstdemonstration,responsestothe newproducthavebeenphenomenal, andHollySelf,VPMarketingtoldus

thattheyhavehadtomanagethe rolloutcarefullywithastaggered launch,askinginterestedpartiesto registerfortheearlyaccessprogram.

SWARMarenotshyindiscussingthe benefitstheirtechnologyprovides.The teamaimstoshowaminimumof4x ROIandhasexceededthisratiobya goodmarginonnearlyeveryproject, withsomecustomersshowinga15–30xreturn.

WhatsetsSWARMapart?

Manycompanieshavemadelarge investmentsintotheirtransactional systemssuchasSAP, Llamasoft/Coupa,OracleNetsuite,and soon.Thesearecriticalfoundational platformsonwhichthebusiness operates.Somefirmsarealsomaking big-ticketinvestmentsinlarge-scaleAI initiatives,buildingdatalakesand machinelearninglayerstoprovide

insights.Theseareoftenmulti-year andmulti-million-dollarstrategies.

Inbetweenthesetwoareasisalarge middlesliceoftheorganizationthatis stillusingexcelorgooglesheetsto makedecisions,withdataextracted fromthefoundationalsystemsand supplementedbytribalknowledge.

SWARMspoketotheCEOofaglobal meatproductionfirmwhorevealedthat mostofthecriticalbusinessdecisions inhisorganizationweremadeevery daybypeopleusingspreadsheets,and hehighlightedthatAIwassimplynot reachingorsupportingthesepeople. ThisiswhereSWARMcomesin, providinganewwayforthose decisionstobemade,andgivingthe

peopleinthemiddlegapnew capabilitiesandpowers.

TheSWARMproductsuitereplaces spreadsheetswithanAISaaSthat helpspeoplemakebetterdecisionsto deliverahugeimpactonthebottom line.Thesoftwaregivesthesepeople AIsuperpowerswhileleavingthem stillfullyinchargeofthedecision.The approachaimstoaugmenthumans,not replacethem.

Itallstartsbylettingthosepeoplein themiddleoftheorganizationuse SWARMChallengeModelertorapidly definetheirprobleminbusinessterms, andthenmappingthistosolutions.

HowdoesSWARMEngineeringgoa stepbeyond,andwhatnew revolutionaryservicesareinline?

SWARMhasaboldroadmapand believetheChallengeModelerand SolutionEnginearejustafirststep. Theystatethatthisisonlythe beginningofwhatcanbeachievedin democratizingAI.

Rightnow,theSWARMChallenge Modelerisonaneed-to-knowbasis,so youmustbeinvitedtouseit,orcatcha SWARMemployeeatoneoftheAgriFoodeventswheretheyarehanding outgoldenticketsforaccess. 'Commercially,wewantasmany peopletohaveaccessassoonas

possible'saidAnthonyHowcroft,the CEOandfounder.'Equally,weneedto balancetheneedsofexisting customersandensuretheyremain delightedwithourservice.Wewillnot over-extend.Thisisamanagedrollout.'

Laterthisyear,though,thecompany willmaketheproductavailabletoa

wideraudienceandyoucanregisterto gainearlyaccesshere:Challenge ModelerRegistration.

LeadershipatSWARMEngineering

Theleadershipatacompanysuchas SWARMEngineeringrequires entrepreneursthatarethorough, innovative,withhighenergy Theyare notonlypavingthewayforchangeat

“Startups are an amazing place to work if you have the right personality. The opportunities for personal growth are huge, and if things work out the financial payback is pretty good too. I think the best employees do it because they like the independence, the flexibility, and the ability to be part of a close-knit team making something special happen”, Anthony adds.

theircustomersandintheindustryatlarge,butalso actasasourceofsupportandmotivationforthe team.

