International Coffee Day 2021: Giving supplier information management your best shot

The International Coffee Organisation, who founded the occasion in 2015, aims to celebrate those who take part in every step to create and serve the hot drink that we all love – from farmers, to roasters, baristas, coffee shop owners and more – while also looking to see how they can improve the future of the coffee industry.

While we have all probably experienced the unwanted caffeine jitters after one too many cups of coffee, for procurement, quality, technical and supply chain professionals in the food and beverage industry, there are numerous supply chain compliance issues that can make you jumpy.

ARCUS^® Supplier Information Management (SIM) is a cloud-based solution that allows users to collect vital information and supporting documentation directly from their suppliers.

The system requires suppliers to on-board themselves through the completion of tailored and comprehensive questionnaires, where ARCUS^® SIM users can ask suppliers to prove their credentials surrounding critical issues, including the likes of sustainability and modern slavery statements – which are big concerns surrounding the production and sourcing of coffee.

We know that chasing suppliers for information can be a grind, with independent research conducted by Trade Interchange indicating that food and beverage organisations typically spend between 9 –16 hours a week doing this exact, repetitive task. Talk about déjà brew.

Using ARCUS^® SIM, automated reminders are configured to the user’s specific requirements, and these are sent directly to suppliers to ensure that all information is kept up to date. This includes auto-escalation workflows, keeping all key stakeholders in the loop as and when they need to be notified.

Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) is standard functionality in ARCUS^® SIM. The AI scans key industry documents as they are uploaded by suppliers, and key stakeholders and the supplier is alerted if an incorrect or expired document has been submitted. Not only does this enhance the SIM user’s confidence that all submitted documentation is correct and valid, it also allows these professionals to prioritise their document checks, saving even more time and further streamlining the process.

The Manufacturing Site Information (MSI) and Manufacturing Site Audit (MSA) plug-ins to ARCUS^® SIM allow users to gather detailed information about each of their suppliers’ manufacturing sites, ultimately allowing them to approve suppliers at a site level and record, manage, and schedule audits against these sites in a single, end-to-end solution.

Using MSI, each site can be approved, approved with conditions, or rejected based on the information and supporting documentation uploaded by the supplier. Auditors can then confirm that this information is correct, including sustainability policies, using the MSA plug-in.

If you are in the majority of food and beverage operators who still use manual systems to manage your supplier information, it is better latte than never to implement our cloud-based solution. If you would like to find out more, you can get in touch or you can download the SIM factsheet.