The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) represents a significant shift in how food safety is managed in the United States. One of its key sections, FSMA Section 204, focuses on enhancing food traceability to address foodborne illness outbreaks more effectively. The compliance rules defined in FSMA 204—which were initially set to enter into force in January 2026—will apply from July 2028, placing new requirements on organizations that handle specific food items. 

What is FSMA Section 204? 

FSMA Section 204, also known as the FDA final rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods, mandates capturing and reporting key data elements (KDEs) for specific foods. The regulation is designed to enable the FDA to identify and remove potentially contaminated food items from the market swiftly, thereby reducing the health risks associated with foodborne illnesses. 

Key requirements for organizations involved in the food supply chain 

The FSMA Section 204 regulation identifies seven Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) in the food supply chain. Organizations involved in these CTEs must maintain a traceability plan, capture related KDEs for each event, and enable data reporting to the FDA within 24 hours upon request. The CTEs include: 

1. Harvesting 

2. Cooling 

3. Initial packing 

4. First land-based receiver 

5. Shipping 

6. Receiving 

7. Transformation 

For each CTE, organizations must capture specific KDEs, which vary depending on the event but often include information such as the location, date, and time of the event, the quantity and type of food involved, and the Traceability Lot Codes (TLCs) assigned to the food products. 

Foods in scope of the regulation 

To focus the regulatory efforts on foods that present the highest public health risks, the FDA maintains a Food Traceability List (FTL) that governs which foods are in scope for the FSMA 204 regulation. This list includes various high-risk foods such as: 

• Fresh leafy greens 

• Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables 

• Soft cheeses 

• Shell eggs 

• Nut butters 

• Certain seafood items 

Foods that contain listed foods as ingredients are also subject to the additional recordkeeping requirements, provided the listed food remains in the same form (e.g., fresh) in which it appears on the list.  

While the regulation covers a broad range of foods, it provides several exemptions that are listed in § 1.1305 of the final rule. 

Steps to prepare for FSMA Section 204 compliance 

While the compliance deadline was pushed out to July 2028, it is crucial to work on deployment plans already now. The extended deadline provides ample time for companies to understand the requirements and implement the necessary systems to ensure compliance. However, delays can lead to rushed implementations, increased costs, and potential non-compliance penalties. 

Key steps that organizations should take as they prepare for FSMA Section 204 compliance include:  

1. Understand the requirements: Organizations must familiarize themselves with the FSMA Section 204 regulation, including the specific KDEs and CTEs they need to track. 

2. Develop a traceability plan: A comprehensive traceability plan should outline how the organization will capture, store, and report KDEs for each CTE. 

3. Implement technology solutions: Leveraging technology solutions that automate the capture and reporting of KDEs can streamline compliance efforts and improve overall supply chain performance. 

4. Train staff: Ensuring that all relevant staff members are trained on the new requirements and the organization's traceability plan is essential for successful implementation. 

5. Collaborate with supply chain partners: Effective compliance requires collaboration across the supply chain. Organizations should work closely with their suppliers and customers to ensure seamless data exchange and traceability. 

Benefits of enhanced food traceability 

Complying with FSMA Section 204 offers several benefits beyond regulatory adherence. Implementing the required improvements in food traceability enable, for example: 

• Enhanced food safety: Rapid identification and removal of contaminated products reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. 

• Efficient recalls: Targeted, precise recalls minimize the associated costs and impact on business operations. 

• Operational efficiency: Enhanced traceability enables streamlined inventory management and optimized supply chain operations. 

• Consumer trust: Transparency in the food supply chain enhances consumer trust and brand loyalty. 

Partnering with OpenText to ensure FSMA Section 204 compliance 

To efficiently meet the compliance requirements for FSMA Section 204, organizations should look to automatically capture the KDEs on all CTEs they participate in. OpenText Business Network offers a highly configurable solution for companies in the food supply chain to automate FSMA compliance while improving their overall supply chain performance.  

By leveraging OpenText's deep expertise and advanced technology portfolio, businesses can ensure seamless data exchange with supply chain partners and meet the FDA digital reporting requirements.  

To learn more about FSMA Section 204 and how OpenText can help your organization, please read our InfoDoc: Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) – Section 204(d) 

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Let’s face it: plain old SMS is starting to feel... well, a little 2005. Customers today expect more from their omnichannel messaging experiences — and guess what? OpenText™ Core Messaging is stepping up in a big way. 

