A Donation Matching Solution for Disaster Preparation Emergency Rations that Support Solving Issues Like Food Waste

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Relevant SDGs

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  1: NO POVERTY

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  2: ZERO HUNGER

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  3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Inspired by a Company Supervisor's Comment that "Discarding Items is a Waste."

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, companies have increasingly been formulating business continuity plans, and many of these companies have begun introducing disaster-preparation emergency rations ("emergency rations"). NTT TechnoCross also newly introduced emergency rations, but the items tended to have long expiration dates, and these were not always checked, so it noticed that some items went out of date before they were checked. Also, factors such as changes in the number of employees working at the company made it a hassle to manage the emergency rations, such as ensuring the current number of items was sufficient for the number of employees and working out what items should be placed in what locations.

When researching the situation, the company found that a large number of companies were experiencing similar management issues. Inspired by the comment, "If we could process these before the expiration date runs out, I would like to donate them," it solicited opinions from companies that sell emergency rations, and organizations that support welfare facilities and households in need, and aimed to launch a service that would contribute to solving social issues, such as reducing food waste.

Bringing about an Emergency Ration Eco-Cycle

The service the company developed is Sonaerun CSR+: Secure Emergency Ration Support. This service brings about an emergency rations eco-cycle by providing integrated support for a company's emergency rations management and CSR activities (donations). It enables the user company to manage its emergency rations more efficiently and appropriately, and items that are approaching their expiration dates can be given to beneficiary organizations that take donations. These organizations can also make requests for certain items that they need. As a result, companies can make their CSR activities more dynamic, reduce food waste, and strengthen support for welfare facilities and households in need.

Overview of Sonaerun CSR+: Secure Emergency Ration Support

This service offers the following three features.

Free Emergency Ration Management Support

The free-to-use cloud-based emergency ration management service can be used as soon as the user has registered through the website. This enables the simple management of the location, amount, and expiration dates of emergency rations, which companies previously had to do through Excel files or paper ledgers.

Support for Food Waste Reduction by Providing Donation Information

As companies manage the expiration dates of the emergency rations they possess, information regarding items that are approaching their expiration dates is released to beneficiary organization supporting welfare facilities and households in need. These organizations can use this information to make requests to the company regarding the amount and types of items they need, resulting in a smooth donation process.

Appropriate Emergency Ration Purchasing Support

The service can be used to request quotes from emergency ration suppliers. The information needed to make a quote can be entered into a specially prepared quote request template, making it easy for the company to request a quote. It is also possible to request quotes from several suppliers at the same time. Furthermore, information regarding emergency rations recommended by local governments can be checked through the service, enabling companies to buy the most appropriate amount according to their size and location.

Going forward, NTT TechnoCross is looking to expand the service beyond emergency rations, so the scope of Sonaerun CSR+: Secure Emergency Ration Support will widen further.