ThecompanyisledbytheirCEO,Anthony Howcroft,whostartedasaComputerOperatorfor GeneralFoods(whichbecameKraft).Atthattime GeneralFood'smostwell-knownbrandwas MaxwellHousecoffee,anditwasaninteresting opportunityforanineteen-year-oldtoruntheentire corporateovernightbatchprocessingonIBM mainframes.Anthonysoonmovedintothesoftware developmentteam,andworkedasadeveloperfor severalyears,beforechoosingtomoveintoSales& Marketing.Anthonyhasgainedvaluableexperience workingforbothstartupsandcorporations,andwas aco-founderandexecutiveatDATAllegro,theUSbaseddatawarehousevendoracquiredby Microsoft.AnthonyendeduprunningMicrosoft's bigdatateamacrossEMEAforfiveyears,before returningtoCaliforniatoworkonasoftware startup.

SWARMculture

TheSWARMteamdoesn'thaveanofficeorfixed hours,andtheydon'thavealimitonvacationor evenarequiredcomputersystem–Microsoftor Appleareequallywelcome.Instead,theyshare values;acommitmenttoexcellence,abeliefin bringingproductstomarketthatcandeliver significantbenefitstotheirclients,andanopenand honestchannelofcommunication. Thereisadaily videoconference,makingsurethateveryoneisclear ontheactivitiesandgoals,andarekeptuptodate onsuccessesandanyissuesthatneedfixing.

Thisapproachenablestheteamtofeelconnected withthecompany,itstargetsandvalues, collaboratingtoprovideclientswiththebest possibleproductsandsupport.Theyworkhardto fosterthisenvironmentbutnevertakeitforgranted, stayinggroundedandfocusedonthebigpicture ahead.

Anthony'sthoughtsontheresponsibilitiesofan entrepreneur?

“Anentrepreneur'sresponsibilityistochangethe world,forthebetter.Ifyouaren'tdoingthat,why bother?”

Healsotakesveryseriouslytheresponsibility tomakeasubstantialreturntothe stakeholders;customers,employees,partners, investors–whethertheyputthefirstorlast dollarintothecompany

Anthony'sviewsonconstantvigilanceasa needorastrategy?

“Vigilanceisawordthatconjuresupguards onarampart,nervous,alertfordanger.I'mnot surethat'showmanyofuswanttolive.Ina corporateenvironment,shouldyourabidly defendyourIP,guardyourcustomersagainst raidsbycompetitivevendors,andchainyour employeeswithaggressivenon-compete clauses? Somecompaniesdo,butIthinkitis bettertocreatevalue,pushforward,andkeep innovating.Idon'twanttobeconstantly lookingovermyshoulder,Iwanttobelooking forwardstoabrightfuture.”

HowdoesAnthonydealwiththe competitioninthemarket,onaprofessional andapersonallevel?

“Thepaceoflifeneverseemstoslowdown, especiallyasanindividualinastartup.Itisan adagethatpeopleshouldfollowtheirpassion sothatworkisajoy There'struthinthat,I lovedoingmanyaspectsofmyjob.I'lltell you,though,I'mnotabigfanofreadinglarge legaldocumentsormodelingmultiple cashflowscenarios.Therearetimesweall needtounwind.Ithinksport,music,and readingareallgreatoptions.”

Anthonyrunstwentymilesaweekandplays theguitarforhalfanhoureachnight.Whilehe statesthathisreadingisnowrestrictedto weekendsandflights,Anthonystillmanagesto getthrough40ormorebooksayear,and publishedhisownnon-fictionbookrecently called ,whichQuestions – A User's Guide becameanAmazonbestseller.Hetellsusthat muchoftheresearchforthatbook,andmany ofthelearnings,arebeingrolledintothe SWARMChallengeModeler.

The Futur

uture of

Digitalcurrencieswill undoubtedlyhavean influenceonfinancial systems.AccordingtotheWorld EconomicForum,86percentofthe world'scentralbanksare investigatingtheadvantagesand disadvantagesofcentralbank digitalmoney.Cryptocurrencies wereabigissueattheWorld EconomicForum'sDavosAgenda thisyear.Leadersintheblockchain sectormetelectronicallytodiscuss concernssuchaslegislationand whichfeatureswerenecessaryfor theindustry'scontinuinggrowth.

Cryptocurrenciesbasedonthe blockchainprovideanalternativeto establishedmoneysystemslikefiat.

