iTradeNetwork, a supply chain software solutions company for the perishables industry, is launching a range of new products and promotions.

At PMA Fresh Summit last month, FreshFruitPortal.com caught up with marketing manager Bryn McFadden to hear more.

"20 years ago, iTrade started out as a way to connect buyers and suppliers through our Order Management System (OMS), and we soon became the industry’s largest trading network," she said.

“Since then, iTrade has grown into an all-in-one supply chain solution platform for the food and beverage industry.

In the past year, the company has launched numerous new products, McFadden said, adding that it is “especially excited” to announce its traceability promotion.

“A lot of buyers and suppliers have been slow to implement traceability up to this point for various reasons – cost, manpower, effort, etcetera,” she said.

“With our size and scope, we felt we had the opportunity to spark real, industry-wide change and remove any roadblocks to getting suppliers end-to-end traceability. We believe the world would be a better place if everyone knew, and had confidence in, where their food came from.

“That’s why we're offering one year of free traceability to the industry’s most prolific perishables suppliers, with the goal of creating the world’s safest food supply chain.”

This free traceability package includes two of iTrade’s traceability products - its Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) case labeling solution, Label, and its palletized Advanced Ship Notice (ASN) solution, Transit.

"The first suppliers to sign up with us will also get a free hardware kit. That includes a field kit with a printer, two mobile devices, and a starter pack of labels which equates to about 10,000 labels,” McFadden said.

She explained the offer is available for global suppliers of all sizes, from the smallest family farms to the largest growing operations.

Two new products from iTradeNetwork

One of the new products coming out is iTradeFreight, a logistics planning platform that helps companies maximize their margins.

"Logistics has been a big pain point for a lot of customers. Freight costs are high in any industry, but when it comes to transporting perishables, margins are even tighter.”

“With iTradeFreight, our customers can access real-time freight quotes and test procurement decisions with scenario modeling and planning to ultimately maximize their margins on every PO," she said.

The other new product is order management solution iTradeOrder.

"Most people know us for our Order Management System (OMS). Now we are bringing order management to regional and mid-size buying organizations," she said.

"It really streamlines and simplifies the order management process. With iOS and Android native apps, you can make changes to your POs on the fly, quickly address issues, and easily collaborate with your trading partners. And with self-service onboarding, it’s easier than ever to connect buyers and suppliers."

iTradeOrder has already launched, and the company will soon be releasing iTradeFreight.

"Transparency and traceability are big topics in the industry right now. We're really excited to tackle both with our new solutions and promotions," McFadden said.