mega fortris – Mega Fortris Americas, Inc.

At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw that the emphasis on Industry 4.0 increased exponentially, which was motivated by the necessity for automated and digitized environments within our businesses. Another factor which was brought into sharp focus during this time was ESG and the realization that business activities impact the environmental, social and governance factors. The fragility of these environments during a pandemic has made ESG a hot topic for investors and companies alike, making it a top business priority in 2021 and driving strategy for 2022 and beyond.

At Mega Fortris, we believe that ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is an intrinsic part of our future moving forward. The key difficulty for business leaders is not just determining the correct ESG objectives, but also ensuring that they are ingrained in the company’s culture which goes beyond mandatory reporting mechanisms.

ESG is a wave which is here to stay and Mega Fortris is investing resources in creating a holistic Strategy for our group. In 2022, it is predicted that companies would face more challenges on operational issues, such as how consumer packaging or plastics are used. Presently, the UK is now mandating that all plastic packaging used must include 30% recycled plastic or be subjected to a Plastic Packaging Tax, which will be rolled out and implemented in April 2022. Our group is working hard in ensuring the sustainability of our products while keeping the high quality of our security seals and tamper-evident bags.

The coronavirus has had an impact on most, if not all, industries everywhere on our globe. Many businesses are hit hard, and only a few are thriving. As a supplier to multiple industries, Mega Fortris has been affected, and our agility and robustness are being tested. But regardless of what is happening in the world, some things, like democratic elections, must proceed unhindered.

Mega Fortris Americas is proud to secure the democratic process when supplying our seals to state departments and county election boards in the US. Recently, Mega Fortris’ Fast Seals, MCLP180 2Ks, MCL350 cable seals and TE Labels were used to secure ballot boxes, drop-off boxes, storage containers and voting machines in the US Presidential election in November 2020.

Each state has its own election rules and regulations, but due to the pandemic, most states were allowing mail-in ballots to avoid large gatherings on election day. In some states, mail-in ballots could be dropped off, mailed or handed in several weeks before election day and many voters acted accordingly. Therefore, the need for sealed storage of more ballots for a long time was crucial to secure the election this year compared to past elections.

Several factors are undermining the trust in fair elections in the US, which is very unfortunate. However, a positive side-effect is that more focus is put on the processes and security devices being used. That is crucial to continue improving and securing this vast and diverse election system that caters to more than 250 million voters and currently has more than 230,000 polling places nationwide.

Mega Fortris’ role in preserving electoral transparency and ingenuity is critical. Our commitment to providing the necessary equipment helps to ensure democracy could take its course. This isn’t just limited to preserving the integrity of the democratic process in the US, but for the whole world too.

For more information on Mega Fortris’ ranges of security seals, security bags, security boxes and labels, kindly click here or contact us here.

Despite global lockdowns that restrict the movement of vehicles and people, cargo theft has been on the rise since the pandemic broke out. These cargo thefts have not been limited to a particular region. Rather, it is a global problem that is putting businesses at risk at any point in the supply chain.

During the first half of 2020, over €85m worth of products were stolen across 3,278 cargo theft according to TAPA’s Incident Information Service (IIS) database. These thefts occurred across supply chains of 46 countries in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region. The cargo theft was reported across every mode of transport: air, road, sea, and rail freight.

Meanwhile, in North America, CargoNet reports there has been a 107% jump in cargo thefts in April 2020 when compared to April 2019. A total of 1,080 thefts have been reported in the U.S. and Canada up to the end of September 2020.

Pandemic Panic & Desperation Causing Cargo Theft Spike

Cargo theft isn’t anything new. However, since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns that impact the global economy, thieves are taking advantage of the pandemic panic and disruptions to supply chains as windows of opportunity.

Many of these organised crimes target cargos for goods that can be sold on the black market. With panic around the coronavirus circulating amongst the general population, thieves are taking advantage of stealing and selling pandemic-related goods on the black market.

In 2020, millions of pandemic-related goods have been reported stolen, which includes face masks, medical suits and gowns, respirators, hand sanitisers, and toilet rolls. These thefts incrementing to seven-figure financial losses have been reported in Spain, Kenya, Czech Republic, France, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Norway, and England.