Digitalcurrencymaytheoretically removecontrolofmoneyaway frominstitutionsandreturnittothe peoplebyeliminatingthepowerof governmentsandcentralbanks. Unfortunately,theworldhasbeen slowtoacceptthisconcept.Despite itsinherentpromise,Bitcoinhas hadabadimagethroughoutthe firstdecadeofitsexistence.The publicimpressionoftheemerging assetclasshasshifteddueto enterprisingcriminals, unscrupulousinvestors,and institutionalapprehension. Speculatorsandinitialcoin offerings(ICOs)tookadvantageof thepotentialtoearnaquick buck—oftenatthecostof inexperiencedinvestors—during thecryptoboomof2017. Thankfully,thefocushasshifted awayfromcryptocurrenciesasa speculativeassetandtoward aimingtosolvemanyofthe problemsthatconsumersand companiesfacethroughoutthe world,fromfasterandcheaper cross-bordertransfertobankingthe unbanked.However,mostordinary peoplestillfaceconsiderable

barrierstoutilizing cryptocurrenciesintheirdailylives, whichmustbeovercomeifdigital moneyistogainwidespread adoptionandeventuallyreplacefiat asthedominantmonetarysystem.

LegalDocuments&Smart Contracts

Theblockchainisusedtokeep trackofdigitalmoneyproduction andtransfer.Thiscapabilityisideal forstoringandenforcinglegal documentsintheformofsmart contracts.Smartcontractsare computerprogramsthatrunwhen certaincriteriaaresatisfiedandare maintainedonablockchain.This enableslegalagreementstobe automatedsothatallcontract participantsareimmediatelyaware oftheconclusion,withnotimelag orneedforanintermediary The adoptionoflegalpapersandsmart contractswillbedrivenbythe automationofworkflows, triggeringthenextstepwhen criteriaaresatisfied,and irreversiblyrecordingstatusonthe blockchain,especiallywhenthe cheapercostofconductingbusiness crowdsoutpaper-basedcontracts.

Crypto-enableddebitcards

Inrecentyears,anumberof creativefintechstartupsthattryto givealternativestobitcoin exchangeshavethrived.These includemobile-basedsystemsthat letcustomerstobuyandexchange avarietyofdigitalandfiat currencies.Wirexcards,for example,mayturnanyfundinto fiatinstantly,lettingclientsto spenditinstoresandonlinejust likecash.Althoughexchangesare stillanimportantelementofthe bitcoininfrastructure,theylackthe practicalityandsimplicitytoallow everydaypayments.Asaresult,

crypt-enableddebitcardsbridgethe gapbetweenregularmoneyand bitcoin,providingasolution.

Wirex,forexample,isprioritizing theacquisitionoflocalbanking licensesinordertosecurethe assetsofitsclients.Infact,thefirm islicensedtoissueelectronicfiat moneyandpaymentinstrumentsby theUKFinancialConduct

AuthorityundertheElectronic MoneyRegulations2017,with equivalentlicensesinJapanandthe UnitedStatesduesoon.Thereisa lotofmarketvolatilityrightnow. Cryptocurrencies,unliketraditional fiatcurrency,arevulnerableto severemarketvolatility This impliesthatthevalueoftokenslike bitcoin,XRP,andethereummight fluctuatedramaticallyinasingle day.Thevalueofasinglebitcoin soaredfrom$5,940tomorethan $19,190attheendof2017,before

plunginginJanuary2018.Skewed wealthdistributioncancause volatility,withafewhigh-net-worth peopleororganizationsexerting disproportionatepricingpower However,macroeconomic considerationsandpublicimageare vitallyimportantinthedigital currencyindustry.Despitethefact thatitsunderlyingblockchain technologyenablesforsafelow-cost paymentsandtransfersoutsidethe traditionalbankingrails, cryptocurrency'sinherentvolatility

ofordinarypeople,ratherthan centralbanksandgovernment entities.Theironyisthatwithout theassistanceofsuch organizations,widespread acceptanceofdigitalmoneyis improbable.Afterall,changinga moneysystemthathasruledfor over50yearsisnoeasytaskand necessitatesamassiverevampof theglobalfinancialinfrastructure.

