Antares Vision enables cosmeceuticals company to complete first phase serialization | 24-07-2024 |

Episciences Inc, based in Idaho, USA has launched a new Track & Trace system from AIPIA member Antares Vision’s business unit ACSIS, to offer enhanced supply chain visibility while deterring grey market diversion for its range of skin care products. The company has a broad range of unique offerings, but initiating new SKUs has proven a smooth process. Its products are sold throughout the USA as well as internationally.

The company has been able to integrate ACSIS’ Serialization Management system without the hassle and cost of modifying existing secondary packaging artwork or labelling procedures to prioritize barcode placement, maintaining the existing carton surface composition, according to the report which appeared in Packaging World.

With such a diverse range of offerings, marketed under the Epionce brand, Episciences faced significant challenges in maintaining supply chain visibility, especially grey market diversion, which were not addressed by conventional serialization solutions, it says. The company's high-value products require a robust traceability solution capable of addressing issues such as printability, coding recognition and false rejects. The need for compliance with evolving government mandates and regulations added even more complexity to the supply chain management process.

An advanced track & trace system was developed by ACSIS which offers end-to-end traceability by managing, applying, and capturing serialization data at various levels, including unit, bundle, carton, and pallet. This enables Episciences to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements while also integrating with enterprise systems such as ERP, MES and serialization repositories, as well as line-level equipment, like vision technologies, printing components and packaging automation modules.

Along with serialization functionality, the system can also capture user-defined product attributes at the point of serialization, offering insights to help optimize various points along the value chain. The system's user-friendly architecture makes defining and changing data collection parameters efficient and intuitive, says ACSIS.

Currently the system operates on two packaging lines. Its software manages the vision systems, printers, and barcode readers necessary to verify and capture product serial numbers. It is also the primary user interface for product selection and serialization verification data entry.

“The system ACSIS employed for our Epionce products is both highly customized and essentially turnkey, with bare minimum ramp-up and training required,” says Ron Hope, general manager of manufacturing & distribution for Episciences.  “Critically for a manufacturer with a diverse array of products, initiating new SKUs is a smooth process that doesn’t delay the inception of commercial-scale production.”

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