We’re excited to announce that rich communication channels such as WhatsApp and RCS are on the horizon — and they’re bringing with them a whole new world of interactive, secure, visually rich business messaging. 

What’s new? It’s not just text anymore 

Say goodbye to boring SMS text threads. With WhatsApp and RCS (Rich Communication Services) Business Messaging, you’ll be able to deliver: 

• Media-rich content (images, videos, maps!) 
• Location sharing 
• Quick reply buttons 
• Cards and carousels that let users browse, book, or buy — all in one chat 

It’s not just messaging. It’s an interactive experience. Whether you’re confirming an appointment, promoting a new product, or helping someone book a service — everything happens inside one sleek, seamless conversation. 

Security? It's built right in 

Worried about spam or sketchy senders? Don’t be. 

• WhatsApp Business requires strict Meta-verified registration — you have to prove you're legit before you can message at scale. 
• RCS, backed by Google, has its own vetting standards to keep bad actors out. 
• And while OpenText Core Messaging gives you seamless access to both platforms — we just make sure you're plugged into the right, verified ecosystem. 

Your messages? Safe. Your brand? Trusted. Your customers? Confident. 

Why it matters — especially to Gen Z (and the rest of us) 

Let’s be real: Gen Z doesn’t just want to receive a message — they want to interact with it. Scrollable carousels, tappable replies, media-rich previews... it’s the new standard. 

These upcoming features are purpose-built for the next generation of digital customer experiences — and businesses that adopt them early will stand out in a sea of static text. 

TL;DR: Messaging, but make it awesome 

With WhatsApp and RCS channels, OpenText Core Messaging will help you: 

• Engage customers where they are 
• Create richer, smarter, automated conversations 
• Build trust with verified, secure interactions 
• Drive better outcomes (and look really good doing it) 

So go ahead — ditch the dusty SMS templates and step into the future of omnichannel messaging. Your customers (and your ROI) will thank you. 
 
Want to be among the first to roll out rich messaging at scale? Stay tuned — the future of business messaging is arriving soon, and it’s looking very good. 

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With approximately $3.6 billion in sales, ScottsMiracle-Gro is the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The company’s brands are among the most recognized in the industry. Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories. The company’s wholly owned subsidiary, The Hawthorne Gardening Company, is a leading provider of nutrients, lighting, and other materials used in the indoor and hydroponic growing segment. 

Over time, we had built a complex web of application integrations and had gradually acquired seven different content management solutions—some of which were no longer supported. Though functional, we were without a unified platform for records, compliance, capture and workflow; plus, our administration efforts and operating expenses were rising. With the imminent prospect of migrating to SAP S/4HANA, we needed to find a way to streamline operations, improve enterprise workflow and cut costs. 

Designing a future-ready approach

Our first step was to ask our business partner and systems integrator, 4Matrix, to research and propose solutions. The selection criteria included alignment with our strategy to shift to cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions whenever possible, cost reduction, and meeting our timelines to be ready for the SAP S/4HANA transformation.  

From a business perspective, we wanted to boost user productivity by reducing the time people spent hunting for information while providing a 360-degree view of content in a single interface. Additionally, a unified management solution would improve our information governance, particularly for corporate records. At the time we were spending north of half a million dollars a year on the existing apps, which gave us a clear cost-saving target. 

Planting the seeds for tomorrow

OpenText™ Core Content Management aligned with our criteria and offered a rapid purchase and roll-out timeline. The sooner we could eliminate legacy applications and embed a streamlined solution, the better. 

In just eight weeks, OpenText™ Professional Services completed the implementation, migrated the existing content and archives, and enabled single-sign-on capabilities (our previous systems required multiple sign-ons). We also deployed OpenText™ Core Capture for intelligent document processing, which ingests documents and uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate file classification and data extraction, all of which reduces the internal friction of document management. 

Enabling digital transformation

With the upcoming SAP S/4HANA transformation in mind, we also deployed OpenText™ Archiving and Document Access for SAP. This solution supports all SAP interfaces and archiving models for SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA, which puts us in exactly the right place for our future plans. 

Because we did not have the in-house expertise to migrate to OpenText Core Content Management, we relied on the responsiveness of OpenText and their team.  As soon as we were ready, we retired the seven previous applications—delivering immediate and significant savings. 