Thefinancialelitehaslongbeen skepticalaboutcryptocurrencies' abilitytobecomeamainstream monetarysystem,citingexamples offraud,crime,andalackof regulatorycontrol."Centralbanks havebeensleepingatthewheel overthefutureofourmoney systembeingdefinedbyatiny numberofbanks,payment businesses,andnowinternet giants,"saysFranBoait,executive directorofadvocacyorganization PositiveMoney

closedworldwidenetworkof financialinstitutionsthatworksto expeditesettlementamongits members.Cryptocurrency'sgeneral adoptionisunavoidable,but whetheritwillreplaceorjust supplementthepresentfiatmoney systemremainstobeseen.Fintech companieswillcontinuetocreate methodstoassistbusinessesand individualsinusingdigitalmoney ineverydaylifeuntilthatday comes.

Conclusion

makesitanundesirablemeansof exchange.

Mainstreamadoptionofdigital currencymightnothappen immediately

Cryptocurrencysupportersarea dreamylot.Decentraliseddigital currencyisclaimedtobean alternativetotraditionalfiatmoney thatputscontrolbackinthehands

However,governmentsand commercialorganizations throughouttheworldarestartingto seetheadvantagesofatokenized economyoverthepresentfractional reservebankingsystem.Central BankDigitalCurrenciesarebeing investigatedbytheBankof England,SverigesRiksbank,Bank ofJapan,andEuropeanCentral Bank(CBDCs).TheBankof Englandstatedinafinancial stabilityassessmentreleasedin December2019that"stablecoins mightpartiallyreplaceor supplementpresentpayment arrangements."

Thisconceptisalsobeingaccepted byprivatebusinesses.Wirex teamedwithIBMtowardstheend of2019tobecometheprincipal issuerofregulatedstablecoinson theIBMWorldWireNetwork,a

Webelievethatthepopularityof digitalcurrenciesand cryptocurrencieswillcontinueto grow,andthatbanks,governments, andotherinstitutionswillbe powerlesstostopit.Thebeast's verynatureisadaptive,responsive, andtechnologicallyadept,implying thatthedevelopersbehinditcan overcomepracticallyanyobstacle placedintheirway.Theonly peoplewhoshouldbeconcerned arethosewhohaveinvested millionsinsuchcurrency.Because thedependabilityofanycurrency cannotbeguaranteed,caution shouldstillbemaintainedwhen takingriskswithlargesumsof money.

Guaranteed reliability, Redefining Food Supply Chain!

Asitisrightlysaidthatnothinginthisworldis permanent,andthatappliestoourever-changing needsanddemandstoo.Whatremainsaconstant needis-Food.Yes,whateverwedo,itbringsusbacktofood, asyouarewhatyoueat!

Thereisnoquestioningtheimportanceoffoodandespecially theFoodSupplyChainindustry Thereisalwaysagrowing needfortrustedandreliableFoodSupplyChaincompanies, thatcanrisetochallengesanddeliverexceptionalresults, everytime!

ThissearchbroughtustoFoodsConnected.FoodsConnected isaleadingnameintheFoodSupplyChainindustry,offering highlyadvancedandsuccessfulsolutions.RogerMcCracken holdstheleadershipofthecompany,pavingthewayforits unrivaledserviceofferings,andpushingitsgrowth.

Todayinaninsightfulinterviewwehave,Roger McCracken,Co-Founder&ManagingDirectoratFoods ConnectedLtd.Let'sgettoknowmoreaboutthe company,Roger'sstorybehindstartingFoodsConnected, andmore!

Briefusaboutthecompany,whatinspiredyoutostartthe company?

IhailfromNorthernIrelandandco-foundedFoodsConnected withPaulArmstrongandGaryTyre,indirectresponsetothe

needfordigitizationofeverydayfood industrysupplychainprocessesto improvequality,minimizeriskand reducecostsforfoodbusinesses.

Withfamilylivestock&arablefarming backgroundandhavingworkedinthe meatprocessingsectorformanyyears, Iunderstoodtheproblemsfacingthe foodindustryandwasthereforewell positionedtoestablishthetechnology solutionsrequiredtohelpsolvekey industrychallenges.

Isawtheopportunitytocreatean innovativesoftwaresolutionthat allowsfoodbusinessestocutdownon theuseofexcelspreadsheetsandpaper byloggingalltheirsupplychain approval,qualityassuranceplus tradingandplanningnegotiationson oneeasy-to-usecloudsoftware platform,reducingcostsandtime massively.

