Context
Our client, a leading biotechnology company, faced a threat when counterfeits made an entry in their supply chain. It not only created disparities in inventory management and supply chain records but also posed a threat to their brand image. They needed a solution that not only helps track counterfeit products in their supply chain but also provides a tracking mechanism to identify their location.
They discussed this requirement with [x]cube and after multiple brainstorming sessions, innovation workshops and in-depth understanding of their business requirements, we provided them a comprehensive digital strategy and created an application that would allow the company to track their products and ensure they were being delivered to the right place.
The Problem
With the increasing number of counterfeits, the client was vulnerable to incurring financial losses without being able to track the reason. It was also becoming difficult to record accurate numbers in inventory management, thereby making the entire performance data unreliable. This created an urgent need to track the original products and eliminate the sources of entry for counterfeits.
The Challenges
The idea was to have a tracking mechanism that can monitor product movement in real-time and make it visible to everyone in the distribution chain. The project required a carefully thought through mechanism that can effectively track products without being tricked. It required an in-depth analysis of how the products move from the manufacturer to the end-customer. Our team of experts worked closely with the client to understand their products, their supply chain, people involved and specific complaints and suggestions the supply chain partners had and used the inputs to develop a solution that effectively solved the problem.
The Solution
We delivered a barcode application and portal that lets the user scan barcodes printed on the company’s products, enabling them to track their location in the supply chain. The users can also add comments for referencing later and to bring more about the status if required. In addition to tracking products, the data collected also helped to determine if counterfeits are being supplied anywhere.
Key features
As soon as the barcode is scanned, the application records the following details:
- Global Trade Item Number (GTIN): a unique number that helps to identify products.
- Date and time: Information about when the barcode was scanned.
- Location: The latitude and longitude of the location where the barcode was scanned.
- Address: address of the franchise or shop where the barcode was scanned.
- Technologies used: Xamarin Android, Microsoft Azure
The Result
The mobile application and portal successfully identified, tracked and recorded counterfeit product information. Using this information, counterfeits were removed from the supply chain and the likelihood of further entry was eliminated.
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