Trace One

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Created in 2000, Trace One is a European software company providing web-based, collaborative platforms to retailers and suppliers of consumer goods. 15 US and European retailers (Carrefour, Auchan) and more than 1200 food & chemical manufacturers are using Trace One services to manage product traceability and supplier compliance towards CSR & environmental standards. According to European business news magazine LSA, the company has received several French & European distinctions for its R&D policy (Anvar, Eureka and Oseo Deloitte awards) in 2002, 2003 and 2006.Trace One is based in Paris, France.

Trace One first launched its software with Carrefour in April 2003, allowing this retailer to comply with European Food safety law 178-2002, prompting full traceability from farm to fork for all consumer goods. Although highly controversial at its beginning (as it was seen as another service imposed by retailers to suppliers), Trace One software gathered 3 other key European retailers between 2003 and 2005 (Auchan, Casino, Monoprix).All Trace One retail partners claim that using a shared platform saved a lot of money to the consumer goods industry, avoiding the emergence of multiple systems and the explosion of training and interface costs for suppliers. Gradually Trace One customers pushed the company to extend its product scope to manage the entire product lifecycle, including sourcing, tender processes, artwork, quality assurance management, contract & promotional activities.

In 2006, it has entered into partnership with Fairtrade Labelling International, the largest worldwide fairtrade organization active in 74 countries, to design its certification management solutions. Lately, with partner Intertek, a global audit, certification & CSR expertise company, Trace One has developed a web based portal for the National Coffee Association of USA, allowing the 65 largest US coffee importers to monitor the risk profile of their thousands of coffee suppliers vs. US Customs security & anti-terrorism guidelines C-TPAT. According to CSR Wire, [Intertek]] has announced the creation of Connected Sources, a joint venture with Trace One in March 2008, to provide global brands with supply chain risk management solutions, bundling Trace One technology and Intertek worldwide network and CSR practice.

Trace One technology combines web native software with secured datahosting and a public key infrastructure enabling suppliers to electronically sign their declarations, granting those declarations with a legally binding value. Since 2006, Trace One has embedded business process management into its core IT platform to manage product lifecycle management (PLM). Trace One teams comprise 50 IT engineers and food safety quality experts. The company claims to support companies in managing the upcoming European REACH regulation on chemicals, speeding up new product launch, improving compliance and reducing administrative burden. Trace One 's main competitors are IT companies active in the PLM or SCM area, using the same "Saas" (software as service) approach.