Transparency and security in case of a problem
Counterfeits carry a great security risk for manufacturers and customers. In the context of liability, ensuring the quality and authenticity of products therefore plays an extremely important role.
First and foremost it is the quality that distinguishes high-grade products. It is often due to comprehensive product development and guarantees the functionality and safety of a product. Counterfeit products may look very similar to the originals, but their quality cannot be compared with them. It is precisely a problem that presents manufacturers with a number of challenges: on the one hand, they miss out on valuable sales, on the other hand, image losses and alleged liability cases and responsibilities.
From the brand owners' point of view, securing original products, spare parts and accessories is therefore a crucial success factor. For this purpose, a forgery-proof serialization that generates unique serial codes is the preferred solution. Using this serial code, the customer can check the product for authenticity via the Internet and determine the originality himself. In case of a potential liability claim, the serial code offers an excellent opportunity to distinguish between an original and a fake product, because only the brand owner is able to generate the serial codes and apply them to the product. This way, unjustified claims can be fended off and image losses can be avoided.
Direct customer contact increases satisfaction and is particularly important in unforeseen circumstances, such as product recalls. The use of serial data pays off to a high degree in the case of recall actions. If the serial data in a database can be provided with attributes, this can be used to control instructions to the end customer. So if a quality problem occurs, these attributes can be changed accordingly at this point. The customer can therefore determine whether he is affected by a quality problem without having the product or component first checked by a representative of the manufacturer. If the faulty components are part of a larger device, they can be used with the data from the ERP system and thus also enable the search in subordinate product hierarchies. For example, a customer can use this method to check whether problematic batteries are installed in his laptop. Customers check the code themselves via the manufacturer's website and see immediately whether they are affected by the recall. Cumbersome returns are eliminated and at the same time customers can register their product. The service quality increases and recall actions can be handled easily. At the same time, the manufacturer gains customer loyalty - even before it comes to an emergency.