The software as a service (SaaS) provider said FoodLogiQ Connect customers will have a faster and easier way to interact with suppliers and the data that drives their supply chain.
It added users have the ability to know where product is and what it turns into, to notify affected locations of a recall and reduce time and costs associated with investigations and stock withdrawals.
Customer feedback value
Katy Jones, VP of marketing at FoodLogiQ, said it launched the initial version of FoodLogiQ Connect close to one year ago and has spent time since getting customer feedback.
“We have worked on the user interface and listened to customer and user demands and the different supply chain fingerprints,” she told FoodQualityNews.
“Now you can quickly see any issues from a quality and safety standpoint as soon as you log in.
“Parameters include supply chain communication so you can invite a supplier and ask for the information important to you. So for quality incidents if tomatoes are bad you can take a picture and report back to the supplier and over time if incidents continue you can review the relationship.”
FoodLogiQ customers include Whole Foods Market, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Subway, Dave & Buster's, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Robinson Fresh, the National Potato Council and Golden State Foods.
The FoodLogiQ Connect platform includes 2,000 registered businesses in more than 35 countries with 18,000 locations.
A key update includes a new dashboard with customizable widgets including status updates on suppliers, missing documents in the supply chain that need attention, and an overview of the quality incidents being captured across suppliers in real time.
Pricing is a tiered structure based on the number of locations and suppliers and annual subscriptions from bronze to platinum are available.
Uptake factors
Jones said the software enables more traceback and traceforward than excel spreadsheets and other previous methods.
“It is a combination of things [driving uptake]. FSMA is pushing for a more streamlined and collaborative approach, the single spreadsheet is not best practice anymore. Technology is more ingrained in day-to-day life and consumers want more information,” she said.
“The food safety definition has expanded to transparency and consumers want to know what is in the food and technology has to support transparency in the supply chain.
“Forward thinking brands are mindful in sharing as consumers want to have the information. The format and how it is displayed is up to the brand.
“Next up for us is looking into consumer facing marketing ability in the data. We have all this data to be more proactive and less reactive and we can share that information with the consumer.”
The UI also brings design and experience to Connect users whether on a desktop, tablet or mobile.
Additional features include the navigation system, making it faster and simpler for users to complete day-to-day supply chain needs and more flexibility in working with data, including improved filtering, sharing, and version management.
Dean Wiltse, CEO of FoodLogiQ, said the release represents months of hard work and was driven by feedback from customers.
“With this latest update to Connect, we are continuing to shape the state of food traceability software for food companies around the world.”