TheFoodsConnectedcloud-based softwareplatformprovidesoptimized transparencyandcontroloverthe completesupplychainforfood retailers,foodmanufacturers,and foodserviceprovidersandisused globallybykeyplayersinthefood industry.Theplatformhastransformed thewaythefoodindustryoperatesand conductsdailytasks,tomakefood productionsafe,sustainable,ethical, andsimple.

Whataretheproductsorservices thecompanyfocuseson?Howare yourservicesdifferentfromthosein themarket?

FoodsConnectedinnovates& transformsfoodsupplychainprocesses throughourone-stop-shopsoftware solutionthatdeliversincreased transparencyovereachelementof supplychainmanagementforour customersinthesimplestwaypossible. Allofoursupplychainfunctionalityis

tailoredtoreal-worldapplications, basedonrequirementsfromour customersandthein-depthknowledge ofourteamofindustryexperts.

FoodsConnectedisdesigned specificallyforthefoodindustry, specializinginend-to-endsupplychain managementincluding;Supplier Compliance,FoodSafety&Quality, CSR,Procurement&SupplyChain, Specifications&NPD,Traceability andReporting&Analytics.

Pleasetellusabouttheteamof FoodsConnected?

FoodsConnectedwasbornoutofour passionforsolvingproblemsand maximizingopportunitieswithinthe FoodIndustry.Ourlively,passionate andextremelydedicatedteam collaborateswithourcustomersto understandthechangingproblemsand opportunitiesthatthefoodindustry facesanddevelopinnovativeideasand simplesolutionsbasedonthisto deliverrealvalueintheindustry

Overthelast10years,theFoods Connectedbusinesshasgonefrom strengthtostrength-fromateamof just2toateamofnowover80staff membersacrosstheUKandAustralia withplanstoexpandtootherlocations, whilecurrentlyservingcustomers acrossEurope,APACandNorth America!

FoodsConnectedhasbeenbuilt entirelybyfoodindustryexperts,many ofwhompreviouslyworkedonfactory floorsandthereforehavefirst-hand experienceoftheissuesfood businessesfacedailyandhaveasolid understandingofhowbestto implementcustomerprojectsto maximizereturnsandmitigaterisk.

Weharnessresearch,development,and innovationtorevolutionizeprocesses andimprovesustainabilityinfood.By combiningindustryexpertisein conjunctionwithFoodsConnected's reportingandanalyticstools, businessesoperatinginthisspacecan stayonestepaheadoftheexternal forcesthatimpactandinfluencetheir dailyoperations.

TheFoodsConnectedplatformisthe onlydigitalsupplychainsolutionon themarketofferingtracking,control, andreportingacrossallkeyareasof thefoodsupplychainwithinonesingle paneofglassview

Pleasetellusaboutyourprofessional experience?

FoodsConnectedwasdesignedwith industryexpertsatthecore.Witha farmingbackgroundandhaving previouslyworkedlocallywithinthe foodindustry,Iinherentlyunderstood theproblemsthefoodindustryfaced andhadclearideasaroundthe technologysolutionsrequiredtosolve them.

WhileworkingforaleadingUKmeat company,Inoticedthatalthoughfood businesseshadgooddigitalsystems alreadyinplacetomanagefinance, production,andinventorymanagement processes,therewasanopportunityin themarkettocreateaninnovative softwaresolutiontospeaktothereal needsofbusinessesworkingwithinthe space.

Bydigitizingthecoreprocesses,I knewthiswouldtransform

“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”

procurement,suppliermanagement, foodsafety,andtechnicalstandardsfor thefoodindustry.Theseprocesses werepreviouslycompletedusinga rangeofadmin-heavymanual methods,includingexcelspreadsheets, penandpaper,emails,andphonecalls, atime-consumingprocess-often leadingtoaduplicationofwork.

Therefore,toimprovequality, minimizeriskandreducecostsfor foodbusinesses,FoodsConnectedwas born.

Whatarethekeyachievementsof yourbusinessjourney?

