🌍 Revolutionizing Supply Chains: Using Technology to Create Transparency and Traceability
As consumers, we have access to perfect information in almost every aspect of our lives. Our phones can tell us everything about our finances, where we are on a map, and the best way to get to our next destination, all with the click of a button. However, this availability of information and transparency almost completely disappears when it comes to consumer products. If you go to the seafood counter at your local supermarket, you can probably choose between several different types of fish, but chances are they won't be able to tell you who caught the fish, where precisely it was caught, whether it is sustainable to catch it there, and how it got transported. This lack of transparency holds true for almost everything we buy.
We as humans are destroying the only thing we really need to survive: our planet. Most of the horrible problems that we're facing today, like climate change and modern slavery in supply chains, come down to decisions made by humans to produce something one way and not another. As consumers, we end up making decisions that harm the planet or our fellow humans by choosing the wrong products. But I refuse to believe that anybody really wants to buy a product that harms the planet or our fellow humans if given the choice.
This is where technology comes in. We can use technology to solve the information problem and create transparency and traceability in supply chains. Over the past two years, my team and I have been working with one of the world's largest conservation organizations, WWF, and we've founded a company called Open SC, where SC stands for supply chain. We believe that by using technology, we can help to completely revolutionize the way that we buy and produce products as humans.
📝 Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Problem with Consumer Products
- The Solution: Using Technology to Create Transparency and Traceability
- The Three Steps: Verify, Trace, and Share
- The Future of Consumption: Letting Algorithms Decide
- Conclusion
- Pros and Cons
- Highlights
- FAQ
The Problem with Consumer Products
As consumers, we often lack the information we need to make informed decisions about the products we buy. We don't know where our food comes from, how it was produced, or how it got to our plates. We don't know if the clothes we wear were made in sweatshops or if the wood used to make our furniture was harvested illegally. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for us to make choices that align with our values.
Moreover, the lack of transparency in supply chains has led to many problems, including modern slavery, environmental degradation, and animal cruelty. For example, many companies use palm oil in their products, which has led to deforestation and the destruction of habitats for endangered species like orangutans.
The Solution: Using Technology to Create Transparency and Traceability
To solve the information problem, we need to do three things: verify, trace, and share. First, we need to verify specific sustainability and ethical production claims in a database and automated way. Then, we need to trace those individual physical products throughout their supply chains. Finally, we need to share that information with consumers in a way that truly gives them a choice and lets them make consumption decisions that are more aligned with their values.
We can use technology to achieve all three of these steps. For example, we can use GPS data from fishing boats to verify whether a fish was caught in a sustainable way. We can use RFID tags to trace individual products throughout their supply chains. And we can use digital experiences to share information with consumers in a way that is easy to understand and use.
The Three Steps: Verify, Trace, and Share
Verify
To verify specific sustainability and ethical production claims, we need to collect data from every step of the supply chain. This includes data on where the product was produced, how it was produced, and how it was transported. We can use machine learning algorithms to analyze this data and verify whether a specific claim is true or not.
For example, in the case of fish, we can use GPS data from fishing boats to verify whether a fish was caught in a sustainable way. We can also use data on the depth of the sea floor to determine whether the fishing boat was fishing in a marine protected area or not.
Trace
To trace individual products throughout their supply chains, we need to give each product a unique identity. We can do this by using RFID tags, barcodes, or other tag technologies. These tags follow the product throughout its journey, making it easy to sense its presence in any port, on any truck, or in any processing plant.
For example, in the case of fish, we insert an RFID tag into the fish's flesh as soon as it is caught. This tag follows the fish throughout the supply chain, making it easy to trace its journey from the fishing boat to the supermarket.
Share
To share information with consumers, we need to develop digital experiences that work in different contexts. For example, we can develop a digital experience that works when buying fish in a freezer in a fish specialty store. This experience gives consumers all the information they need about the fish's journey. We can also develop a different digital experience that only summarizes the key facts about the fish's journey. This experience works better in a restaurant setting.
The Future of Consumption: Letting Algorithms Decide
In the future, we may leave the decision of which specific product to buy increasingly up to machines. An algorithm will know enough about you to make those decisions for you, based on your values and how much you care about the planet. This will make it easy and seamless to choose the right products, not by necessarily doing it yourself but by asking an algorithm that is never time poor, distracted, or with a short attention span.
Conclusion
By using technology to create transparency and traceability in supply chains, we can help to completely revolutionize the way that we buy and produce products as humans. We can ensure that the products we buy are produced in a sustainable and ethical way, and we can make it easy for consumers to make choices that align with their values.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Increased transparency in supply chains
- Consumers can make informed decisions that align with their values
- Good producers and processors will be rewarded
- Bad actors will be forced to adjust their practices or get out of business
Cons:
- The cost of implementing these technologies may be high
- Consumers may not be willing to pay more for sustainable and ethical products
- The technology may not be accessible to all producers and processors
Highlights
- Technology can be used to create transparency and traceability in supply chains
- We can verify specific sustainability and ethical production claims in a database and automated way
- We can trace individual products throughout their supply chains using RFID tags, barcodes, or other tag technologies
- We can share information with consumers in a way that truly gives them a choice and lets them make consumption decisions that are more aligned with their values
- In the future, algorithms may make consumption decisions for us based on our values and how much we care about the planet
FAQ
Q: What is Open SC?
A: Open SC is a company that uses technology to create transparency and traceability in supply chains.
Q: How can technology be used to create transparency and traceability in supply chains?
A: Technology can be used to verify specific sustainability and ethical production claims, trace individual products throughout their supply chains, and share information with consumers in a way that truly gives them a choice.
Q: What are some of the problems with consumer products?
A: Many consumer products are produced in a way that harms the planet or our fellow humans. This includes modern slavery, environmental degradation, and animal cruelty.
Q: How can consumers make informed decisions about the products they buy?
A: By using technology to create transparency and traceability in supply chains, consumers can make informed decisions that align with their values.
Q: Will algorithms make consumption decisions for us in the future?
A: It is possible that algorithms will make consumption decisions for us in the future, based on our values and how much we care about the planet.
