Product Authentication is one of few pro-active ways available to fight counterfeiting. But all business isn't created equal. Products change, production methods too, as does the price of products.
That's why isAuthentic comes in a range of "sizes and shapes"
For Much More Than Luxury Products
We're well aware that counterfeiting is not a problem only for luxury products. It's a plague for everything from automotive components, to semiconductors to shampoo in addition to the obvious prestige items.
That's why we chose not to do product authentication in a similar way to most others - by adding some kind of identifier to items. An approach that intrudes heavily on production facilities, both through forcing substantial standstills during installation and through adding both costs and risks when running.
So, from the very start we decided not to add anything at all to products. We use product item characteristics themselves as identifiers. That way, isAuthentic is utterly unintrusive and easy to run. As we add nothing to the product, it doesn't impact product design at all. It also lays the foundation for an easy and straightforward business model.
On top of that, production speed becomes less of a worry. It might impact which type of scanner we need to choose, but that's a much lesser problem than speeding up a labelling machine or an ink jet printer.
You could say that, with isAuthentic, we have industrialised product authentication.
With the original version of isAuthentic, we've made product authentication accessible for a wide range of finished products; spare parts, ball bearings, automotive components, interior design.....
Obviously, as product sizes, packaging types, production conditions and other characteristics vary, each solution needs to be configured to suit your specific needs.
Different Characteristics Require Different Versions
Still, one size doesn't fit all. So, in addition to the original version of isAuthentic, we've developed a range of versions to better meet the different needs of different products and methods. Let's have a look at some solutions for product authentication...
🔵 No Installation At All
Even if the installation for the original isAuthentic is minimal and unintrusive, we still need to install scanners and upload images to our cloud. Not even that is always possible or desirable.
Authorities in some countries do not allow the use of cloud storage services beyond their control. Some companies may decide against it themselves for their own reasons.
Albeit minimal, also our installations need time for preparing and executing. If you have many production lines, maybe spread out internationally, you might prioritise a faster roll-out.
Or some products, typically FMCG, are of such limited value that companies are prepared to not aim for 100% accuracy in identification if they, in return, can opt for an even easier business model and faster start-up time.
For those instances, we have developed a solution where we compare items in the field with identification rules generated by AI instead of with images of items having left your production line. We described the solution in more detail recently in this post from December 2024: Installation: From Minimal to ZERO, with AI!
🔵 For Prestige Items
For items like prestige watches and other luxury goods, we have developed a solution to follow items throughout their complete life cycle.
These items are handled one by one unlike high volume items described above which we work with in the flow of production lines. As the item is complete, it is inserted in an authentication station where we scan the actual surface of the product, maybe in more than one place to create the initial reference image(s).
Similar authentication stations are available also at outlets and service units (And
maybe elsewhere. It's up to the brand owner). As items are serviced or repaired, change owners or for other reasons, the item is scanned at such a place, authenticated and life events get recorded in a digital ledger that follows the item throughout it's entire life.
This approach combines verification and authenticity and recording of "life events" of the item, facilitating the second hand market and protects the long term value of items through added trust and transparency.
🔵 For Components
The previous three versions were all for finished products. "What about their components", you may ask. Of course, there's always the risk that counterfeits have infiltrated your supply chain and you might risk producing finished products with fake parts.
We've got a solution for that too, of course. Like with prestige items, we use the surface of the actual components to verify authenticity but at great volumes.
But the biggest benefit of this solution might turn out to be the possibility to move quality assurance from the end of the production line to the start of it, minimising the risk of wasting capacity on finishing faulty products.
Coupling those components with data on how they are supposed to be used, opens the possibility for an early warning if, for some reason, you're about to mount a component in the wrong product. The product might be completely genuine but meant for another product.
It also opens the door for surgical recalls, as we have highlighted in previous blog posts. Let's say that your supplier realises that they have had quality issues at 14:15 to 14:25 Wednesday last week. This solution enables you to track exactly in which items those parts were fitted and you only need to recall those specific items. Not the full day's or week's production like you probably had to before.
🔵 Even More Special Needs?
Obviously, there may be all sorts of special circumstances that means that even none of these versions is a perfect fit for your needs or your context. Get in touch anyway and we'll be happy to adjust an existing solution to your needs, make a proof of concept and implement. Just get in touch.
Hopefully, the solutions presented above have stimulated your appetite and helped you realise the potential.
Compatible with Digital Product Passports...Of Course!
Our underlying platform has the capability of handling DPP data too. So it's no big deal integrating both product authentication and the handling of DPP data, thereby avoiding for you to have to handle product data in more places than desirable. And...adding business opportunities through both the integration and the possibility to monetise data as an extension of your physical product.
Track and Trace
We're into that too, but refrain from extending this post even more. If you're interested, just get in touch.
Image by photoschmidt on iStock