Akeyachievementofourjourneyis thelevelandscaleatwhichweare nowoperating.FoodsConnectedare continuallyinnovatingtomeetthe

needsoftheindustry,havingrecently updatedoursuiteofsolutionstoinclude traceability,sustainability,andrecipe managementtools.

Wehavebecomekeyplayerswithinthe supplychainsoftwarespacetailoredto thefoodindustryandarenowoperating globally-fromtheUK,throughout Europe,asfarasAustralia.Thisis somethingweareveryproudof,coming fromsmalltownsinthenorthofIreland andbuildingfromateamof2tonowa teamofover80staffmembers-andstill growingrapidly!

Lookingbackonhowfarwehavecome andallthefacesthathavejoinedus alongthewaytohelpgetustowhere wearemakeusextremelyproudof whatwehaveachieved.Andwe'reonly justgettingstarted!

Anyclientexperienceyouwouldlike tohighlight?

AtFoodsConnectedweareproudto receiveconsistentlypositivefeedback fromourcustomers.Oursecretis goingaboveandbeyondtoensure customerscangetthefullbenefitof oursolutions,providinghigh-quality customerservice,buildingtoolsto meettheirneeds,andworkingwith themtoimprovetheirexperience.

Heardirectlyfromourcustomers belowonhowtheyhaveincorporated FoodsConnectedintotheirprocesses andhowthesoftwarehastransformed theeffectivenessoftheiroperations.

“FoodsConnectedhasprovidedthe frameworktocaptureagreedsales& purchasingoutcomesinone centralizedlocation.Thisenables easeofcomparisononallbestprice optionsformoreinformedbusiness decisions.”–Woolworths

“Weneededasolutiontomanage ourexpansivesupplychainglobally, tocreategreatertransparencyover everytierofourdiversenetwork. FoodsConnectedhasprovidedus withseveralintegratedsolutions, bringingvisibilitytoouroperations, tobettertrackoursupplier compliance,mitigatinganypotential risks.”–MarleySpoon

“UsingFoodsConnectedhasallowed ustodrivestandardprocessesacross ourbusiness,helpingcapturedatain aconsistentwaymeaningthe analyticsallowsustoeasilysee comparableperformanceonany level.”–OrnuaFoods

OCIAL

T MONITORING SOCIAL USE AT

HOME MONITORING

MEDIA

MEDIA

HOME

Parentsmaymonitortheir children'ssocialmediauseina varietyofmethods,from applicationstodetectivework.Here aresomehelpfulhintsforbothparents andchildren.Socialmediahasevolved intoanintegralpartofmanypeople's livesduringthelast10years.Itkeeps individualsuptospeedonnews, friends,andfamilieswhilealso allowingyoutomeetnewpeoplewho shareyourinterests.Whenyouhavea tweenorateenathome,though,social networkingisnotalwaysthegreatest decision.However,ifyourkiddecides toopenaTwitterorFacebookaccount, therearetechniquestokeeptrackon theirsocialmediaactivity.Sokeep readingtodiscovertenwaysto monitoryourchild'ssocialmediause.

Herearewayssocialmediauseat homecanbemonitored;

OnlyAllowSocialMediaOn Computers

Allowingyourchildtoaccesssocial mediajustoncomputersisagreat methodtokeeptrackoftheirusage. Becauseit'sdifficulttoconstantly knowwhat'sgoingonwithsocial mediaaccountslikeSnapchat, smartphonesmightgiveyour youngsteralotmoreaccessthanyou want.However,enforcingthe restrictionthatsocialmediamayonly beusedonafamilycomputerallows youtohavecompletecontrolover whichsocialmediaaccountsyourchild usesandmakesitmucheasierto monitor.TheInternetactivitycenter (computersandlaptops)shouldbeina commonpartofthehouse,suchasthe livingroomorkitchen.Limiting Internetactivitytoanopenfamily environmentenablesforeasier monitoringofchildren'sonline behavior.Notonlywillparentsbeable tokeepwatchoftheirchildren's activitieswhilecookingsupperor performingothertasks,butthe

youngsterwillalsobeawareoftheir presenceandsobelesslikelyto examineforbiddenInternetplaces.

