COVID-19 Brings the Value of Adaptability into Focus
The food industry is facing a crisis unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. COVID-19, a disruption bigger than any food recall, hurricane, or other “black swan” event, has exposed the challenges associated with a traditionally linear and analog food supply chain.
Due to the fragmented types of data systems and record-keeping (often paper-based), achieving real-time supply chain visibility in the food industry (particularly in the fresh foods industry) has proven to be a challenge for several years. The crisis has brought these issues straight to the forefront. When data is not digitized, it cannot be easily exchanged from partner to partner, and the supply chain becomes unresponsive to major changes.
However, there is some good news. This current pressure cooker situation has driven forward unprecedented collaboration between trading partners to help keep the country fed and satisfied as they stay home. More than ever, supply chain professionals are working together to keep shelves stocked, fulfill online orders, and keep food safe for consumers in need.
Since the crisis will have a lasting impact on the food supply chain, suppliers, distributors, retailers, and foodservice operators are exploring ways to solidify this collaboration for the long term and build more resilience and flexibility into their supply chains. There are three particular areas where global data standards are supporting this rapidly evolving supply chain collaboration.
Bridging the Gap between Foodservice and Retail Grocery
With schools, cafeterias, restaurants, and buffets now empty due to social distancing, food earmarked for foodservice use is piling up. We’ve likely all seen the images of mountains of squash at a farm with nowhere to go. Diverting food into a new channel is difficult to do quickly, as retail grocery requires different packaging and associated data sets, such as those that populate nutritional labels. Plus, barcodes are required at the individual product level to be sold in a supermarket.