In a world first, cutting-edge New Zealand software company Rfider is powering a next generation digital supply chain for the Latin American coffee industry.
“Mastercol, a Colombian specialty coffee company, compares similarly to high-end Kiwi wine or honey producers,” says Rfider chief executive John Pennington. “With this innovative coffee business also focusing on quality, sustainability and ecological principles.
“Rfider was introduced to Mastercol through New Zealand and Australian coffee importers, who will now be able to instantly access a wealth of provenance, quality and item history information as a result of our platform.
“Mastercol are now able to digitally identify every single item they ship, provide their customers with detailed item level product information and provide direct access to a range of digital services which make doing business across the coffee value chain much more efficient.
“We have added a unique identifier for every sample and sack of coffee, which connects them with instant access to their customer services, along with detailed product information and item history.
“Customers can simply use their mobile phone to access item specific information and services. Or for more advanced activities, such as quality assurance tasks, businesses use Rfider’s mobile apps to interact with items.
“Behind every coffee there is always a great story made up of products, processes, people and journeys, which until now has simply been too difficult or cost prohibitive to tell. Trust symbols, certifications and reassuring packaging no longer meet global consumer expectations. With Mastercol’s digital-ready coffee, they can finally tell this story in transparent, accessible and engaging ways,” says Pennington.
“We need to do better in New Zealand to meet the global market’s digital age expectations, especially where it concerns transparency, authenticity and ease of interacting with our great products. There’s a complacency here when it comes to the level of digital disruption and the opportunity and threats it presents. Our work with MasterCol shows there’s a better way.
“Mastercol are excited to make revolutionary Kiwi technology available to their customers around the world,” adds Pennington. “They have started shipping all samples and export items digitally ready, allowing customers to experience their coffee and mobile-friendly customer services.”
Provided as a software subscription, the Rfider platform is enabling the coffee industry to advance its digital transformation to remain competitive, relevant and efficient; ultimately helping growers and communities across Colombia.
Mastercol chief executive Natalia Mejia says she wanted to make it as easy as possible for her customers to have a view into the unique story, characteristics and journey of every bag of coffee sold or sample sent. “Using Rfider’s powerful administration platform the customer experience, services and information of each item are tailored to meet our operational needs. We can now combine transparency with digital-age convenience to not only provide a better product, but to fundamentally change the experience for customers and consumers alike,” she says.
Photo above: John Pennington (right) with Henrik Rylev, one of New Zealand’s foremost coffee experts.
