Dedicated to developing interoperable technical guidance and ISO standards.
 
February 23, 2021 – Pittsburgh, PA – AIM North America (AIM NA), the premier alliance for the automated data capture technologies industry, including barcode, RFID, IoT, NFC, and RTLS, submits comments on the FDA’s Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods.
 
These comments stem from the increasingly globalized, complex supply chains that have resulted in less visibility into food sourcing for customers and regulators.  These trends are driving the need for digital transformation through the adoption of technology to bring automation, integrity, and data management solutions to supply chain traceability. 
 
“Digital technology can enhance the ability to identify, respond to, and prevent food safety issues such as outbreaks,” stated Jeanne Duckett, who serves as the AIM NA Food Supply Chain work group Chair, along with her role at Avery Dennison in Transparency Initiative Development. “Given recent food incidents, the use of digital technology has become even more needed, as it can help to make full product data accessible throughout every stage of the food supply chain in the event of a recall” Duckett continued.
 
The proposed rule, “Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods” (Food Traceability Proposed Rule) is a key component of the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint and would implement Section 204(d) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
This is excellent step on the part of the FDA to quickly implement source traceability, trace forward and implementing targeted recalls.
 
AIM NA’s comments noted the following key points:

1. Leverage on the work that FDA has already done with other consensus-based standards groups such UDI and DSCSA.
2. Use Globally Unique Identifier contained in a Data Carrier (i.e., 2D Barcode, RFID, NFC, digital watermark, etc.) attached to item and captured automatically at defined points.
3. Focus on permissioned access to data throughout the supply chain to end consumers.
4. Terms –importance of aligning on definitions for commonly used terms to promote the common understanding. 
5. Food Traceability List clarification
6. Clearly defining product recall. 

“AIM NA and our members are committed to advancing food safety utilizing new and emerging AIDC technologies that enable end-to-end traceability for the safest possible food supply chain,” shared Debangana Mukherjee, AIM North America Chair and Director of Business Development & Sales at CISC Semiconductor.
  
Read our final comments and contact AIM NA with any questions. 

AIM North America member experts share expertise as a resource to direct and guide organizations of asset tracking technologies for vaccine distribution traceability.
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February 22, 2021 – Pittsburgh, PA – The United States and other countries around the world are undertaking one of the largest, if not the largest, logistics endeavors in history. In the US alone, planning for the distribution of more than 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses is currently underway. The implementation of asset tracking and product authentication AIDC (Automatic Identification Data Capture) technologies including barcode, RFID, IoT, RAIN, RTLS, NFC, provide increased quality control, visibility, and accuracy of the vaccine at all points along the supply chain, from manufacturer to patient.
 
Active battery powered and passive battery-less AIDC technologies enable temperature, location and damaging shock or vibration information to be monitored by vendors in real-time.  AIM North America (NA) has announced that they provide expertise in advising organizations on the best way to ensure the authenticity and traceability of all pharmaceutical products.
 
The US FDA Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) seeks to protect consumers from exposure to drugs that may be counterfeit, stolen, contaminated or otherwise compromised and potentially harmful. Serialized barcodes serve as a foundation for traceability within the channel.  AIDC technology connects the multi-faceted elements or information furthering the validation and serves as a building block for interoperability.  In combination these platforms provide full traceability of each transaction and change of ownership throughout the lifespan of the product, ensuring its safe use to the patient.
 
 “As a manufacturer of pressure sensitive materials used in labeling and packaging pharmaceuticals, we understand the necessity for tracking and tracing product from the manufacturer, through the supply chain, and to administering of the drug to the patient.  The work of the FDA Drug Supply Chain is critically important, and AIM NA and its members can provide the industry with knowledge, structure and guidance,” stated Lori Bitar, Chair, AIM NA Pharmaceutical Work Group and Market Development Manager, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Labeling at FLEXcon.
 
AIM North America Chair and Director Business Development & Sales at CISC Semiconductor, Debangana Mukherjee, added “AIM North America members are poised to provide insight and expertise to assist the pharmaceutical industry in addressing the challenges they face until DSCSA 2023.” She continued, “Relying on global, interoperable consensus-based standards is foundational for improving processes and efficiencies within the supply chain.”
 
For more information on how you can start the conversation today, be sure to fill out our form and read through the AIM NA Digital Supply Chain Whitepaper.  

           AIM NA is taking the time to honor the winners of several of their most highly recognized awards
​                                                                              View the virtual ceremony here. 

November 18, 2020 – Pittsburgh, PA – AIM North America (AIM NA) has selected winners for their annual awards, including ‘Professional of the Year’, ‘AIT in Government’ and this year there was a two-way tie for the title of ‘Organization of the Year.’ AIM NA extends a huge congratulations to all those who were nominated for this recognition and celebrates those who were crowned victors. 
 
