FRONT can seamlessly integrate with company legacy systems through APIs and REST servers, filtering information from platform users and legacy data systems. FRONT significantly reduces manual and redundant tasks while providing rapid access to relevant documents (spec sheets, analyses, reports, compliance statements, certificates, and production lot numbers). Additionally, FRONT offers the opportunity to create dashboards for monitoring intercompany processes and workflows.

Each company is provided with personalised access to the system. This unique experience enables companies to store, manage, and control their data autonomously. Moreover, it allows them to establish security rules encoded in the Blockchain. These rules determine precisely what data each participant within the supply chain can access. This individualised approach allows companies to customise their data management and security parameters according to their specific requirements. This fosters a secure experience for every participant.

FRONT is designed for collaboration. At the heart of its architecture is a non-hierarchical, distributed framework, where every actor serves as a crucial puzzle piece contributing to a comprehensive, interconnected view of the entire supply chain. This non-traditional model promotes comprehensiveness, ensuring that each participant, regardless of their role, plays a vital part in shaping and enriching the shared supply chain ecosystem.

Beyond individual entities, FRONT’s collaborative ethos extends into a network where each node actively participates in constructing a data-rich environment. This collaborative framework breaks down silos, promoting a holistic approach to supply chain management. Information flows transparently yet safely within this interconnected paradigm, creating a synergistic network that enhances visibility, trust, and efficiency across the entire supply chain ecosystem.

The training required for using FRONT is minimal, ensuring a smooth onboarding process. Our user-friendly interface is designed with simplicity in mind, making it accessible to users at all levels of technological proficiency.

Moreover, our dedicated team is at your disposal. Whether you’re the head of the supply chain or a supplier responsible for data input, our team is committed to providing comprehensive support and guidance. We understand the importance of a seamless transition, and our support extends beyond just implementation, ensuring that all users feel confident and empowered in utilising FRONT effectively.

FRONT is ready to manage the data of the supply chain, whether working with just a few suppliers or with hundreds of them across multiple levels. The data model is flexible and highly customisable while providing common idioms and a shared view of each asset that avoids data duplication across companies. This shared view makes the information available in real time to the allowed participants. It eliminates a whole class of issues: data reconciliation and transformation and the consequent loss of information are no longer a concern.

As a company progressively maps its supply chain in FRONT and enriches it with more workflows and cross-company processes, our state-of-the-art infrastructure scales seamlessly.

FRONT is designed with flexibility in mind to accommodate small, independent suppliers that provide goods and services to larger companies already in FRONT and complex businesses that want to trace and support the data flow of their supply chain. Thanks to our experience within the Fashion Industry, we can provide off-the-shelf data models that support the most common buyer-supplier interactions so you can get started collaborating with your suppliers and clients with minimal effort.

At Surge, we understand the intricacies of the fashion industry, and our wealth of experience allows us to tailor our solutions to meet the specific requirements and complexities of individual sectors or supply chains. While ensuring a common foundation for consistency, we specialise in customising FRONT to address the unique needs of diverse industries within the fashion supply chain. This tailored approach enhances relevance and maintains a shared base, ensuring interoperability across the entire spectrum of our clientele.

Private and permissioned Blockchain solutions are increasingly recognised as industry-level means of managing tamper-proof, immutable and cryptographically secure data. In a standard, single-company solution, all the data input into an ERP system is under the company’s direct control.
When working with FRONT, companies are working with a shared data model, where – according to specific permissions and authorisations – the system will present data coming from many other players without a pre-existing, trusted relationship. In this context, a blockchain provides a level of trust that allows players, who may be quite apart within the supply chain, to communicate and collaborate efficiently, sharing trusted and secure data.

One core tenet of FRONT is its shared data model, a lingua franca that enables consistency and resolves data quality issues before data is accepted in the Blockchain. Every transaction that adds information to FRONT is managed through a smart contract, code that validates the transaction and the correctness of data. Common information, like material composition, units of measure, and process types, are ported to a standard data model, which ensures data integrity. Moreover, any update to the data is logged and visible through a history view.
For unstructured data, custom plugins can be used to verify the content of uploaded documents.
Certification authorities can operate directly with FRONT to further the veracity of data and improve the information flow. These external entities play a pivotal role in issuing authoritative documents, such as certificates, and validating the accuracy and authenticity of the information stored in the Blockchain. This collaborative verification process adds an extra layer of assurance, bolstering the credibility of the data within the supply chain.

The collaborative nature of FRONT’s ecosystem is a built-in mechanism for quality control. Companies operating within the system can cross-verify and check each other, fostering a dynamic system of checks and balances. This collaborative vigilance enhances data consistency and promotes a culture of mutual accountability, ensuring that the information stored in the Blockchain remains accurate and reliable throughout the supply chain ecosystem.

A Bill of Materials (BOM) is a traceability method that goes beyond the limitations of a PO. It manages the digital traceability of complex apparel with numerous components, such as outdoor wear, women’s handbags, and footwear. Unlike a PO, a BOM provides comprehensive insights into different elements and production processes related to these assets.

Yes, a PO can include sustainability information and certifications. However, it may not capture all the specific data related to different elements and production processes, which is where the BOM provides a more detailed and comprehensive approach. BOM goes beyond the limitations of a PO by managing the digital traceability of complex apparel. It provides detailed information on various components, production processes, and specific data related to assets. This comprehensive approach ensures better traceability and understanding of the entire supply chain.