Q1: How serialisation can help solve supply chain and anti-counterfeiting problems.

Q2: Case Study - Supplytics

Company C is a FMCG manufacturing company with products having a shelf life of 12 months. They have a very generic Supply Chain -

Manufacturing > Distributor > Retailer > Consumer

Every product being manufactured is given a Unique ID in the form of a QR Code on top of it. These products are then in turn packed in a Secondary Cartons which contain QR codes of their own. Secondary Cartons are then shipped out from the manufacturing to various distributors.

Distributors then sell these products to retailers as and when required. Products can be sold to the retailers either as `loose products` or in the form of cartons (In secondary packaging) or as a combination of both - as per the demand of the retailers.

The company has initiated a scheme to develop a pull in the market for their product, wherein the retailers will get a reward upon scanning the QRs of the Secondary Packs.

A: Design a reward scheme, complete with mathematical calculations to effectively disperse the rewards among all retailers? State all the assumptions and possible repercussions.

B: How will you ensure effective communication in the market so that the information about the scheme reaches all the retailer?

C: Should the Distributors be also given an incentive in the scheme? Yes/No - Why?

D: Based on your findings, what would you, as the Scheme Designer, recommend to the Company - Retailer Reward Scheme or Consumer Reward Scheme? Which one would bring higher ROI and why?

E: What are the possible scenarios where people can game the system to take undue advantage of the scheme? And what measures would you put in place to prevent them.

F: Keeping the scheme as the sole weapon available at your disposal, how would you ensure that the Retailers stay motivated enough to purchase more than what they usually do during the scheme period?

Note: Make suitable assumption if required.