Preparing for the AI revolution

Overall, the transition has been a success. On the SAP side, we have completed our consolidation program, and with OpenText Core Content Management and OpenText Core Capture, we have streamlined and strengthened our approach to document management. Eliminating unsupported apps has also enhanced our security, reduced our workload, and cut our costs. 

At the practical level, we have restructured our processes and extracted and added metadata to thousands of documents to make them searchable—features that the business units, particularly legal, value greatly. Now that we have shown quick wins, more departments want to come on board, and we’re already looking at other business units where OpenText Core Content Management can add value. 

We know the future will include more automation and machine learning. With OpenText Core Content Management and OpenText Core Capture, ScottsMiracle-Gro will be able to use AI to summarize documents, collate reports, and extract data, enabling our people to spend more time on innovation. 

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At Dobeles dzirnavnieks, we provide flour, pasta, cereal flakes and many more food products to millions of consumers across more than 70 countries. Based in Latvia, we operate production facilities that cover over 21 hectares. 

Dobeles dzirnavnieks is already the largest pasta producer in Northern Europe—and we continue to grow. Driving one of the largest food production businesses in Baltics is no simple task. As well as satisfying a wide range of stringent regulatory requirements, we must demonstrate that we are adhering to best practices during regular audits. At the same time, we need to orchestrate a complex set of supply chain and logistics processes to ensure that we can keep our production lines moving smoothly day after day. 

Heading for an efficiency crunch

In the past, we relied on paper to support our operations. But, as the business continued to grow, it was becoming more and more difficult to maintain high levels of operational efficiency using manual processes. 

For example, we had regular audits that required several full-time employees to sift through our records and find the required documents - financial audits, quality and certification audits, and those organized by clients. Regulatory requirements are evolving and tightening all the time, and we knew that preparing for audits was only going to become more complex and time-consuming in the future. 

Another big challenge was our accounts payable (AP) process. Previously, our AP team spent a significant amount of their time chasing up management teams for paper invoice approvals. Once an invoice was approved, the AP team spent more time still re-keying the data into our ERP system. 

As we put more investment into company operations and business growth, we realized we needed a new approach–manual processes required a significant increase in headcount.

Searching for a new approach 

We launched a comprehensive digital transformation initiative. Our goals were ambitious: implement a brand-new ERP, business intelligence suite and warehouse management system, all at the same time. Replacing our paper processes was a key property, so we also aimed to deploy a content management platform. 

As soon as we started exploring the capabilities of OpenText™ Extended ECM, we realized we had found the ideal solution. With security and data governance built in, we were confident that the OpenText solution satisfied all our core requirements. Crucially, OpenText content management offers powerful workflow capabilities—enabling us to build new digital processes around our content.  

Selecting a trusted partner

To deploy OpenText content management, we worked with our trusted technology partner, Digital Mind. Working with Digital Mind was an excellent experience from start to finish. The team helped us to map out our existing paper processes and plan how best to bring them into the OpenText solution. Digital Mind was always challenging us with new ways of thinking about our processes and technology, and we knew we could count on their support and guidance whenever we needed it. 

Thanks to our partnership with Digital Mind, we now have a central, secure platform to process and store digital documents—including invoices, supplier contracts, external correspondence, and many others. This content is easily accessible and searchable, which means there’s no need for our people to trawl through paper records to find information.  

Boosting efficiency with digital workflows

One of the biggest benefits of the OpenText content management platform is that it allows us to work much more efficiently than before—for example, we are saving 3.5 full-time equivalents in AP alone. As a result, we will be able to grow our business without significantly increasing our back-office headcount. 

Our transformation is also helping us to improve our environmental sustainability. Today, 73% of our supplier contracts, 88% of our correspondence and 100% of our quality management documents are digital. Overall, we’ve cut our paper consumption by 80%, which saves the equivalent of 65 kg of paper every year. 

Through our work with Digital Mind and OpenText, we are able to do more with the same resources. We’re by no means finished with our digital transformation project; we plan to keep working with Digital Mind to bring more of our paper processes into OpenText. 

To learn more about how OpenText content management is helping us to facilitate business growth, read our case study. 

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At Dairy Farmers of America, we work with more than 6,200 affiliated farms across the country. As a milk marketing cooperative, we’re owned by the farmers who produce our products—and wherever you live, you’re probably not far from one of our thousands of farmer-owners.

