Mike Allan, and co-host Kaitlin Mercier , speak with CEO of Provision Analytics, Erik Westblom, about traceability and compliance in the supply chain of food.

Erik Westblom

In 2016, Erik became a sommelier, and quickly learned that many processes within the wine industry were still being done on paper. He saw the opportunity to In 2018, Erik founded Provision Analytics alongside Michael Gibbons. Erik has been in the software and finance industry for over 17 years, contributing to Alberta successes like 3esi and Cortex. Erik moved to Copenhagen in 2018 for the mentorship of food titan, Maersk, and since his return to Calgary, has grown Provision by more than 20 times.

Provision Analytics

Provision Analytics was founded in 2018 in Copenhagen with mentorship from the world’s largest shipping company, Maersk. Provision makes it easier to capture processes and catch mistakes, making food safer, and making management faster. Their user friendly software solves food safety issues such as manual record reviews, undetected deviations, mock recall traceability, and more. Provision enables operators to improve the accuracy, speed, and depth of the data capture process, streamlining the management of record submissions, policies, suppliers, and more. Utilizing cloud storage, provision can be used anywhere and on any internet-connected device. Provision has offices located in Calgary, AB (CAN) and Chicago, IL (US).

Key Take Aways:

• Erik acquired a level 3 sommelier position in his late 20’s which spawned his interest in improving visibility and eliminating fraud in the wine industry. This later transformed into an interest in identifying opportunities for all food safety.
• Companies like Routeique and Provision will provide the data that drives the de-commoditization in the food industry.
• Where your products came from is only one part of the traceability spectrum. Erik discusses how the concepts of “one up, one down” and “mock recall” are important to further the reach of traceability and make the overall supply chain experience more optimized.
• Erik discusses how the importance of shortening the amount of time product stays within the supply chain, rather than focusing on shortening the supply chain itself.
• Erik touches on how data will shape the future. As more data becomes available and collected by companies like Routeique and Provision, new business models may arise and form an entirely new economy around food.

Important links:

Erik’s LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-westblom-mba-20b3023/

Provision Analytics

https://provision.io/

Provision Analytics LinkedIn

https://ca.linkedin.com/company/provision-analytics

Provision Analytics Twitter

https://twitter.com/provisionapp?lang=en