January 2012: Making the Case for Traceability
GS1 Publishes Case Study on SunFed's PTI and Item-Level Traceability Program
GS1, the global standards organization, recently published a case study describing SunFed's use of PTI and item-level traceability solutions provided by HarvestMark. SunFed was an early adopter of PTI and item-level traceability, because it supported their quality objectives. SunFed now has more control over their supply chain with easy access to real-time product information, and provides retailers and shoppers even more confidence in their produce.
Below are some of the key findings from the case study (download the SunFed case study).
- Item and case-level traceability have improved visibility into the supply chain and will help SunFed better manage inventory flow - getting the right produce in the right place at the right time.
- HarvestMark not only provides whole chain traceability, but the PTI Solution integrates multiple packers and enables SunFed to get faster, more accurate information about what is being packed.
- "Now that we have item-level traceability - and the ability to hear directly from our end-consumers, we have instant and constant feedback and that's another big part of who we are and what we do. . . . The possibility for brand identity and recognition are limitless." SunFed's Matt Mandel is quoted as saying in the case study.
If you'd like to Learn more about the benefits HarvestMark PTI and item solutions can provide your business, email or call us at 650.264.6200.
PTI Has Updated the Rules for Lot Codes. Are You Shipping Cases with Non-Compliant Labels?
The PTI, and the GS1 specifications on which it's based, can be daunting to understand. HarvestMark keeps track of these requirements so our customers don't have to.
The PTI has recently updated its best practices to specify the allowable characters in a Lot code. A GTIN and Lot code are encoded into a GS1-128 barcode and are the most critical elements of a PTI-compliant label. Lot codes are restricted to a maximum of 20 characters and a set of allowable characters. According to the GS1 General Specification, a Lot code can only contain the following characters:
A-Z a-z 0-9 ! " % & ' ( ) * + , - . / _
All other characters are not allowed, including:
[space], # @ $ ^ \ ~ | [ ] { } : ; ` = ?
If you're worried about how you were supposed to know this and how you can keep on top of the obscure, technical details of PTI compliance, please contact us.