Pandemic-related items are not the only target. Other types of goods that sell well on the black market and are commonly reported as stolen in cargo theft include computers, laptops, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, clothing and footwear, phones, food and drink, cosmetics and hygiene, and sports equipment.

Organised crime isn’t the only contributor to the spike in cargo theft since the pandemic. Authorities have observed a rise of Inside jobs, as employees have struggled with reduced hours, time away from work due to COVID-19 exposure, or the stress and anxiety of the pandemic.

The Real Cost of Cargo Crime

The impact of cargo theft upon a business goes beyond the market value of the goods stolen. Cargo theft can also negatively impact a business in other ways.

When stolen goods are available on the black market at a cheaper price, it can impact other sales for the business through reputed channels and stifle business growth. It can also damage the reputation of a business as it can leave consumers to question the authenticity, safety, or quality of goods from a brand that has become notorious for having fake or stolen products available for cheap on the black market. Consumers may then prefer a competitor’s brand for which they have more trust.

There are also other aspects of cargo crime, beyond cargo theft, that can put businesses at risk. BSI’s Supply Chain Risk Exposure Evaluation Network (SCREEN) Intelligence also list illegal drug smuggling, child labour, and human trafficking as other forms of cargo crime. If a business gets targeted by organised crime—or in some cases, criminals that take advantage of corrupt or desperate personnel for a collaborative inside job—the resulting legal ramifications could significantly damage the entire business.

With the wide risk and domino impact that cargo crime can create, protecting the supply chain is a critical investment for every business.

Preserving the Integrity of the Supply Chain with Security Seals

Any business that involves logistics will benefit from the use of tamper-proof security seals. Whether or not you’ve faced cargo theft before, and no matter how much you think you trust the people who work for you, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Tamper-proof security seals can be used to verify that trailers, compartments, and rail autos convey items have not been broken into or messed around with during transport. A compartment sent needs to be secured so that upon landing it is protected. This is carried out to ensure the last objective ports of the items and to secure the end client of the item.

To learn more about the wide range of security seals available for different types of cargo and modes of transport, visit Mega Fortris Group, a trusted, world-class security seal designer and manufacturer with over 20 years of experience.

“The COVID-19 global health crisis has been a time to reflect on things we truly cherish and our most basic needs. These uncertain times have made many of us rekindle our appreciation for a thing that some take for granted and many go without: food.” – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This year’s #WorldFoodDay on 16th October 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the founding of FAO, an organisation founded to strengthen food production and distribution systems to fighting hunger and tackling disease, whether they emerge in humans, animals, plants, or the environment.

This year’s #WorldFoodDay is nothing but ordinary with the pandemic threatening our populations. The impact of COVID-19 on food and agriculture affects value chains, food prices, and food security across the globe. Sustainable initiatives led by governments and private organisations, aim to mitigate the impact of food supply on vulnerable communities amidst this pandemic, needs to ensure food safety and prevent contamination across the supply chain.

A research revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had intensified the urgency for supply chain transparency. This is especially pronounced in the food supply chain as the consumer highly demands food supply chain transparency, resulting from several occurrences of food safety issues around the world. In the early days, a vision study report by Zebra Technology enlightened the industry players and public on food safety, traceability and transparency in the food supply chain.

Now you may ask, how do food safety and traceability in the food supply chain relate to each other? Both are essential quotidian supporting our daily life with minimal visibility; both are at stake if no preventive measures are taken proactively. With traceability in the food supply chain, visibility and transparency offered to the industry and public. Traceability upholds trust and reliability between industry players and the consumer and eases the operation suppose a food safety alert emerges.

Application of Traceability

Subsequently, consumer brands such as Mondeléz, Olam, and EZ Grow Farms join the traceability movement to build a safe food supply chain. Countries such as Australia, Hong Kong, UK, and Brazil have reinforced traceability in the food supply chain by introducing standards and regulations. Furthermore, the FDA has recently proposed a food safety fundamental rule for the farm-to-fork food traceability across the food industry.

Traceability is a supply chain solution supported by software and hardware. For the software, blockchain has been the top choice when considering a system to support end-to-end traceability. Blockchain is proven to certify the authenticity and prevent falsification, while simultaneously visualizing the entire supply chain for greater value.

