UBQ Solutions to reduce grocery shrink and food waste

Dave Giannini from Apeel Sciences, David Karwacki from Bloom IQ and Karl McDermott from DeltaTrak ND UBQ.Network (picture) demonstrated how integrated data platforms transform the downstream supply chain journey. The Saturday session explored how real-time quality monitoring, predictive analytics, and environmental tracking work together to extend shelf life and reduce waste as products move from grower to retailer. The audience could discover how continuous quality scoring enables smarter routing decisions, dynamic inventory allocation, and improved operational efficiency. The panelists showed live demonstrations of how these technologies create a unified data stream that follows products forward through the supply chain, enabling better decisions at every handoff point while reducing shrink by 30-40% and extending usable shelf life by days or even weeks.

UBQ.Network a strong example of a collective initiative that works

Karl McDermott highlighted the positive impact of UBQ.Network, a leading initiative launched two years ago by DeltaTrak in collaboration with seven other innovative supply-chain companies. McDermott emphasized the importance of industry-wide alignment: “To make this happen, we recommend stakeholder collaboration and data sharing. With one or two key metrics, we can create a compelling business case for change.” His remarks underscored the need for measurable, actionable improvements to reduce food waste and grocery shrink across the perishables supply chain.

Four core working groups

The Supply Chain of the Future (SCOTF) initiative brings together technical experts who understand real-world operational needs and work collaboratively to build practical solutions. As McDermott stated,

“We are not here only to talk about challenges; we are building the solutions.” To tackle major issues like food waste at scale, SCOTF has organized four working groups: shelf-life prediction, dynamic incentives, technology enablers and harmonized standards.

The goal of “Shelf-Life Prediction” group is to create tools that ensure the right product reaches the right place at the right time, offering consumers maximum freshness while reducing waste. “Dynamic Incentives” group works on creating programs that add value through better handling and stronger cold-chain compliance, encouraging best practices throughout the supply chain. “Technology Enablers” team aims at creating the digital infrastructure that allows companies to apply real-time data, automation, and shared technical patterns to improve quality management and operational coordination. “Harmonized Standards” group pretends to develop global standards to ensure all stakeholders can “speak the same language,” enabling interoperability, shared understanding, and consistent performance across markets.

Technology Enablers and Smart Data Escrow

A key component of these initiatives is smart data escrow, which allows companies to securely share specific data with trusted partners while protecting sensitive information behind their firewall. This approach supports transparency while respecting privacy and commercial confidentiality. SCOTF is also building a suite of practical tools designed for industry-wide adoption, including technical architecture patterns, business frameworks, ROI calculators, Service-level agreements (SLAs), Pilot project documentation. Together, these resources help companies assess benefits, reduce risk, and implement new solutions effectively. As McDermott summarized “In other words, our goal is to adopt and scale solutions globally.” Each technical working group meets every two weeks for focused 90-minute sessions, with an annual in-person gathering to share progress and accelerate development.

For more information about SCOTF solutions, you can write here.