Driving 24/7 operations

Because dairy products have a relatively short shelf life, our production processes must run seven days a week, 365 days a year. We have a nationwide logistics network that collects milk from farms across the country and transports it to our plants and our customers’ plants for processing and distribution. In 2022, this generated $22.5 billion in revenues, and keeping everything running like clockwork behind the scenes presents some complex challenges.

Replacing paper processes

One of the most important documents for our business is the ‘milk manifest,’ which includes up to 155 separate pieces of information about each shipment. We use milk manifests to help calculate payments for our farmer-owners, making these documents a vital part of our day-to-day operations.

Previously, milk manifests were almost always paper documents. Our haulers would carry copies when they visited our farmer-owners to pick up shipments of milk and fill out the required information on site. Later, our back-office teams would manually re-key the information into our accounting system to process payments to our farmer-owners. It was a time-consuming process.

Beginning the digital journey

We began our journey with OpenText ten years ago when we deployed SAP solutions for our milk marketing processes. Our initial use case was to streamline the way that the new SAP applications handled milk manifests. Working with OpenText, we created a digital workflow to capture the information from milk manifests and bring it into our SAP environment.

Replacing this manual, paper-based task with a digital workflow enabled us to deliver big benefits to our stakeholders. By combining OpenText capture technology with human reviews and approvals, we significantly reduced the risk of errors creeping into one of our most important processes. And by seamlessly integrating data from milk manifests with our SAP business applications, our back-office teams can work much more efficiently.

Moving to the cloud

We’re always looking for ways to improve our digital services—and our collaboration with OpenText remains a key enabler of that effort. Recently, we took the first step on our cloud journey with RISE for SAP. Because our SAP and OpenText solutions are so closely intertwined, it made perfect sense to bring our OpenText solutions to the cloud, too.

Working with OpenText™ Professional Services, we moved some of our key solutions—including OpenText™ Extended ECM with integration to SAP Solutions—into the OpenText Private Cloud. The team went above and beyond to help us, and the technical expertise they brought to the project was top-notch.

Today, the OpenText Private Cloud underpins many of the mission-critical services we provide to the business. The new cloud content management platform is 10 times more reliable than our old on-premises infrastructure—helping us to ensure that our digital services are always online when users need them.

Preparing for the future

Another big benefit of moving to the cloud is that my team has more time to build new digital capabilities for the business. For example, we recently developed a brand-new solution for plant maintenance, built on OpenText Business Workspaces. By digitizing equipment manuals and maintenance records, we empower our technicians to find the information they need faster—which in turn helps them to keep the assets in our plants running smoothly

We’ve used the OpenText platform to deliver valuable efficiencies in many business areas—from our production plants to our legal, HR and back-office teams—and we want to go even further. Next, we’re planning to build a new solution for our field representatives powered by OpenText™ Extended ECM integration with Salesforce^®, and we’re excited for what the future holds.

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The retail industry has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, constantly adapting to meet the evolving needs of consumers. As we step into 2024, retailers are poised for yet another transformative year, driven by cutting-edge technologies that promise to reshape the shopping experience.

From augmented reality (AR) to artificial intelligence (AI), here are the six most significant technology trends that will define the retail landscape in 2024:

Artificial intelligence (AI) and personalization

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to redefine the shopping experience. AI-driven algorithms analyze vast amounts of data, allowing for personalized product recommendations, targeted marketing campaigns, and tailored shopping experiences. Chatbots and virtual shopping assistants have evolved to understand customer preferences, offer product suggestions, and provide real-time assistance. AI enhances inventory management, optimizes supply chains, and forecasts demand, enabling retailers to stock the right products in the right quantities, reducing both overstock and out-of-stock issues. In 2024, AI will advance further, providing more personalized, efficient, and data-driven shopping experiences for consumers.

Omnichannel retailing and unified commerce

Omnichannel retailing remains one of the most significant trends in 2024. Customers now expect a seamless shopping experience across physical stores, websites, mobile apps, and social media. Unified commerce platforms are the key to achieving this goal. By integrating systems, including point-of-sale (POS), inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), and e-commerce, retailers provide a unified view of the customer journey. In 2024, retailers will increasingly invest in unified commerce solutions to meet customer demands for a seamless shopping experience. The ability to purchase online and return in-store, receive personalized offers, and have a consistent experience across channels will be the norm.

