Security Seals are Crucial for Business during Post-COVID-19

The post-COVID-19 life has become different with new norms implied in daily life, so do the practices in industries. COVID-19 has brought about new norms in our daily lives as well as business practices for all industries. No industry escapes from the rapid adjustments to the new operating standards. There are indeed complexity and uncertainty in the new yet necessary adjustments. Whatever it may be, the opportunity and change along the process of shaping the new reality are meaningful. Business owners are to adapt and thrive towards necessary changes and development, be resilient and agile to trends and demands in order to combat and overcome the global impact of COVID-19. Bringing products and their solutions in operations make industry players fit in the new environment seamlessly at the same time becoming capable of capturing other industry trends.

Supply Chain and Logistics Worldwide

Aside from the digital transformation that we see, the need for security seals is increasing as well, due to the blooming of e-commerce and necessary shipments during crucial times. This observation implies that the supply chain and logistic industries are revamping their standard operating procedures for better hygiene and safety, ensuring the quality of work and safety of goods are delivered.

DHL published an academic white paper in July, discussing the post-COVID-19 supply chain’s impacts, lessons, and recovery actions. The implications and demand are volatile with consumer tastes, ultimately the market trend experiencing drastic fluctuation. Therefore, flexibility and agility in managing the changes are essential among the industry players and businesses of supply chain and logistic. Not to forget, shaping the workplace environment during post-pandemic to prevent the spreading of the virus could be a challenge that possibly affects work efficiency in both warehouses and offices.

Contactless delivery, on the other hand, is the ultimate solution discovered to ensure supply chain efficiency and employee safety. Likewise, the Consumer Brands Association brings industries together to create a new standard allowing companies to continuously provide their consumers with daily needs while practising safety precautions. The Contactless Delivery Task Force is looking at electronic delivery verification in delivery and pick-up processes that provide real-time updates anywhere around the globe.

As part of the digital transformation, major industry players are navigating the post-pandemic operation by testing out blockchain to enhance their supply chain traceability and visibility. Announced in July, the Singapore-based Ocean company collaborated with Mercedes maker Daimler AG to synergise better with Daimler’s supply chain procurement partners, using the blockchain-based data-sharing platform called Ocean Protocol. This collaboration between Ocean and Daimler is the first in the automation industry to monetize data streams across its supply chain.

Also, focusing in Asia, the Xuzhou Kiwi Orchard – a leading Chinese producer of Xuxiang kiwi is to see the farm using blockchain to build a supply chain traceability solution. The solution efficiently traces the farm’s products from planting, processing, transporting up to selling that ease consumer trust-building. The food safety issues have recently caused concerns among the public and had brought attention to cultivating a secured food supply chain environment. Hence, integrating blockchain in any tamper-proof registry enables consumers to find its root through a simple scan.

Moreover, in ASEAN, COVID-19 pandemic has called for further advancement of the regional supply chain. Businesses are in critical need of new technologies, incorporating regional integration and digitalization. The supply chain reconfiguration in ASEAN, in terms of digitalization, is expected to enhance the supply chain connectivity. It is to reveal the logistics of the future especially with the blooming of e-commerce.

Taking note of all these, the implementation of systems and software, however, can only be perfect with complementary hardware. Each security seal is unique at its digital identity using a serial number, barcode, and QR code. As simple as it may seem, security seals work as a physical layer to prevent theft and pilferage.

Besides, security seals and its versatility are the augmented products to effectuate the process of digitalization. Therefore, the staple yet important role security seals play in securing and complimenting each supply chain development is pronounced, as do the manufacturers.

Mega Fortris is prepared to serve all relevant industries with cost-effective and versatile high-security seals. Industry players who wish to ride on the transformation train should be informed that the security seal is the ticket.

“I think we’ll see some big changes, such as procurement for resilience rather than cost. ” Prof. Richard Wilding OBE, Cranfield University UK, on company changes post-COVID. 