The ‘Professional of the Year Award’ is awarded to an individual who demonstrates both innovative and exceptional contributions to enhance the development of the automatic identification industry through work as either a contributor, collaborator, or a mentor. This year that title was received by Sprague Ackley, Digimarc’s Principal R&D Engineer. Mr. Ackley has exhibited great dedication to the AIDC industry and contributes his time to the barcode technology committees of ISO, AIM, and GS1, supporting application standards development groups in Automotive, Retail, Healthcare, Electronic, and even the Materials Handling realms. 

“We are pleased to welcome this talented group of industry experts who will add to the strength of our board, “said Debangana Mukherjee, Chair, AIM North America Board of Directors and Business Development Director, CISC Semiconductor. “They bring decades of leadership in key areas, such as strategy implementation, technology development, and market growth.”
 
As the unbiased resource for networking, education, advocacy, and standards, AIM North America members grow their business by fostering the effective use and adoption of Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) solutions in all vertical markets.

The current board also includes executives from Aware Innovations, CDO Technologies, Danzz Consulting, and Technologies ROI. 
 
For more information including bios or headshots, contact AIM North America. 

​The FDA has released the long awaited strategic blueprint for the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Initiative, an initiative designed to promote industry collaboration and adoption of technology and other modern tools to create a digital, traceable and smarter food system by 2021. The FDA strategic initiative was launched in 2019 and focuses on four major pillars:

• Tech-Enabled Traceability and Foodborne Outbreak Response
• Smarter Tools and Approaches for Prevention
• Adapting to New Business Models and Retail Food Safety Modernization
• Food Safety Culture

 
The new blueprint elaborates on the four core elements that will be driving the initiative, in addition to stating the values and principles the FDA aims to advance through their work. Building on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which focuses on preventing food-borne illnesses rather than purely responding by tracing back from foodborne outbreaks.  In the months since the launch of this new initiative, there has been a public meeting, as well as an opportunity for public comment on the FDA’s design and approach.
 
AIM North America supports these efforts to create a safer, digital, and traceable food supply chain. The use of asset tracking technologies such as barcodes, RFID, RTLS, and IoT, enable traceability systems to identify contaminated foods, trace them to their origin, and to implement a strategic recall both addressing the issue and minimizing the supply chain impact.  Enabling the digital food supply chain will both boost the confidence of the consumer while reducing supply chain costs.
 
“Implementation of asset tracking technologies can harmonize the food supply chain visibility from farm to table,” stated Mary Lou Bosco, COO AIM North America. “The retail industry has been utilizing these technologies for decades to reduce waste, provide accurate inventory management, and maximize efficiencies.”
 
AIM North America also submitted comments to the FDA General Principles for Food Standards Modernization which would establish a set of general principles for food standards for FDA to use when considering whether to establish, revise, or eliminate a food standard. Read AIM NA’s submitted comments here.
 
For more information on how you can get involved, fill out our form or email AIM NA. 

AIM North America submitted comments to the FDA General Principles for Food Standards Modernization which would establish a set of general principals for food standards for FDA to use when considering whether to establish, revise, or eliminate a food standard. Read AIM NA’s submitted comments here. 

For more information on how you can get involved, fill out our form or email AIM NA. 

AIM North America has introduced a new model of work groups and those specific vertical-based chairmen have been announced in the process.
 
July 9, 2020 – Pittsburgh, PA - AIM North America has made the decision to regroup their Subject Matter Experts to head up more niche vertical industry work groups. The object of these factions will be to advance and grow the use of AIDC technologies and standards within the following areas: Food Supply Chain, Cannabis, Pharmaceutical, and UDI in Healthcare. Within all of these verticals, there will be FDA regulation components to better plan and develop relationships and partnerships. The following SMEs have been recognized as chairs for their appropriate channel:
 
Patricia Blessing is the Vice President of Business Development at the CAVU Group, based out of Dayton, Ohio. Ms. Blessing works closely with customers in the Life Sciences, Healthcare, Medical Devices, and Diagnostics realms to solve today’s rapidly changing thermal management and monitoring needs, using advanced sensor technologies, including thermo-chromatic inks, RFID, PCM-based electronics, loggers, specialty packaging, and more. Her primary focus is the enablement of business process improvement to protect high-value assets in the supply chain. She currently sits on the AIM’s Board and chairs the AIM NA UDI Work Group.

• UDI Work Group – The AIM NA UDI Workgroup continues to be proactive in providing guidance, support, and resources to assure that UDI is understood by both the manufacturing and user community. ‘Track and Trace’ has profound implications for the patient and as a supplier to the medical device industry, the standards are critical in AIM’s industry.

 
Elizabeth Sinclair is the Director of Marketing for BarTender® software. She works with end users and partners to enable consumer confidence, supply chain efficiencies, and regulatory compliance through the deployment of AIDC in industries including aerospace, food, pharma, medical devices, and chemical manufacturing.

