Authors:
Jessica Snead, Joseph Craig, Daniel Goins, Suzanne Griep, Linda Newton, Tony Niverth, Jarrell Norwood
Abstract:
This disclosure proposes a way to anonymously submit fresh product quality feedback to be analyzed in aggregate, which can then be used to improve customer satisfaction due to better quality fresh foods, and to reduce food waste by better product handling.
Background:
Grocery shopping for fresh foods via a proxy shopper can be frustrating. Many proxy shoppers do not know how to (or care to) pick proper fresh meats and produce. The customer ends up with moldy blueberries, rotten tomatoes, a bruised pineapple, mushy avocados, leaky beef, etc. Many proxy shoppers are not properly trained to take the time to look for quality or they are so rushed that they do not have the time to carefully choose well. Some solutions exist to allow the customer to submit preference notes to the shopper, but shoppers can easily ignore or misinterpret these. Sometimes the shopper chooses best from outward appearance, but inside the product is bad; this is a deeper problem which is not the fault of the shopper - it could be the store, the distributor, or the farmer. When items go bad at the store, there is no simple way to track the root cause.
Description:
This solution provides a way to anonymously submit product quality feedback to be analyzed in aggregate. The aggregated results are then made available to customers, retailers, distributors, farmers, etc. to evaluate problem areas in the distribution chain for the purposes of driving improvement and/or choosing compatible partners. In addition, this solution improves customer satisfaction due to better quality fresh foods, and it can lead to a reduction in food waste due to better handling.
Assuming food providers and distributors track their fresh foods from farm to distributor to retailer to store to shopper, specific items may be tracked to a specific customer. When that customer provides feedback on these items, the ratings are traced back to each handler along the supply chain. Data analysis of these ratings with their associated targets identifies clusters of poor or high quality, along with specifics of the problem (i.e. too ripe, damaged, etc.). Depending on the nature of the quality issue and the location along the supply chain, industry players can work together to eliminate waste and improve best practices.
Solution Flow:
1. With existing art, food items are tracked along the supply chain from farm to distributor to retailer to store to shopper to customer.
2. A customer submits an online grocery order (containing fresh foods) to be picked by a personal shopper.
3. A personal shopper fulfills the order for customer delivery or pickup.
4. After receiving the order, the customer evaluates the items received and completes a questionnaire for that order to rate each fresh food item's quality (questions to evaluate taste, ripeness, mold, bruising, etc.). (The order metadata includes the ID of the personal shopper and store. Each store maintains information on their product distributors and farmers. In this way, each rated item can be linked to a particular farmer, distributor, store, and personal shopper.)
5. The survey results are grouped and analyzed to look for trends linked to a particular store, farmer, shopper, distributor, etc. In aggregate, ratings are linked to a common point in the distribution chain to determine any common variables among the best and worst fresh foods. (For example, if proxy shopper A gets bad reviews for avocados vs other proxy shoppers in the same store, that points to shopper A as needing education on how to pick avocados. For another example, if all proxy shoppers have similar poor ratings on melons within a particular store, that points to the store's product management as a potential issue. However, if many stores have this problem, the cause could be further up-chain with the distributor and/or the farmer.)
6. These trends are made available in aggregate to interested parties to pinpoint areas of inferior or superior quality along the supply chain. Once these are identified, the root cause can be investigated. Customers can use the data to choose the best fit for their next shopping trip. Food suppliers and distributors can implement better practices for food harvest, handling, storage, and presentation to improve overall quality and reduce waste.
Claims:
• This idea utilizes data analysis of customer feedback to pinpoint commonalities in fresh food quality across the food supply chain, so that any notable areas of superior or inferior quality may be identified.
• Item quality data may include (but is not limited to) any evaluation of freshness or quality with regard to taste, smell, appearance, spoilage, or ripeness.
• Using existing art, the data is linked to specific items from farms, distributors, retailers, stores, and shoppers.
Enabling Technology:
Freshness tracking and monitoring system and method
US20090303052A1
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20090303052A1/en
A freshness tracking and monitoring system (System) and method used for ensuring the freshness of perishable goods, goods fit for human consumption, and final products made from perishable good or goods fit for human consumption (Items). The System monitors in a continuous manner all significant environment and transportation parameters associated with an Item, from harvest or production until acquisition for consumption or production, alerts when an Item's monitored variable exceeds a predetermined parameter, takes corrective actions while in transportation, and provides advice about possible changes in the nature of the Item.
The inventive System ensures that a monitored Item maintains all its predetermined shipping and storing parameters such that its freshness, certification (Kosher, Halal, etc.), state (fresh, frozen, raw, pre-cooked, cooked, etc.), and that its physical integrity has not been violated, from manufacturing or harvesting until delivery to a final customer
Existing Art:
System and method used for rapidly evaluating freshness of raw meat products
CN102323267A
https://patents.google.com/patent/CN102323267A/en
With the system and the method provided by the invention, rapid and lossless detections can be carried out upon raw meat freshness parameters such as volatile basic nitrogen, pH value and color.
Apparatus for detecting and reporting environmental conditions in bulk processing and handling of goods
US20040226392A1
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20040226392A1/en
An apparatus for wireless instant real-time measurement of processing and handling produce and goods is presented. Electronic sensors monitor various physical parameters, sensor output measurements are analyzed, and reports are conveyed wirelessly in real-time to a remote display device for instant display and further analysis. Measurement profiles provided prove useful in determining optimum operating parameters ensuring high efficiencies in processing, storing, transport, and handling of produce and goods. Multiple sensor output measurements are combined to derive operating parameters which are reported alongside sensor output measurements. Processing sensor output measurements also enables raising alarms when environmental extremes are experienced. The monitoring, detection, measurement and gathering of the environmental conditions data is found to be important in preventative maintenance, handling efficiency and performance monitoring in food safety and quality programs. The apparatus provides handlers with directed information on what processing and handling issues to address to recover revenues previously accepted as lost product and packaging.
System and method for tracking origins of produce
CA2719618C
https://patents.google.com/patent/CA2719618C/en
TGCS Reference 2068
