Granularity and its role in implementation of seafood traceability

Abstract In this study, granularity and its importance for traceability in seafood supply chains is studied. Granularity describes different levels of traceable units. The findings from this study show that granularity plays a key role in the implementation of seafood traceability. Implementation of a coarse granularity level is easier and cheaper than a fine granularity level, but the benefits are also lower. Fine granularity level will increase the complexity of the traceability system, and will give higher costs. A complex traceability system can affect the practical solutions and specification of the information technology systems when implementing traceability. The key is to find the preferable granularity level where the benefits exceed the costs. Consequently, the costs and potential benefits associated with implementing traceability at different granularity levels should be identified.

[1]  Maurizio Canavari,et al.  Traceability as Part of Competitive Strategy in the Fruit Supply Chain , 2010 .

[2]  T. Moe,et al.  Perspectives on traceability in food manufacture , 1998 .

[3]  J. Caswell,et al.  The Economics of Implementing Traceability in Beef Supply Chains: Trends in Major Producing and Trading Countries , 2004 .

[4]  Amrik S. Sohal,et al.  Computerised parts traceability: An implementation case study , 1997 .

[5]  Xiaojun Wang,et al.  Value Added on Food Traceability: a Supply Chain Management Approach , 2006, 2006 IEEE International Conference on Service Operations and Logistics, and Informatics.

[6]  L. Ellram.  THE USE OF THE CASE STUDY METHOD IN LOGISTICS RESEARCH , 1996 .

[7]  L. Opara,et al.  Food Traceability from Field to Plate , 2001 .

[8]  Per Engelseth,et al.  Food product traceability and supply network integration , 2009 .

[9]  A. F. Bollen,et al.  Agricultural supply system traceability, Part II: Implications of packhouse processing transformations , 2007 .

[10]  K. Donnelly,et al.  Implementing traceability: practical challenges at a mineral water bottling plant , 2010 .

[11]  K. Donnelly,et al.  Lessons from Two Case Studies of Implementing Traceability in the Dried Salted Fish Industry , 2010 .

[12]  Hlynur Stefansson,et al.  Decision Support Systems for the Food Industry , 2010 .

[13]  Petter Olsen,et al.  Critical criteria when implementing electronic chain traceability in a fish supply chain , 2011 .

[14]  J McGrann,et al.  Animal traceability across national frontiers in the European Union. , 2001, Revue scientifique et technique.

[15]  J. McKean,et al.  The importance of traceability for public health and consumer protection. , 2001, Revue scientifique et technique.

[16]  Petter Olsen,et al.  Reference method for analyzing material flow, information flow and information loss in food supply chains , 2010 .

[17]  Katerina Pramatari,et al.  A cost‐benefit evaluation framework of an electronic‐based traceability system , 2009 .

[18]  A. Banterle,et al.  The consequences of voluntary traceability system for supply chain relationships. An application of transaction cost economics , 2008 .

[19]  A. F. Bollen,et al.  Agricultural supply system traceability, Part I: Role of packing procedures and effects of fruit mixing , 2007 .

[20]  Eskil Forås,et al.  Information models leveraging identification of returnable transport items , 2010 .

[21]  Nga T. T. Mai,et al.  Benefits of traceability in fish supply chains – case studies , 2010 .

[22]  Jill E. Hobbs,et al.  Information asymmetry and the role of traceability systems , 2004 .

[23]  Kathryn Anne-Marie Donnelly,et al.  Granularity and its importance for traceability in a farmed salmon supply chain , 2011 .

[24]  Marcelo Blois Ribeiro,et al.  Enhancing traceability using ontologies , 2007, SAC '07.

[25]  J. B. Luten,et al.  Tracefish: the development of a traceability scheme for the fish industry. , 2003 .

[26]  A. Frank Bollen.  Traceability in fresh produce supply chains , 2005 .

[27]  Petter Olsen,et al.  Validity of method for analysing critical traceability points , 2011 .