• Cannabis Work Group – The Cannabis industry is establishing protocols and processes in response to a rapidly shifting global regulatory and consumer landscape. The new workgroup will leverage the experience gained working with established regulated industries in meeting seed-to-sale traceability and labeling requirements for growers, processors and retailers in Cannabis and CBD processing.

 
 Lori Bitar joins us from Massachusetts where she operates as a Market Development Manager at FLEXcon. Lori’s work essentially focuses on the growth of PSA materials used in the medical device and pharmaceutical markets, both in domestic and global environments. She also has acquired an extended background in Plastics, Polymer and Adhesives as well.

• Pharma Work Group – The Pharmaceutical industry touches upon all of us to some extent. Lori’s infectious quest for acquiring deeper insight and channel-related news into the emerging technological advances impacting the healthcare field will be brought into fruition throughout the duration of this group’s existence. She challenges users to learn more about AIDC and how it can advance the lives of those around us.

 
Jeanne Duckett leads traceability initiatives for Avery Dennison Printer Systems from source to consumer, touching on Blockchain, Edge and Fog Processing, trigger development including 2D Systems, RFID, NFC, and Bluetooth. Jeanne is an industry recognized expert in all things traceability, holding multiple patents in imaging, RFID Handling, and Food Systems Design. She is a lifetime member of the AIDC 100 and she has provided expert testimony to the FDA, AIM Inc., and GS1 inter-industry organizations, while still sitting upon the AIM NA Board of Directors. Jeanne is a frequent speaker at industry-related events including Pack Expo, GS1, RFID Journal Live, Summer Institute on AIDC, and various restaurant shows. Most recently she spearheaded the widely recognized Era of Smarter Food Safety webinar series, linking the technology world with food safety specialists.

• Food Supply Chain Work Group – Smarter Food Safety is more than just technology-based; leadership and creativity are introduced as well. Smarter Food Safety is people-led, FSMA-based, and technology-enabled. The goal is to bring ubiquitous food transparency to every part of the food chain, from producer to consumer. Providing insights into product’s fit for purpose reasons, individual health needs, and provenance, so you’ll never need to wonder if a product is organic or not. 

 
“I’m grateful to these four individuals for stepping up to lead these important Work Groups,” said AIM North America Board Chair Debangana Mukherjee. “The timing couldn’t be better. We’re at a unique moment for the automatic data capture industry where the demand for digitization of supply chains is accelerating. These Work Groups will help shape that connected future.”

​June 23, 2020 – Pittsburgh, PA – The COVID-19 Pandemic had a detrimental impact on both Healthcare Organizations and individual persons in our backyard and around the world. According to the CDC, the number of cases continues to increase, and the future of this virus remains uncertain.  In this time, many non-traditional companies from outside industries have stepped up to manufacture medical devices for hospital groups, employees working under new safety guidelines, and patients. AIM North America (NA) has announced that they will be providing their expertise in advising organizations on the accurate way to ensure traceability for their own lines of devices.
 
Devices including respirators, face masks, and other essential medical equipment are required by the FDA to be uniquely identified, tracked, and traced to ensure the safety of both the patient and the supply chain. The Unique Device Identifier (UDI), seeks to improve patient safety, modernize device post-market surveillance, and facilitate medical device innovation. Product data can be uploaded to the AccessGUDID database which is made available to patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, hospitals, and other industry professionals providing transparency and traceability. UDI markings can be found on device labels, the device’s package, and even directly on the device.
 
“As a manufacturer of medical devices, we understand the need for traceability for patient safety and brand integrity.  The UDI standard is critical to visibility of our product and working with AIM NA and its members has provided us with a wealth of knowledge and guidance,” stated Patti Blessing, Chair, AIM NA UDI Work Group and Vice President of Business Development, CAVU Group.
 
“COVID-19 Pandemic has pushed many more players to enter the medical equipment manufacturing market to meet the rising demands. We see a trend of faster product release without following the correct guidelines. Guidelines are in place to offer both visibility and safety; therefore, education and implementation of these guidelines are critical,” stated Debangana Mukherjee, Chair, AIM NA and Director of Business Development + Sales, CISC Semiconductor.
 
Before this pandemic took place, the manufacturing workflow was substantial in nature. With new manufacturers in the market, the need for these standard processes becomes more critical. Companies, small and large, have banded together to support demands of the industry. AIM NA has guaranteed their assistance in educating how to accurately follow the FDA/UDI regulated guidelines.

For more information on how you can start the conversation today, be sure to fill out our form and read through the AIM NA Digital Supply Chain Whitepaper.  

AIM North America releases Digital Supply Chain Whitepaper to assist organizations in understanding how AIDC technologies and standards are being used to ensure traceability for all lines of devices. 

This new webinar series focuses on the importance of UDI compliance during this era of COVID-19. All webinars are free and will be posted on the AIM NA YouTube Channel.