Customizedsettings

Youmaylockspecificsettingsonyour child'sphoneaswellasonthefamily PC.Thisallowsyoutokeepyourchild offofsocialnetworkingsitesthatyou don'tlikeandjustgivethemaccessto theonesyoulike.Youmaynotonly lockcertainsites,butalsopassword securethemsothatyourchildcannot changethesettingsontheirown.Little thingslikethesehelpyoukeeptrackof whichsocialnetworkingsitesyour childvisitssoyouknowwhat'sgoing onintheirlives.Createclear guidelines.Definewhatyourkidmay andcannotdoonsocialmedia,and displaytheseguidelinessomewhere yourchildwillseethemfrequently Thisshouldbedonebeforetheycreate anaccount.Ifyourchildalreadyhasa profile,youcandoitlater Tellthem, forexample,thattheycannot"friend" anybodytheydon'tknowandthat sharingtheirpasswordisnever acceptable.

Discussthepossibleperilsofsocial media.Youmightwanttotellyour kidshorrorstories.Whilethismaybe upsetting,itiscrucialforkidsto understandthatthreatsarealways presentandthatbeingsafeiscritical. Utilizemonitoringsoftwares

Monitoringtoolsareaneffective approachtomaintaintabsonachild's onlineactivities.Monitoringsoftware like"NetNanny"and"Surfie,"for example,allowsparentscontrolover socialnetworkingsitesbyallowing themtostopchats,trackfriendactivity, andfiltermaterial.Itiscriticalto informtheyoungsterthatthese safeguardswillbeimplemented. Cyber-stalking,cyber-bullying,privacy concerns,andreputation-damaging

filmsorimagesareallprotectedby thesesoftwarepackages.Someofthese safetysystemsmayalsonotifyparents oftheirchild'sspecifickeystrokes,time spentonline,andtotalcomputerusage statistics.Monitoringsystemswillgive dailyorweeklyreportsdetailingthe child'sonlineactivities.It'salsovitalto keeptrackofpasswordsandlogin informationforallofthechild's accounts.

Get KidLogger

KidLoggerisafreetoolthathelpsyou tomaintainparentalcontroloveryour child'sphone,computer,ortablet. KidLoggerisafantasticsoftwaresince itshowsyouwhatsitestheyvisited, howlongtheywerethere,what

photographstheyposted,whothey contacted,and,bestofall,whatthey saidtotheirpals.Thisprovidesyou completecontrolovertheirinternet activitiesandallowsyoutoseewhat theydid.CheckoutKidLogger,afree toolthathelpsyoutokeeptrackof yourchild'ssocialmediausage.

Download RealizD App

Wenowusetechnologythroughapps. Therearenowapplicationsfor everything,includingourphones, televisions,andcomputers.The RealizDsoftwareisafantastictoolfor limitingyourchild'sscreentime.You maysettimelimitationsonhowmuch timetheyspendontheirphoneor laptopusingthissoftware.RealizD

generatessimplechartsforyouto studysoyoucanseehowmuchtime yourchildspendsonvariousdevices andwhichapplicationstheyusethe most.So,ifyouwanttomakesurethat yourchildonlyusessocialmediawhile theyareathomeandyouarepresent, thisappisideal.

Get Web safety

Ifyourchildhasasmartphone,you mayfeelpowerlessoverwhathappens ontheirsocialmediaaccounts. However,withappslikeWebSafety, youcanmonitortheirphonewithonly onedownload.Thisprogramallows youtokeeptrackonhowmuchtime theyspendontheirphone,whichapps theydownload,andtheirsocialmedia

andbrowsinghistory.Thisprogram doescosts$15permonthforparental access,butit'samust-haveifyou're worriedaboutyouryoungchildren gettingintotroubleonsocialmedia.

Conclusion

Socialnetworkingplatforms,withouta question,areheretostay.Inorderto regulatechildren'sonlineactivities,it isnecessarytokeepupwithnew technologies.Itisvitaltoteach youngstershowtoactinbothsociety andonlinebysittingdownwiththem andteachingthemhowtoengage properlyinboth.Theyoungsterswill undoubtedlyunderstandwhatitmeans tobeagooddigitalcitizenandhowto besafeonlineundertheirparents' pervision.

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