Home Office Appoints De La Rue To Work With Allied Domecq And Chep In New, World-Leading Chipping Of Goods Initiative
News Release : 15 October 2001
A Home Office funded joint venture, to tackle theft of commercial goods in the supply chain, has been established between brand protection specialists, De La Rue, wines and spirits company, Allied Domecq and pallet & container pool operator, CHEP International.
The joint venture is part of the Home Office's Chipping of Goods Initiative, which aims to show how chipping systems, using silicon-based electronic data tags, can provide authentication of goods in the supply chain to enable:
- stolen goods to be identified and recovered;
- proof of ownership to be confirmed;
- goods to be identified as genuine or counterfeit;
- confirmation of whether duty has been paid;
- identification of all parties who handle goods in the supply chain.
The UK is the first country in the world to take a positive, co-ordinated action to reduce commercial property crime using chip-based track and trace systems. The Home Office initiative aims to raise public and corporate awareness and encourage wider adoption of these systems, not only in the UK but also at an international level.
On behalf of Allied Domecq, De La Rue will take a lead role in this new joint venture using its new track and trace solution, SCANetTM, which allows targeted item level tracking of product through the supply chain. SCANetTM comprises a range of hardware and software technologies whose core functionality has been developed for De La Rue by APT Smart Solutions.
Following the project, it is expected that De La Rue will roll out SCANetTM as a new service to customers in diverse industry sectors.
The project is being chaired by Alistair McArthur at Allied Domecq with co-ordination from De La Rue by Kev Cooper, Project Manager, at CHEP by Andy Robson, Business Development Manager.
John Denham, Home Office Minister, with responsibility for crime reduction, said:
"There is a perception that the trade in stolen freight from business supply chains is in someway a victimless crime. But the reality is very different. Its impact can be considerable, to industry in lost profits and to consumers in higher prices."
Heiko Haasler, Marketing Director De La Rue Brand Protection, added: "We have been working on the development of SCANetTM for many months and we are delighted that its first full launch into the commercial arena should be as part of this Home Office initiative."
Alistair McArthur of Allied Domecq said:
"Allied Domecq has been carefully following developments in the market for bar code and electronic tagging technologies and participates in the Global Commerce Initiative Intelligent Tagging Working Group. Recognising the potential benefits to business, Governments and society as a whole available through the application of new technology, Allied Domecq is pleased to be taking a lead in this work with the support of the Home Office."
ends
Editor's Notes
About De La Rue and SCANet
De La Rue is the world's largest commercial security printer and paper maker, involved in the production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents such as stamps, cheques and vouchers. The company is also a leading provider of cash handling equipment and solutions to banks and retailers as well as operating national ID schemes and passport issuing systems on behalf of governments worldwide. De La Rue also acts as a strategic partner and adviser to global brand owners offering them total solutions that capitalise on De La Rue's reputation for security, integrity and trust, in areas such as brand protection, supply chain integrity and brand enhancement.
SCANet
De La Rue's SCANet platform is an open, scaleable, integrated system of hardware, software and communications infrastructure that can be adapted to fit many supply chain configurations. It works with any machine-readable tag such as bar codes, RFID, magnetic tapes and satellite tracking devices. SCANet allows secure access to data via the internet, enabling brand owners to confirm at any time where a product is in the supply chain by answering questions such as "Who made the item?"; "Is it where it should be in the supply chain (and if not, why not)?"; "What is the status of each item?"; "Where is the product going next and when will it arrive?".
For more information on De La Rue visit: www.delarue.com
Media inquiries on De La Rue, to:
Patricia Lennon, Blueprint PR tel + 44 1943 604027; plennon@blueprintpr.com
A survey carried out in 2000/01 by ECR Europe, a Brussels based trade association, has established that theft, fraud and administrative process failures combined together cost manufacturers and retailers the equivalent of 2.31% of retail sales turnover in Europe each year. This is a cost equivalent to 18 billion Euros per year - this hits the pocket of every consumer through the prices paid for ordinary household shopping items every day. Spirits and liqueurs, champagne and fine wines are all exposed to this risk and are particularly vulnerable to theft because of the ease with which product can be sold.
ECR Report: 'Shrinkage: Introducing a Collaborative Approach to Reducing Stock Loss in the Supply Chain' ECR Europe.
www.ecrnet.com About Allied Domecq
Visit www.allieddomecqplc.com
About CHEPCHEP International, part of Brambles Industries, is a worldwide organisation, which operates in 38 countries on six continents and controls more than 147 million pallets and 29 million containers. CHEP's operating principles, service organisation and computer tracking systems give participants a simple solution and improved efficiency in product delivery. Additional information on CHEP is available at www.chep.com
About the Home Office Chipping of Goods Initiative
Visit www.homeoffice.gov.uk