Ik ontving dit in mijn mailbox. In het kort is het een voorstel om de streepjescode van meer informatie te voorzien zodat je met je smartphone/iPhone kunt zien waar een produkt vandaan komt. Sorrie voor de slordige copy/paste
Redesign the barcode
Supply chain responsibility implies that enterprises have to take responsibility, give account and have stakeholder dialogues about the social, ecological and economic impacts of their activities in the whole chain. Due to the globalization, the business sector has more influence to observe and strengthen the international standards for human rights and conditions of employment and environment. Governments are able to stimulate this by regulation, but are limited due to legal opportunities; in other words there are governance gaps.
Taking myself into place, as a consumer, I feel the need to be informed about the way products I use are being produced. The Dutch T.V. show Keuringdienst van Waarden is a good example of making the public aware about the way raw materials are manufactured into Western consumer goods.
Barcode; out of date!
The barcode (series of lines represents a code which can be read by a scanner) has been registered at the 7th of October 1952. Founder, Norman Woodland, saw the common interest to store data automatically through a simple coding system. In 1973 he set up the Universal Product Code, which is now almost 37 years ago. Current information consumers can get from the barcode is the price. Like we care? Time to extend the function of the barcode!
New technologies
Think about this: you walk into the Albert Heijn to run an errand. You need shrimps, olive oil and lettuce to make a nice salad for your guests. There are many different sorts, as you may know. Which criteria do you use to make your decision? Is it the price, or maybe the image/lay out of the product? Or whatever, in this case it doesnt really matter, because you can use your Iphone to make the decision for you!
With the new application on you Iphone you scan the barcode of each product. Your Iphone reads the barcode and shows you a short movie about the life cycle of the product; from raw material to end product.
Trade has been globalised, justice not yet.'
To start this innovative new function of the barcode, we need to be sure if its technically possible to read a barcode with an Iphone (or any other phone) and if its possible to translate the barcode to a matching movie in your display. After this research we can create partnerships between Mr. Apple and Mr. Barcode (and ofcourse with Samsumg, Nokia and LG in the future...). Also we need to create partnerships with citizens journalist in all low cost production countries (but also in the European countries; what do you think about the slaughterhauses?!) who can provide us usefull movies which can be connected to products in Western supermarkets. Step by step we can connect different movies to make the supply chain really transparent!
Impacts on:
␣ Decrease on youth employment in developping countries (a fee for each movie) ␣ Awareness for the consumers on child labour, animal abuse, conditions of employment and
environment in the supply chain
␣ Decrease these problems by boycotting negative products and set up positive programms for the change (in the company or for the employers)
␣ Increase turnover Apple and improvement of theri social image ␣ Improve social image in the whole supply chain
Gast