Zero trust architectures

Retail is struggling against a dramatic increase in malware and ransomware attacks. Data indicates March 2023 surpassed prior ransomware attack records for the most incidents in one month, with nearly 460 attacks, a 91% increase month-over-month and 62% year-over-year. Exploited vulnerabilities (36%) were the most common root cause of ransomware attacks, followed by compromised credentials (29%).

Zero trust is a holistic security approach that provides the strongest possible defense, while ensuring that all identities can access the information needed, when it’s needed. A zero-trust framework ensures that identities are validated, and that access is managed dynamically. It centralizes policy management and automates enforcement, closing security gaps and making compliance and auditing much easier. Expect retail organizations to continue to accelerate their deployment of zero trust architectures to defend against increased attacks.

Sustainability and green technology

As environmental consciousness grows, retailers are embracing green technology to reduce their environmental impact and meet consumer demands for sustainability. In 2024, we will see a growing emphasis on eco-friendly solutions in the retail industry. Retailers are applying green technology to various aspects of their operations, including energy-efficient lighting, sustainable materials, and eco-friendly packaging. Supply chain optimization is also a focus, aimed at reducing carbon footprints and emissions. Transparency is key as consumers actively seek out brands that can provide verifiable information about the environmental impact of their products. Retailers who can meet this demand for sustainability will have a competitive edge.

IoT for supply chain transparency

IoT technology is gaining traction in the retail industry for its ability to enhance supply chain transparency. By recording every step of a product's journey, retailers can verify the authenticity and origins of their products. This not only ensures product quality but also builds trust with consumers. In 2024, expect more retailers to adopt IoT technology to create transparent and secure supply chains, which can be particularly valuable for food safety, luxury goods, and products with a sustainability focus.

Augmented reality (AR) shopping

The integration of Augmented Reality (AR) into retail has steadily gained momentum, and 2024 is poised to be a breakthrough year for this technology. AR enriches the shopping experience by merging the physical and digital realms. Consumers can now virtually try on clothing, visualize how furniture fits into their homes, or preview products before making a purchase, enhancing engagement, and reducing returns. In 2024, AR will become a standard feature for leading retailers, ensuring more immersive and interactive experiences.

To succeed in the evolving retail environment, businesses must adapt and embrace these technologies, providing consumers with more personalized, efficient, and sustainable shopping experiences. The year 2024 represents a significant moment in the journey towards a tech-driven, customer-centric, and eco-conscious retail industry. Those who seize these opportunities stand to thrive in the ever-changing world of retail.

At OpenText, we will spend 2024 continuing to focus on meeting the supply chain, sustainability, AI and customer engagement requirements of our customers. Learn more about how OpenText solutions for consumer goods and retail industries can help you overcome your challenges.

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For more than 45 years, J. Renee Group has designed and manufactured bold footwear styles across a range of categories, including comfort, casual dress, dress, and special occasion. Through our LDP brand, we also offer luxe, on-trend fashions crafted in the finest materials with unique comfort features.

We’ve been in business for almost half a century. In that time, J. Renee Group has cultivated strong relationships with a wide variety of retail partners across the United States—from independent mom-and-pop establishments to large department stores and nationwide footwear chains.

Pivoting to e-commerce

Over the years, retail trends have shifted significantly. One of the biggest changes we’ve seen recently is the rise of e-commerce, which is now one of the most popular ways for consumers to browse and buy our products. Today, the digital channel accounts for around 40% of all J. Renee Group product sales. Therefore, we want to make it as easy as possible for retailers to display our products on their e-commerce sites.

To market our products, our retail partners rely on us to provide them with descriptive information and compelling images. This includes product attributes such as size, color and Universal Product Code (UPC), as well as promotional photos showing each shoe from several different angles.

Capturing fast-moving trends

Fashions change quickly, and no one knows when a new style is going to take off. As a result, retailers must launch new lines in their online and digital stores as close as possible to the start of the season in order to maximize sales. Our decades-long partnership with OpenText is so important to J. Renee Group because it has allowed us to make it easy for partners to access our product attributes and images and seize sales opportunities.

For more than 20 years, we’ve relied on OpenText Active Catalogue and OpenText VAN to share vital product data with our retail partners—from basic information, such as UPCs, to fine-grained product attributes, such as heel heights. We first deployed the OpenText solutions to enable one of our largest retail partners to capture UPCs for new products automatically. Since then, we’ve used the OpenText solutions to do much, much more.

