Introduction

ITC Foods, a leading player in the food industry, partnered with O4S to implement advanced product serialization and consumer engagement platform. By leveraging O4S’s technology, ITC Foods achieved unparalleled levels of trust, traceability, and consumer satisfaction, while effectively combating counterfeiting and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Challenges

  • Counterfeiting Concerns: ITC Foods faced the challenge of combating counterfeit products that posed a threat to consumer trust and brand reputation.
  • Lack of Traceability: The absence of an efficient traceability system made it challenging to monitor the entire manufacturing process and link it with plant and production data.
  • Verification Complexity: Consumers struggled to authenticate the genuineness of products, leading to potential doubts and concerns.
  • Organic Product Verification: ITC Foods required a robust solution to validate organic product claims and attach relevant certificates to ensure compliance and authenticity.
  • Consumer Engagement: Establishing direct consumer engagement channels and providing real-time information about the products were key areas for improvement.
  • Data Insights: ITC Foods needed access to consumer verification logs and the ability to identify irregularities, ensuring continuous improvement and enhancing the post-purchase experience.

Solution

O4S implemented a comprehensive solution for ITC Foods, addressing their unique challenges and requirements.

  • Automated Product Serialization: Robust serialization platform, generating unique IDs in the form of random digits or encrypted QR codes for each product.
  • Cloud-Based Integration: The serialization system is seamlessly integrated with 30+ facilities, ensuring real-time data synchronization and management across ITC’s manufacturing network.
  • Consumer Authentication: Consumers could easily scan the unique product IDs for instant authentication and access detailed farm-to-fork information, strengthening transparency.
  • Data Analysis: ITC Foods gained access to consumer verification logs, allowing them to identify and address any irregularities in the authentication process.
  • Complete Traceability: The serialization linked production and plant data at the unit product level enabled ITC Foods to achieve end-to-end traceability.
  • Organic Product Verification: O4S integrated organic certificates with unique product IDs, ensuring accurate validation of organic claims for enhanced consumer trust.
  • Seamless Integration with
    WhatsApp: The platform is integrated with WhatsApp, providing consumers with a convenient channel for product verification and support.

Benefits

  • Enhanced Consumer Trust: The implementation of O4S’s platform significantly reduced counterfeit reports, establishing trust and confidence among consumers.
  • Increased Repeat Purchases: Consumers experienced heightened trust in ITC Foods’ products, resulting in a substantial increase in repeat purchases.
  • Improved Traceability: Digitizing ITC Foods’ manufacturing operations enabled comprehensive traceability from procurement to finished goods, ensuring quality
  • Real-Time Consumer Engagement: Direct consumer engagement channels provided real-time information about the products, fostering a stronger bond between ITC Foods and its customers.
  • Compliance and Authenticity – The integration of organic certificates with unique product IDs ensured compliance with organic product regulations and increased consumer confidence.
  • Data-Driven Insights – Access to consumer verification logs empowered ITC Foods to analyze data, identify patterns, and continuously enhance the post-purchase consumer experience.

Impact

  • Digitized over 300 million products annually, ensuring accurate traceability and product authenticity.
  • Initiated over 10 million direct-to-consumer engagements, strengthening the bond between ITC Foods and its customers.
  • Reduced counterfeit reports to almost nil, safeguarding consumer trust and brand reputation.
  • Substantial increase in consumer repeat purchases, fueled by the added trust and transparency achieved through product authentication.