For nearly 25 years, CAT Squared has developed manufacturing execution systems (MES) to manage plant-floor processes for food processing facilities. CAT Squared’s MES delivers end-to-end traceability from receiving of ingredients and dry goods through shipping of final product. By combining our MES with blockchain and other IIoT technologies, CAT Squared can now expand the reach of our capabilities outside the four walls of the plant, connecting all participants of the food value chain.

Connecting Manufacturers to Consumers

By scanning a QR code on a package of product, consumers are connected to high-quality consumer content plus traceability data from the MES (as selected by the brand’s marketing team). Through stories and data, consumers can experience the care and quality of the food they are about to purchase. Manufacturers can also offer promo offers and provide opportunities for customer feedback.

Connecting Manufacturers to Retail Customers

CAT Squared will offer a private blockchain for manufacturers to share select data with retail customers. Our team will create a unification warehouse and API services application to chain the right data from the MES to the QR Code. Chained information along with data with more rigorous data requirements will be moved into a private, immutable blockchain that the manufacturer can share with its retail and wholesale customers. This data will allow retailers to perform mock recalls and query quality check data. The blockchain platform archives the data securely and proves the data provenance with time-stamping during storage so it can be independently verified to consumers, retailers or restaurant chains.

Preparing Food Suppliers for Potential Blockchain Mandates from Retail Customers

Since Wal-Mart issued its traceability mandate to their leafy-greens suppliers, other suppliers have been watching closely to see if their industry will be next. CAT Squared is mindful of the need for interoperability between blockchains. If at some point in the future one of our manufacturing customers becomes mandated to share data with another retail customer’s blockchain, data can easily be integrated with other blockchain platforms like Food Trust.

Learn More

If you want to know more, email sales@catsquared.com.

Kathy Barbeire

Written by Kathy Barbeire

Kathy Barbeire is a seasoned professional with a strong track record in leveraging new technology, data analysis, and storytelling to drive organizational success. As the marketing manager at CAT Squared since 2015, Kathy stays updated on industry trends to ensure our products remain adaptable to evolving standards and prepares our customers for disruptive technologies. She actively participates in a blockchain learning group associated with Blockchain for Arkansas (BC4AR), an initiative led by Governor Asa Hutchinson. Kathy's expanding knowledge and expertise enable her to create informative content that educates our supply chain partners and helps them navigate upcoming transitions. Kathy's educational background includes graduating magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional and technical writing, along with double minors in sociology and information technology. She later completed the MBA program at UALR. Prior to joining CAT Squared, Kathy applied her passion for data-driven storytelling to assist nonprofits in defining goals, tracking program metrics, and engaging donors and community stakeholders. She served as a program manager at the Our House Homeless Shelter in Little Rock and later at The Salvation Army Central Arkansas Area Command.