Slashing time to market

Before we adopted OpenText, we shared product data using spreadsheets. But when you compare that manual approach with Active Catalogue, the OpenText solution has clear advantages.

Whenever we develop a new product line, our team populates the OpenText solution with all the attributes and images retailers need to launch that product on their digital channels. Retailers don’t have to painstakingly trawl through spreadsheets and manually rekey the data into their systems. Instead, they can capture all the attributes and images from OpenText Active Catalogue automatically.

In this way, the catalog approach offers massive time-savings. In fact, one of our retail partners has cut their time-to-market for launching new products online by up to three weeks. In a fast-moving industry like fashion, it’s difficult to overstate the value of getting to market so quickly. Thanks to our OpenText solutions, we’re helping retailers make the most of every sales opportunity throughout the season—a win-win for both J. Renee Group and our trading partners.

Guiding the industry

One of the things we value most about our relationship with OpenText is their commitment to supporting our business and the retail industry at large. When we first adopted the solutions, messaging standards were in a period of rapid evolution—and OpenText has always worked hard to implement the latest EDI requirements in their solutions.

We also greatly appreciate the effort that OpenText puts into fostering closer relationships between all stakeholders in the retail ecosystem. For example, OpenText works closely with GS1, the global standards organization that creates best practices for retailers and vendors to share and use data to sell their products.

I co-chair the GS1 Extended Attributes and Images committee and having a global partner like OpenText amplify our work is a major advantage. OpenText has played a crucial role in helping J. Renee Group collaborate with retailers for over 20 years, and we’re looking forward to continuing the partnership for years to come. We’re excited to introduce even more retailers to the benefits of a catalog-based approach for sharing product information—and we know that OpenText is the perfect partner to spread the message.

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The retail and consumer goods industries continue to evolve at a rapid rate.  Overall, 2022 retail holiday spending grew 7. 6%, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse.  In-store shopping was back and grew at a higher rate than digital shopping. And consumers showed real enthusiasm for a month of Black Friday deals across both digital and in-store promotions. 

Unfortunately, not all retailers and consumer goods companies are sharing in the good news. For many inventory surplus may depress traditional holiday margins. The bull whip is in full effect, and warehouses are full of late inventory. 

Given these mixed conditions, here are my predictions for the retail and consumer goods industry in 2023.

Supply chains will gain agility and resiliency  

Inflationary pressures are driving consumers to search for value and discounts. The biggest difference between this industry’s winners and losers – as demonstrated during the 2022 holiday season -- is supply chain management.  Organizations that have used data and insight to create resiliency and agility will do better than average in the battle for consumer spending.

In the coming year, look for consumer goods and retail organizations to redefine their approach to supply chain operations.  Developing a more cohesive ecosystem model based on the integration of critical decision-making data is high on the priority list. The ability to see and react to challenges through data-driven insights can help supply chain organizations move from their current state to a more resilient and agile future. Creating more insight into data reveals automation opportunities to improve operations and response. As labor and supply challenges continue to impact operations, companies will look to increase automation to improve performance and customer experience.  A renewed focus on resiliency driven by inflation and a need for increased efficiency may improve margins in 2023.

Focus on ESG continues

Retailers and consumer goods companies will continue to operationalize sustainability to reduce waste and retain customers.  Supply chain environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting has become an investor, consumer and competitive issue.  Consumer pressure combined with new government green targets and peer pressure from competitors introducing sustainable products are forcing many supply chain leaders to embrace greener ways of working.  These improvements can also drive cost savings as sustainable operations cut down on waste and packaging while also reducing the overall environment impact from operations.

Corporate social responsibility is a growing priority and developing sustainable and ethical supply-chain practices will continue to grow in importance to all market participants.  Most large retail and consumer goods companies are focused on making a positive impact on the environment, preserving natural resources, limiting carbon emissions and global warming, and creating more sustainable processes. In all of these cases digital integration with partners and customers is an essential component of creating sustainable, ethical products with reduced environmental impacts. We expect this trend to continue in 2023.

