Many major wholesalers are leading the charge for receiving aggregated data—requiring that manufacturers be able to digitally send pallet identifiers with corresponding digital details of all shipments sent to them. Without this data being aggregated, wholesale staff would have to open each pallet and manually scan each serialized product.  

Nutra-Med CEO Kunal Gupta was an aggregation early adopter and notes that adding this data has benefited Nutra-Med’s relationships with wholesale partners. He told us, “Aggregation allows you to have full traceability and accountability. So for us, it’s been hugely helpful. It’s also hugely helpful when inquiries come in to be able to know exactly when and where a unit was packaged and where it shipped.” 

Manufacturers who already offer aggregated data or who can quickly make the switch have an increased advantage as some wholesalers have set deadlines for partner compliance. Last year, one major wholesaler set a deadline requiring all “manufacturers to send us aggregated, serialized production data via EPCIS by November 27, 2022.” Companies shouldn’t wait to aggregate.

Despite this, some manufacturers dread the learning curve that follows upgraded data tools and the subsequent slowing of business operations. This short-term disruption is inevitable when beginning aggregation, which is precisely why companies should do so on their own terms before being forced to do so by a new or existing client. Take the word of Kunal Gupta, CEO of Nutra-Med, “It doesn’t happen overnight. There is a shift in thinking. My own opinion around it is: it’s hugely beneficial. Even as a manufacturing or packaging organization, there has been concern that it will slow you down. It’s going to make things harder. It does slow you down at first because people are getting used to it.” 

However, despite any adjustments, Nutra-Med discovered that aggregation added an extra layer of protection against unexpected events. Aggregation can resolve manufacturers’ questions about lot yield and resolve supply chain conflicts. When errors occur with products in transit, it’s often difficult to determine responsibility and real-time ownership. For example, if a pallet arrives damaged to a wholesaler, the manufacturer can utilize aggregated data to prove that the product was in perfect condition until received by the trucking company, pinpointing exactly where in the supply chain an error has occurred. 

This type of data-driven confidence has shaped relationships between Systech customers and their partners across the supply chain. Kunal Gupta says, “We’ve seen calls [like]: ‘Hey, this pallet count doesn’t match.’ Well, I can go back to my aggregated data and say, ‘We sent this pallet with this code, with this many cases on it.’ And we know exactly where it should be.” Aggregated data allows manufacturers to confirm that parcels in transit or delivered to wholesalers are legitimate, not counterfeit, and delivered correctly. Wholesalers can easily match the serialization code on the pallet they received with information sent from the manufacturer’s database. 

How Systech can help 

Systech helps its clients stay ahead of evolving supply chain technology by exceeding government standards. Our serialization and packaging platform offers data aggregation services that satisfy all the supply chain requirements for wholesalers. With decades of experience, we offer a speedy transition to our industry-leading data capabilities. Our team works closely with customers to understand their unique needs and implement a solution that best fits their operations. Contact us to learn more about how Systech can help your company stay ahead of the curve in data management and aggregation.