Ag Tech Sunday - End to End, Direct to Consumer (B2C) Shortens Supply Chains

By BeefLedger

In today’s digitally connected world, consumers are mobilising in new ways. Opportunities to tighten up supply chains are being developed. BeefLedger has been fine tuning its online and offline infrastructure to enable:

1. collaborative consumption, enabling buying groups to be formed organically to drive volume on the “buy side”;
2. curated buying groups, where our ecosystem generates new groups through Key Online Consumer digital promotions; and
3. portioning, packaging and distribution to individual end consumers.

Online Infrastructure

Our online infrastructure is the key to shortening the supply chain, and enabling Australian brands to reach household consumers directly. Over the past 2 years, we’ve worked with Liberty Post in Beijing to implement a social e-commerce platform, which now boasts:

1. a user fan base of over 30 million collectively through our team of Key Online Influencers and Key Online Consumers;
2. over 70 qualified B2B volume buyers;
3. a dedicated and active network of 20,000+ daily community referrers and resellers, utilising our platform’s “personal virtual store” functionality, which enables anyone to become a reseller;
4. over 123,000 SKUs of products represented across the entire spectrum, creating a vibrant marketplace to meet all the needs of our growing consumer audience.

Offline Infrastructure

Our offline infrastructure includes processing, packing, cold store and distribution partnerships. We work with processing plants across China to optimise delivery distances and time depending on where the buyers are.

Processing and Packaging

Lately, we’ve been really pleased to have worked with Wang Yinan at KAF in Shanghai, where they opened a 10,253 sqm facility in September last year. KAF supported our Donation to Wuhan initiative.

The KAF team worked tirelessly in challenging conditions.

Hygienic modern facilities are critical to food safety standards being met and maintained

We also work with other processing facilities for different kinds of projects, ensuring access to infrastructure on a flexible ‘just in time’ basis. This approach means we can work with the right people, the best partners, for the right jobs.

Storage and Distribution

Storage and distribution is key, and we are pleased to have in place the capacity to handle many hundreds of unique orders each day. It’s a big job, but one that is handled diligently and expertly.

Cold packs and insulated packaging is the norm, with delivery usually done overnight (8pm dispatch with arrival by 2pm the following day). The service is door-to-door, and if the recipient isn’t hope a message is left with them and alternative arrangements are made.

Our warehouses handle large volumes each day, with workers coping with sub-zero conditions often in little more than a jumper …. they’re so busy they tell us that a jumper is all that is needed to keep comfortable.

Decentralised Distribution

We also strongly support the development of localised buying groups where active “community organisers” create and maintain groups using WeChat (China’s ubiquitous social media platform). Micro Partners with their own mini-warehousing are supported by our supply chain.

Last year, we established our first decentralised micro depot in Wuhu, Anhui Province, which not only services a local community of consumers but also acts as distribution back up in the event that there are bottlenecks elsewhere.

Similarly, BeefLedger has been working with MBH Consulting in Guangzhou to support direct sales to business and household consumers through networks cultivated and expanded by Mike Harding.

Through these channels, products get directly to businesses and households.

https://beefledger.io/