A renewed focus on omnichannel

After several tough years for brick-and-mortar stores, in-person shopping was back for the 2022 holiday season. Data from the National Retail Federation suggests that consumers are excited by the opportunity to return to in person shopping; in September 45% of shoppers said they planned to browse or buy in person over Black Friday weekend.  This swings the focus from digital back to omni-channel, encompassing both the digital and physical worlds, and the expectation is that true omni-channel organizations will do better than digital-only channels. 

Retail and consumer goods organizations must continue to invest in creating a single view of the customer across their physical and digital presences as well as marketplaces to gain a better understanding of both demand and the customer. Options to pick up in store, ship from store, ship from distribution center and manufacturer direct-to-consumer are all in play as delivery optimization and last-mile fulfillment continue to best serve the customer.  Direct-to-consumer and omni-channel retail will continue to compete for the hearts and minds of customers by building engaging brand journeys, in-store and digital experiences and improved fulfillment. With a goal of increasing revenue through all channels, retailers and consumer goods firms are focusing on how to better guide consumers through a personalized muti-channel journey.

At OpenText, we will spend 2023 continuing to focus on meeting the supply chain, sustainability, and customer engagement requirements of our customers. 

Learn more about how OpenText solutions for consumer goods and retail industries can help you overcome your challenges.

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The consumer goods industry is being rapidly transformed by multiple, irresistible forces. External market realities driven by Covid-19 and supply chain disruptions have led to full ships and empty shelves for many categories in this sector. Consumer consumption habits and buying behaviors are changing and brand-driven direct-to-consumer programs are taking off. These major shifts are forcing consumer goods companies to focus on three pressing needs.

Digital supply networks

Building increased resiliency and agility in supply chain planning and execution has become the No. 1 priority of many consumer goods companies. Disruption of global supplies due to Covid shutdowns and labor shortages have forced them to look at sourcing and transportation in a new light. Realtime data about supply availability, transportation capacity and expected delivery dates has become essential to dealing with disruption and shortages. Creating real resiliency and agility requires ongoing investment in real-time data, advanced analytics and improved use of AI and machine learning (ML) to identify critical problems and possible alternatives early.

To achieve this, CPG companies require a modern cloud platform that helps manage the full data lifecycle, from information capture and exchange to integration and governance.  A digital supply network can provide these capabilities to companies both large and small and can deliver significant advantages. Organizations focused on implementing ethical sourcing programs, supply chain control towers and digital twins will find that a digital supply network can rapidly accelerate these kinds of data-driven programs.

Consumer goods companies are prioritizing supply chain investments for resiliency and growth, changing the legacy view of supply chain as a cost center. Gaining end-to-end supply chain visibility and diversifying suppliers and manufactures can improve performance. Creating deep integrations with partners helps create resiliency and agility in planning and execution, transforming supply chains into digital supply networks. This focus allows improved supply chain performance overall and is especially important as companies accelerate direct-to-consumer operations.

Autonomous supply chains (IoT/AI)

Data delivers deeper insights into the critical performance of supply chains. Companies are leveraging exponential growth in supply chain data to obtain more meaningful insights that help optimize processes and drive greater efficiencies. One of the major advantages of a digital supply network is the depth of integration and data exchange that is possible with trusted trading partners. Exchange of data on supply, demand and logistics scheduling increases insight, accuracy and automation in operations. Enabling control towers to monitor performance and dashboards to deal with disruptions improves overall performance, product availability and customer satisfaction.

The increase in available data from the end-to-end supply chain will provide rich training sets for the application of AI and ML to the increasingly demand-sensitive and customer-centric supply chains in consumer goods. Realtime data enables the use of digital twins to better understand critical issues including inventory optimization, transportation planning and bottleneck detection. This provides a better understanding of the organization’s supply chain dynamics, behavior and performance. Improvements in automation and augmented decision making will continue to increase as labor shortages and inflationary pressures grow. 

Direct to consumer

Integrating customer data, communications, media and messaging to create great personal journeys that engage customers is a challenge for this industry. In response, companies are launching direct-to-consumer (DTC) programs at a rapid rate, and omnichannel, data-driven engagement will only continue to grow in the years ahead. New DTC-only brands have disrupted whole categories with strong online services and social influencer-based engagement. Building a strong brand experience for customers is a priority for every consumer goods company. Successful DTC programs are dependent upon great customer experiences fueled by personal brand journeys. Brands that can personalize messaging and engage customers drive increased loyalty at the store and open the door to direct purchases and even subscription opportunities.

