Any product’s journey from business idea to end customer is a complex one. Today’s global supply chains are typically lengthy and convoluted. Consider the variety of raw material suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, resellers, and countless additional intermediary parties that are involved. And while visibility and validation across every stage of a supply chain is of course desirable to trace the true origin of inputs – and essential for consumers – the reality is plagued by inefficiencies, friction and expense.
Supply chains are fragmented and under pressure due to evolving and changing economic realities. As such, this presents too many opportunities for inauthentic, substandard, or unethical parts or ingredients to be introduced into manufacturing and other processes, both accidentally or intentionally. Counterfeit products are therefore becoming more ubiquitous and indistinguishable from the genuine articles. It is a problem affecting multiple global industries from food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and aerospace. Brands, organizations, and end-consumers all continue to feel the impact.
