Reliable information transfer along the food chain with Interoperability systems.

The food industry faces the challenge of responding to increasingly demanding consumer models in terms of product characteristics (food safety, quality, customisation, etc.) and the underlying processes (concerning the environment, social responsibility, etc.). To be able to compete in a fully globalised context, companies need to work efficientlyalong the value chain to reduce costs and improve the qualities of the product released on the market.   The food industry is one of the leading sectors in Spain in terms of implementing technology for production and logistics control. Nearly all products are currently managed using different information systems containing all necessary information about the product and the processes. However the systems operate in isolation, which makes collaboration between companies difficult.    In order to create genuine collaboration between the companies that make up a product food chain, the technical barriers impeding collaboration must be removed. This can be achieved when the systems acquire the capacity to interoperate and exchange information continually, meaning companies can synchronise processes at operational level (food safety and quality control, sending and receiving merchandise, etc.) and at tactical level (procurement control, orders scheduling, etc.).   Applying interoperability allows the: Synchronisation of product exchange processes, automating tasks involving sending information. Product location and traceability throughout the value chain. Risk control and food alert management. Intelligent production and procurement planning. Supply chain control based on operations, food safety and quality. Collaborative models to improve decision-making based on sustainability (carbon footprint, water footprint, custody chain, etc.).   This allows companies to: Have immediate access to coherent and accurate information through the integration of different information systems.  share food safety, traceability and quality data respecting privacy policies. synchronise operational, planning and control policies in a distributed environment. automate the exchange of information between companies.   INNOVATIVE ASPECTS AND MAIN ADVANTADGES / BENEFITS: The main benefits are: Managerial cost reductions linked to operational, planning and control processes.   Greater agility in collaborative processes between suppliers and clients, shortening delivery times. Greater food safety and quality control when exchanging the product. Improving the company image in the eyes of the consumer and the different economic parties