Shelf Code Traceability for Bulk Merchandise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bulk merchandise, such as fresh produce, lacks effective traceability once it is displayed for sale, as existing labels are often destroyed, impractical, or too small to provide item or lot-level information, posing challenges in tracking origin and quality.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of shelf codes displayed near bulk merchandise bins, dynamically associated with case codes using mobile scanning devices, allowing access to information through QR codes that link to URLs, enabling consumers and retailers to retrieve lot-, item-, or brand-specific details, and facilitating quality assessments and inventory management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If large traceability labels are used to provide lot-level traceability information, then traceability information completeness is improved, but cost and visual impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The traceability system is segmented into multiple components: a small shelf label with code displayed on the bulk merchandise, and a separate database containing the complete traceability information. The shelf label only needs to display a compact code (e.g., QR code or barcode) that links to the full traceability data, rather than printing all traceability information directly on the label. This segmentation allows complete traceability information to be accessible while keeping the physical label small and cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves traceability information from a two-dimensional physical label to a multi-dimensional system that includes physical codes on labels plus digital information stored in databases and accessible via mobile devices. By adding the digital dimension, the system provides complete traceability information without requiring large physical labels, thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and label size/cost.
2Loss of information
If adhesive labels are used on bulk merchandise, then traceability information can be attached, but adhesion reliability deteriorates for certain products
Solution Approach 1:
Different labeling approaches are applied to different products based on their specific characteristics. For products where adhesive labels work well, traditional adhesive labels are used. For products where adhesive labels fail (such as garlic, potatoes, bulk grains, nuts, or shrimp), alternative methods are employed such as displaying codes on the bulk merchandise itself, using non-adhesive attachment methods, or utilizing the container/case labeling system. This localized adaptation ensures traceability information is reliably attached for each product type without forcing a universal adhesive labeling solution.
3Loss of information
If individual units of bulk merchandise are labeled, then item-level traceability is improved, but feasibility deteriorates for small units
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the traceability approach by associating a single shelf label with multiple individual units of bulk merchandise. Instead of labeling each small unit separately, one shelf label with a code is displayed on the bulk container or shelf location, and this code provides traceability information for all units in that bulk merchandise. The mobile scanning device allows consumers to access item-level traceability information by scanning the shelf code, effectively providing individual unit traceability through a collective labeling approach that is practical for small units.
Data Source
AI summary
A shelf code in a machine readable format, such as on a QR code on a printed card, is provided where bulk merchandise displayed in a bin. When the bin is stocked from a case bearing a case code, the case code is associated with the shelf code. Lot-specific and lot-independent information previously associated with the case code is then linked to the shelf code. Consumers scan the shelf code with a mobile device to establish a communication channel to access the linked information. Retailers and producers use the channel to reach the consumer, and to solicit feedback from the consumer at a known time and location. A mobile device can also be used to associate quality assessments of merchandise to the shelf code. Analysis of consumer ratings and quality inspection assessments that are tied to time and location can provide valuable insights to both producers and retailers.