Power, utilities and renewables

The energy industry is no stranger to disruptions having faced supply and demand shocks from many directions. This time around though, the power, utilities and renewable industry, among other industries, is facing a concurrent crisis at an existential and system-wide level. Business leaders are to take rapid and proactive actions, to protect and support their employees, to ensure business runs per usual. The pandemic had caused a demand-side shock, as well as the supply-side shock in the energy industry. Such an unprecedented scenario tests the industry tenacity and durability.

Accenture advised industry players to take a more dynamic and holistic action than the previous cycle, which would require a 24/7 virtual command centre. One of the aspects in the advised cycle involves resetting technology support and enabling workforce and supply chain.

The Occupational Health & Safety Association has also classified risks into four levels, namely lower risk, medium risk, high risk, and very high risk. Each level of risk is analyzed and advised while holding up to the SOP or guidance of the post-COVID-19 in order to uphold the worker safety and operational efficiency.

As we discuss the tenacity and durability of the energy industry, cloud computing is encouraged to allow companies to scale their data management storage. Hence, driving greater flexibility in infrastructural costs. If you had not known, cloud computing supports the adoption of other intelligent management of physical assets, artificial intelligence and machine learning. There was deferred maintenance as a response to COVID-19 and to control expenses. Crew availability and safety protocols possibly limited their operations as well, which then implied the need for cloud computing and complementary products.

To summarise, the digital enhancement and new standards in the operation are for efficiency and safety purposes in the energy industry. We might not be seeing the importance of security seals in this industry. It is everywhere in the operation, nonetheless.

Small and versatile characteristics of security seals make them suitable to be utilized as asset marking hardware. On top of that, tamper-evident security seals can be the preliminary layer of security, let alone if it is digitally embedded with barcode and QR code. With simple tag and scan, assets and maintenance operation are effectively secured. Hence, giving the stakeholders peace of mind.

Healthcare and Pharmaceutical

We all know how this industry is being stretched to its maximum due to the global health pandemic of COVID-19. This industry is truly shaping and polishing for the future while saving the world today. Not to mention with geopolitical issues rising around the globe, medical supplies are crucial. Therefore, the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are challenged to deliver their performance and ensure smooth operation in the back-end.

Steve Oldfield, the Chief Commercial Officer in the UK Department of Health and Social Care wrote a letter to the medicine suppliers in August that mentioned the flexibility in the operation and supply chain is necessary in conjunction with the COVID-19 situation and BREXIT. The utmost importance to secure the pharmaceutical products can be achieved by using tamper-evident security seals.

Be it on the packaging or container, business owners can identify contaminated products, henceforth, preventing the products from flowing into the market. Theft and pilferage are expected, however unwanted. With security seals’ functionality, they can maximize the use of the embedded digital identity. The tamper-evident security seals and bags can ensure the products are well-kept – safe, and traceable with QR code or barcode embedded in the seal and registered in their system.

Conclusion

We are in dire need to endure the instant effect that we see of post-pandemic which has caused industries to digitally transform to prepare themselves for any future disruptions. As much as digitalization is important, the focus of industry players in regards to the hardware that complement the transformation should not be on digital devices alone but prioritising security seals as well. Security seals are often overlooked, not knowing the significant role they play.

Security seals are more than just a seal; it is often the final layer to secure the goods and make criminals think twice before making any move. Security seals’ versatility and practicability are the reason why industry players should be the users of security seals – to secure goods and assets, to secure stakeholders, to bring peace of mind in the operation.

As a whole, it is undeniable that the functionality of security seals are beyond securing goods. They can be capitalized as the simplest form of digital device. With QR code or barcode embedded in the seals, conventional recording can now be elevated with holistic visibility and transparency in the operation and supply chain. Digitalization is indeed about cloud computing and remote controlling while security seals will enhance the adaptation and implementation – all for the bonafide of your businesses.