Case Study Report

Solino Coffee — 100% made in Ethiopia

The Solino Coffee and OURZ pilot project has now been successfully completed for several months and we share the experience gained here.

The aim of the project was to record all steps in the Solino Coffee supply chain and make them transparent for consumers.

Background info

Solino is the first coffee that is roasted and packed in Ethiopia to create more jobs and value at the origin.

Preparation & Procedure

Together with Solino Coffee, we first took in all stakeholders and created them as users on the OURZ Platform. The most important thing was to capture the personal history of the individual protagonists and the place where they work.

Once the people and companies who contributed to the coffee’s added value were in the system, the first production data was saved step by step in the blockchain. The members in the chain were thus securely and transparently linked and documented from start to finish.

Product & Customers

The pilot phase lasted three months. During this time, 33,000 packages were QR coded, now more than 60,000. Since then, consumer codes have been scanned more than 6,000 times. In addition to the information provided, a heart button gives consumers the opportunity to give special appreciation to individual steps and persons in the supply chain and to send direct feedback to those involved. This is important for us because it expresses the desire for a more conscious lifestyle on the one hand and shows coffee farmers in Africa where their beans are appreciated by people all over the world on the other. We are building a bridge between people via the product.

Observations

We accompanied Solino Coffee during the pilot phase and conducted customer surveys on consumer behavior. The results of the surveys were very clear; across all age groups, over 90% of respondents indicated that it was important to them to know the origin of the food and the conditions under which it was produced. For them, transparent information about the supply chain means added value for which they are prepared to pay a higher price. More than 70% of the respondents could well imagine buying Solino Coffee more frequently from now on due to higher reliability and trust.

Learnings

Throughout the pilot period and to date, we have found that consumers attach particular importance to transparency and reliable information. A technology like Blockchain can do justice to this claim.

It remains to be seen and observed whether higher price acceptance in sales can actually be achieved. What stands out today, however, is that customer loyalty and trust are strengthened and have a lasting effect on sales figures.

Prospect

In the future, we see additional services for producers, manufacturers, and participants in supply chains that bring additional business value as necessary drivers for blockchain technology in the corporate environment. Already in summer 2019, we are planning our next release “USUS”, with which the participants will communicate their future needs and capacities among each other, cooperatively and collaboratively.

However, we also see the positive signal from the retail sector, which seeks closer channels and relationships with the consumer and also opens up space for involvement and co-determination.

Closing remarks

We are at the beginning of a dynamic, networked and sustainable consumption and trading ecosystem, and more and more participants want to contribute and change the current state. We think that technology connects people, through products, through their added value — directly and trust-building.

OURZ will continue to support manufacturers, retailers, and consumers in this change in the food and other sectors.

Testimonial

by Felix Ahlers, founder of Solino Coffee

My customers prove every day, that they care about product origin, fairness, sustainability & good coffee. Now, I want to thank them for their trust by disclosing the supply chain. From a business perspective, I am expecting increasing sales and a higher customer retention in short to mid-term perspectives.

I strongly believe in the vision of OURZ.