Idealliance, a global thought leader in the graphic
communications industry and a non-profit organization with 11 strategically
located offices around the world, announces the release of the new global
packaging supply chain printer facility audit certification called BrandQ
Certified Supply Chain Facility.
Earning and retaining credentials is a must for
anyone providing printing and packaging that serves the consumer packaged goods
market. This elite status demonstrates to brands and brand owners that a packaging
and printing facility meets the highest quality standards. The BrandQ Certified Supply Chain Facility Certification is effective, efficient, and
aligns the supply chain.
This certification was designed to be clear,
concise, and affordable, and to enable communication so that brand owners know
what to ask for, what to evaluate, how to evaluate it, as well as validation.
The certification is designed with a low cost of entry in contrast to existing
programs that are cumbersome, put a stranglehold on printers, and do not
provide an efficient nor effective way for brands to assess the supply chain.
BrandQ Certified Supply Chain assesses key aspects
such as process capability, performance, process control, color management, ISO
Standards, proof and press alignment, spot color rendering, pre-media
capabilities, G7 calibration, and includes detailed reports and analysis. In
addition to enabling brand communication, BrandQ provides a snapshot of the
suppliers and how they meet brand needs.
In addition to a capability audit, BrandQ, serves
as a centralized communication tool, providing a direct channel of
communication between the brand owner and the supply chain. BrandQ Certified
Supply Chain Facilities are qualified to handle the most demanding jobs in the
world. BrandQ assures a high level of quality and performance, and helps the
supplier work to retain this distinction.
Idealliance Vice President, Global Print
Technologies and Workflows Tim Baechle explains, “The global packaging supply
chain is like the Wild West. There are some crazy things that happen globally
in the supply chain, especially with growing brands. Often problems have
existed so long, and problems exist that they simply do not know how to solve
them, so they simply plan on a monetary loss every year which is often
significant—yet avoidable with corrective action. BrandQ pivots on education,
communication, and validation.”
Baechle continues, “We live in an industry where it
seems like everyone wants to be a pre-media company, which is extremely hard to
do and especially hard to do well. If BrandQ were a software platform, it would
be described as an open source platform. Anything can be connected to it and
accessible to it, such as software, regulatory information, and color
data—because it provides companies an alignment—a swim lane, if you will, which
then allows them to take control of clear communication and expectations. What
starts with BrandQ can easily be handed off to a brand owner, a pre-media
company, or an internal champion that takes the reins, because, as with all of
our programs, it is made to serve the industry, collaborate and benefit the
greater good of the industry.”
BrandQ was built for brands and the packaging
supply chain after an incredible amount of global collaboration with brands,
print service providers, pre-media companies and support tool providers all
over the world. The BrandQ programs connect the supply chain through various
methods of training, certification and auditing. Since launching the program in
the 4th Quarter of 2017, the demand for the program has reached incredible
heights globally and some of the largest brands in the world are taking part.
BrandQ Certification Training for anyone working in
the packaging supply chain has been held in the United States and the schedule
for 2018 continues to grow with training scheduled in Korea, Singapore, China,
Sri Lanka, United States, Pakistan, and more. Upcoming trainings are being
scheduled for South America, South Africa, Australia, India, and Europe.
BrandQ Certified Supply Chain Facility was also
designed with the G7 Master Qualified Facility program integrated, so
facilities could go through both programs simultaneously, if desired, as both
credentials are the most sought-after certifications in the world. As a global
non-profit, Idealliance wanted to bring the world what they have been asking
for, both at an incredibly low price point so anyone in the world could
participate, also allowing them, once aligned, to have a choice to continue the
process or hand off to a partner company to handle on their behalf.
Global collaboration within the industry is a
central focus at Idealliance and it is this collaboration that allows the
organization to work globally and harmoniously with people, organizations, and
companies around the globe. It is about bringing the future to the present and
helping people and companies build transformative and sustainable businesses.
Unique to the BrandQ program, there also is BrandQ Central Global Registry, a
highly secure and password protected communication repository, which allows
brands to write their specifications, store them in the registry and share them
with their supply chain. These are the same specifications that the BrandQ
program is validated from through the auditing process.
