Softweb Technologies has introduced a transformative digital solution tailored for small tea growers associated with the Wood Foundation in Rwanda. By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technologies such as facial recognition and QR code-based tracking, the system enhances small grower management in Rwanda, tea traceability, and cooperative operations at the Sugasha and Mulindi Tea Factories.
The Challenge: Empowering Small Growers
The tea industry in Rwanda thrives on contributions from small-scale growers. However, managing small growers’ attendance, quality monitoring, transportation logistics, and ensuring tea traceability posed significant challenges:
- Attendance Records: Manual processes at collection centers often led to errors, delays, and inefficiencies.
- Produce Quality Monitoring: Lack of accurate data on the quality of tea leaves submitted by small growers hindered fair payments and transparency.
- Transportation Coordination: Mismanagement in assigning vehicles and drivers for collection led to inefficiencies and potential losses.
- Tea Traceability: End-to-end tracking of tea from farms to customers was almost non-existent, limiting customer confidence in product origins.
Softweb Technologies collaborated with the Wood Foundation to tackle these issues through a comprehensive solution tailored to small grower management in Rwanda for its unique tea ecosystem.
Innovative Solution for Small Grower Management in Rwanda
Facial Recognition for Attendance
Softweb Technologies’ solution integrates facial recognition technology to capture growers’ attendance at collection centers. Softweb’s Blueeye efficiently captures each farmer’s details, including name, geolocation, and submitted produce, are securely recorded. This ensures accountability and eliminates manual errors.
Key Benefits:
- Accurate grower attendance records.
- Reduced dependency on manual processes.
- Transparent submission tracking.
Tea Traceability from Farms to Cups
To establish comprehensive tea traceability, the solution employs QR code-based tracking at every stage:
- Collection Centers:
- Data on the quantity and quality of leaves submitted by growers is input into an app by collection agents.
- A QR code is generated confirming the farmer’s attendance and submission details.
- Transportation:
- Each vehicle collecting tea bags from various centers is assigned a driver and linked with a QR code detailing the total weight collected. Scanning the QR code, the vehicle load and number can also be fed in to the Plantation ERP automatically.
- Factory Processing:
- After the tea leaves are processed, a final QR code is created for the packaged product, containing vital information such as:
- Manufacturing date.
- Number of contributing farmers.
- Regional origins of the tea.
- After the tea leaves are processed, a final QR code is created for the packaged product, containing vital information such as:
- Customer Feedback:
- Customers purchasing the final product can scan the QR code to access the product’s journey and provide feedback to the small growers.
Key Benefits:
- Enhanced trust through transparent sourcing information.
- Improved quality control mechanisms.
- Empowered growers with direct customer feedback.
Cooperative Management Made Smarter with Small Grower Management in Rwanda
The solution also addresses challenges in cooperative management, streamlining logistics and operations for the Sagasha and Mulindi Tea Factories:
- Data-Driven Decision Making: With real-time data on grower attendance, produce quality, and transportation logistics, cooperative managers can optimize operations.
- Vehicle and Driver Assignment: Collection agents use the app to assign vehicles and drivers, ensuring timely transportation of leaves.
- Improved Collaboration: The system fosters greater transparency between growers, collection agents, factory managers, and buyers, creating a more cohesive supply chain.
Key Benefits:
- Efficient resource utilization.
- Minimized delays and losses in transportation.
- Stronger collaboration between stakeholders.
Benefits of Softweb Technologies’ Traceability Solution
The implementation of Softweb Technologies’ solution has yielded measurable benefits for the Wood Foundation and its stakeholders:
- Empowered Small Growers:
- Accurate attendance and submission records ensure fair compensation.
- Customer feedback motivates growers to enhance their produce quality.
- Optimized Operations:
- Reduced delays and errors in the collection and transportation process.
- Increased factory efficiency with organized inputs.
- Enhanced Traceability:
- QR code tracking assures customers of product authenticity.
- Buyers and auction houses can make informed decisions based on sourcing data.
- Boosted Revenue:
- Transparency attracts premium buyers, enhancing profitability.
- Reduced operational inefficiencies lower costs for cooperatives.
Success Stories from the Wood Foundation
Sagasha Tea Factory
At Sagasha, the new system improved daily operations by automating grower attendance and collection data entry. The factory reported a 20% improvement in operational efficiency and enhanced grower satisfaction due to timely payments and transparent records.
Mulindi Tea Factory
Mulindi Tea Factory declares itself as – Rwanda’s first small holder-owned tea factory. Mulindi leveraged the solution to strengthen tea traceability, attracting interest from international buyers. By highlighting the origin and quality of their tea, the factory achieved a 15% increase in export value.
Softweb Technologies’ solution for the Wood Foundation exemplifies how digital transformation can empower small growers, improve cooperative management, and establish robust tea traceability. By addressing challenges at every stage of the supply chain, the system ensures transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in Rwanda’s tea industry.
