Visibility Towards Transparency

In Consumer Goods Technology :

" ... Susan J. Wilkinson, executive consultant, Traceability Solutions Team for IBM Global Business Services started off the afternoon explaining that traceability supports all keys to Corporate Social Responsibility as identified in a recent IBM survey. Although traceability is usually associated with cost, leading companies are instead using it as a growth opportunity. Next, moving from visibility to transparency enables consumer trust and makes critical information available to all stakeholders. This, in turn, also leads to better partnerships -- "from containment to engagement."

The drivers for traceability are the same as those for sustainability discussed earlier in the day (see previous article): regulation, cost/economics, reputation and consumer/stakeholders -- with this final driver deemed being particularly critical to the business. The growing complexity of supply chain has created challenges and the prominence of product recalls has generated distrust by consumers. In fact, according to Wilkinson, 49 percent consumers don't trust companies to do what is in the best interest of consumers. She noted, "Transparency is necessary to meet the needs of today's Omni Consumer: informed and empowered." ... '