Consumer goods companies adopting a hybrid DTC-wholesale model will need to strike a balance between the two retail strategies. It is becoming clear that companies need to consider both paths to market to support improved growth and profitability.

Addressing these three priorities requires connecting people, systems and things in agile, extended ecosystems that allow companies to gain insight and optimize processes. This is driving the adoption of digital supply networks and autonomous supply chains as companies take advantage of the opportunity to easily connect with partners more deeply in a managed cloud community. Improved supply-chain performance also improves the customer experience leading to better loyalty and sales.

Not every integration partner can provide the scale, visibility and optimization to sufficiently address these priorities. Learn more about how OpenText solutions can help consumer goods companies achieve their goals.

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If you rely on others to market and sell your products, your brand is your most valuable asset. Whether customers are browsing a retail outlet, an online marketplace or a distributor’s catalog, they need to instantly recognize your product as the one they should buy.

Building brand awareness and equity is only part of the process, however. Once you’ve done the hard work of building a brand that customers respect and have an affinity for, you need to protect those efforts.

Digital asset management (DAM) solutions have become an essential tool to allow consumer packaged goods (CPG) producers to expand product lines, markets and channels without compromising brand integrity and consistency.

DAM for product development

DAM solutions are typically thought of as marketing tools, but their use cases are far broader. There’s a big opportunity for CPG companies to use the same DAM they’re considering (or are already using) for marketing within product development departments, integrating into and enhancing product lifecycle management (PLM) processes. Rich media has become essential for accelerating the development process.

Virtual samples for faster, cheaper prototyping

Whether you ship samples to buyers (causing storage problems in expensive office space) or buyers must travel to the samples, you’re losing time and money. With the widespread shift to remote working, these challenges have become even greater. With a modern DAM, you can provide buyers with instant access to images, video and digital models from the design or production facility. This lets you replace some iterations with digital samples (or more advanced digital twins) and virtual signoffs, dramatically speeding up the process and reducing costs.

Keeping an eye on production

Your DAM can also be used to store and manage inspection content from production facilities. Working conditions, equipment maintenance and facility security content are easily documented, ensuring compliance with your standards and protecting your brand’s reputation.

DAM for packaging development

Digital asset management solutions can be incredibly powerful tools in packaging development—they help to increase speed, prevent mistakes and, ultimately, reduce costs.

Efficient multistage workflows

Packaging development is a multistep process involving many parties that must approve each part. Managing a chain of versions through email as they bounce between designers, marketing, legal and creative directors can lead to mistakes and delays.

A full-featured DAM can solve all these problems by implementing consistent version control, orchestrating parallel and sequential approval workflows, and sharing visibility of individual contributors’ feedback.

As a result, everyone knows what the current version is, everyone can see who has signed off and who hasn’t, and everyone involved can see feedback. That means less confusion, less time spent coordinating and managing the project, and a significantly lower risk of mistakes. In more regulated industries—such as food, cosmetics or healthcare—it can be a legal requirement to keep records of approval processes. Keeping the activity within a single system will simplify any future audit.

Easier localization

A DAM provides a single source of truth across markets, ensuring correct assets are used when regional packaging and marketing are developed. Atomizing content used to develop packaging (for example, product photos, trademarks, etc.) can dramatically reduce duplication of effort. Localized copy can be combined with global elements, rather than requiring complete redesigns.

DAM for POS marketing support

A DAM can be used to store, share and easily refresh point-of-sale assets like banners, promotional text, product images, assets for contests and a great deal more. Partners always know where to go for the latest version.

DAM for direct sales

The shift in retail behavior during the pandemic has accelerated the plans of many CPG producers to expand into selling direct to consumers online, becoming retailers for their own products. As proven by countless retailers worldwide, a DAM serves this goal by managing all the assets necessary to field a commanding e-commerce presence, either on owned channels or through syndicating to marketplaces.

Read this blog post about Maximizing online delivery with DAM for retail for more insights.

The DAM for everyone

OpenText™ Media Management excels in CPG organizations because it’s not just powerful—it can be many things to many people. Custom-branded user interfaces and workflows can be easily built for different teams, surfacing the assets and functions each team needs while drawing from the same single instance. Powerful integrations and headless operation allow other teams to access assets from within their existing workflows—making things better without making them more complicated.

Learn more about OpenText Media Management.

The post DAM for consumer packaged goods organizations appeared first on OpenText Blogs.