B2B and APIs are solving business problems in global supply chains.
Hi, my name is Charles Hoppensteadt. I've been working in supply chain software for more than 20 years, and today I'd like to talk to you about supply chain integrity. By that, I mean detecting counterfeit products, diversion of products, and the use of substandard materials.
Supply chain integrity problems lead to issues like brand erosion. For instance, I need to know that the expensive handbag I purchased is actually made by the designer. Human safety issues are also at stake; for example, I want assurance that the bolts used to hold the wing on an airplane meet the required specifications. Additionally, I might need to ensure compliance with government mandates, such as the Drug Supply Chain Security Act.
This is inherently an integration problem—or an opportunity. Implementing a repository that connects your production lines, contract manufacturers, warehouses, third-party logistics providers, and others in your network is a basic starting point. Once we have that in place, we can then expose APIs.
These APIs can be used to enable a customer experience network. One example is the product authentication API. Any retailer or dispenser consuming that API can scan an item and know immediately whether the serial number is valid. It could identify if the serial number has been reused or if the product has been marked as destroyed. When the API is called, the manufacturer can gather data about the request, such as where the product is showing up and what type of device is most often used to scan the product. This data can help answer questions like whether there is a channel conflict or diversion issue, or if there is a counterfeiting issue in a certain part of the world.
Because data like this is so valuable to the manufacturer, I want to offer incentives for the APIs to be used. For example, I might offer 5% off on the next purchase with the scan of any item. To learn more about this and how Axway Track and Trace can help secure your supply chain, please visit axway.com.
