From source to sip. Aqua Breeze sets the standards in bottled water traceability with GS1 Kenya.

Just as you exit Kiambu town towards Riabai town, in the green outskirts, rests Aqua Breeze Limited, an influential company in the bottled water industry and the largest distributor of Aqua Breeze pure drinking water. As I get to the premises, I am warmly welcomed by Mr. Gitau, the Chief Executive Officer and owner of Aqua Breeze Limited. With excitement, he takes me through the journey of his company, which was founded back in 2015 with just one employee. He proudly goes ahead and states that since its founding, he has implemented GS1 Kenya standards to streamline his business operations.

Why Aqua Breeze Adopted Global Standards One Standards

As we took part in the conversation, Mr. Gitau explains why he decided to implement GS1 standards in his daily operations. He says in 2015 when Aqua Breeze entered the market, supermarkets demanded that all products should have proper identification and barcodes for them to be accepted in the purchasing departments. This requirement sped up the need for various companies to integrate GS1 Kenya barcodes to enable their products to move efficiently through retail chains and supermarkets. Without these standards, Aqua Breeze Water would not have present in most important distribution channels around the globe.

Challenges Before Implementing Global Standards One Standards

Before the integration of GS1 standards into his business, Mr. Gitau had some major challenges. He remembers that there was no structured way to enter product information into the supermarket systems, which led to gaps and inefficiencies between the registers. Manual data entry was the only available method that created many errors. Furthermore, the lack of standardized barcodes created bottlenecks in the supply chain, limiting access to the market.

GS1 Standards in Aqua Breeze’s Operations

While we continue with our conversation, Mr. Gitau guides me through some of the most important GS1 standards Aqua Breeze has included in his business. This includes:

Global Trade Item Number (GTIN): Used to uniquely identify Aqua Breeze products, ensuring proper scanning and inventory management.

Global Location Number (GLN): Enables precise tracking of the company’s production and distribution locations.

Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN): Ensures accurate product information is shared across retailers and suppliers.

Quick Response (QR) Codes: These codes provide consumers with detailed product information, including batch numbers, production dates, and compliance details.

The Impact of GS1 Standards on Aqua Breeze

Mr. Gitau elaborates how the implementation of these standards has changed his business. Some of the most important benefits he stated are:

Smooth Checkout Process: GS1 Barcodes simplify the product identification process in supermarket systems getting rid of delayed checkouts and improving consumer experiences in the supermarkets.

Improved Product Authenticity: The introduction of the GS1 Kenya Quick Response (QR Code) allows consumers to check the reliability of Aqua Breeze water. A quick mobile scan gives details such as production dates, regulation compliance and batch numbers that are key information to both retailers and consumers.

Improved supply chain efficiency: GS1-Kenya standards allow for accurate inventory persecution, reducing errors and inefficiencies in inventory management and distribution.

New market entry and retention: The accuracy of the GS1 Kenya barcodes ensures that Aqua Breeze has continuous relevance in various markets by ensuring the correct product scan.

GS1 Standards and Product Safety

Consumer trust is the foundation of the bottled water industry, making product safety and compatibility essential for all known brands.  Mr. Gitau emphasizes that Aqua Breeze has integrated GS1 Kenya standards and barcodes to ensure openness and compliance with health regulations, especially in response to public concerns about inferior and non-compliant products. By incorporating essential product details in the GS1 Kenya quick response Codes, the company promotes openness in its operations, allowing both consumers and supervisory authorities to access real-time information on its water products. This commitment to traceability has not only strengthened consumer trust but has also served as a powerful deterrent against the low-quality products that appear in the market.

Strengthening Traceability with consumers

Over the course of the tour, Mr. Gitau narrates how the GS1-Kenyas standards have played an important role in expanding Aqua Breeze market range. He explains that the reliability of GS1 Kenya barcodes has ensured smooth product scans at all retail stores eliminating cash register failures and also optimized the sales process. This efficiency has contributed to an optimized supply chain and has strengthened Aqua Breeze’s position as a trusted brand in the bottled water industry.

What next technologically for Aqua Breeze

Regarding the future, Mr. Gitau gives an in depth look into the future trends in the bottled water industry. He states how he is aware of the digital transformation that is redesigning the bottled water industry with upcoming technologies such as block chain which is used for traceability, artificial intelligence for quality control and intelligent packaging solutions that provide real-time data to consumers. He goes ahead to mention that Aqua Breeze is obligated to staying ahead of these trends by continuing to invest in digital traceability tools to improve product visibility and ensure long-term business growth. By using GS1 barcodes and fast response codes, the company remain determined to innovation, product integrity and building consumer trust.

Encouraging Other Businesses to Adopt Global Standards One Standards

Before completing our discussion, I ask Mr. Gitau if he would recommend other companies to incorporate GS1 standards into their businesses. Without delay, he says yes, mentioning reliability, future motivations and smooth access to critical product information that GS1 standards provide through fast response codes. He also insisted that GS1 barcodes are universal and allow companies to do businesses with the same barcodes around the world ensuring consistency and access to global markets.

As my interview and short tour of Mr. Gitau’s aquatic factory approaches the end, it takes him a little time to shout out his company Aqua Breeze. He passionately states that we all can get hold of all Aqua Breeze products from nearby retailers around us. With a brave smile, he proudly shares his business motto: Feel the Breeze. He assures me that everyone who gets hold of his brand will truly experience the essence of Aqua Breeze with every sip they take.