A Japanese blockchain company, Chaintop designed a traceability system that requires just the mobile app and a smartphone. With this simple mechanism, the public can scan the QR code on the product to gain product information registered. The company has managed to trace sea squirts in Japan and pharmaceutical products in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Australian Department of Primary Industry is looking into tracing mud crab to combat illegal fishing and hence ensuring a sustainable resource of mud crab. Traceability can be a solution for sustainable supply chain environment too.

Security Seals and Tamper-Evident Sticker in Traceability

While blockchain enables authenticity certification, the hardware for traceability must be able to secure the product and uphold material integrity. The hardware shall not compromise on any pilferage, alteration, and theft. Security seals and tamper-evident stickers are the best hardware and identifiers for traceability as they are versatile for all applications throughout the process, tamper-evident, and cost-effective.

Mega Fortris is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of security seals, container bolt seals, tamper-evident products, and complete solutions for the securing of goods. The award-winning and standards accredited company offers a full range of highly tamper-evident and cost-competitive security products. With the versatility and efficiency of the products and services, the company is ready to serve the industry players intent to implement traceability in their operation.

Traceability for Food Supply Chain Transparency

The elevation and implementation of traceability for food safety in the food supply chain rely on the technology advancements and substantial tools, in addition to supporting the operation and delivering optimized performance. Security seals are not only an integral but rather a fundamental tool to complete traceability in the food supply chain. With security seals and technology, we can simultaneously achieve security, visibility, and sustainability in the food supply chain.

From the consumer demand we see in the surveys and reports, to the industry initiatives and standards and regulations by the government, the collective efforts set the pace to establishing a worldwide definitive standard and system, hence assemble a safe and transparent food supply chain. Industry players should be able to identify the intangible yet significant return of traceability and be part of the movement to improve food safety in the food supply chain. Make timely decisions; be resilient.

Why is security seal important? Security seals in the eyes of academicians.

Among the most fundamental skills of a business owner is the ability to identify profitable investment opportunities. It is not uncommon that business owners today prioritize financial returns rather than the intangible and long term investment returns. The natural instinct of any business owner is to recognize and to anticipate the long term benefits and possible opportunities for future investments.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – Benjamin Franklin.

The knowledge that comes with security seals is beyond numbers and alphabets. The return on investment with security seals lies in the value of the data collected, integrity of the design, and future development readiness.

Academics and learned scholars speak about the significance and potential of security seals. We interviewed professors with expertise in the international business, food production and regulation, defense and terrorism sectors and asked them to share their insights on business owners investing in security seals. The answers below have been edited for clarity and length.

1. Guarantees product authenticity and security

Dr. JiYoung Park, Assistant Professor, International Business, School of Economics and Management, Xiamen University Malaysia stated that,

“Security seals ensure the trustworthiness and quality of relationship management between businesses and their customers.”

As a professor and an end-consumer of products, she believes that the authenticity of a product is one of the biggest concerns consumers have when purchasing goods.

As businesses compete amongst each other, leveraging on their unique competitive advantages within their chosen industry sector in order to attract and retain customers, security seals play a critical role in guaranteeing product authenticity and security and help to build trust and confidence with their customers.

2. Increases efficiency & reliability

Investment in security seals has the potential to increase efficiency and reliability in the long run. Business owners are able to capture the operation data, which contributes as constructive reference in the decision-making process. The potential of security seals is largely on its capability to be integrated within the business’ operating systems that provide visibility and traceability, as part of the IR4.0 adaptation.

Dr. Siti Nurhayatikhairatun Mohd Sharif, Senior Lecturer, Food Defense &Terrorism and Food Regulatory, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University Putra Malaysia stated,

“I see big and positive potential in security seals, complementing the traceability system.”

She made a clear statement that security seals are commonly utilized with the purposes of security, quality control and risk-mitigating. If any incidences occur, security seals enable the tracing of root causes for further action to be taken and are referred as a reference point for future prevention.

3. Prevents sabotage

More often than not, security seals prevent sabotage by both insider and outsider actions. Usage of security seals also allows for monitoring and controlling of product quality. The primary issue in the operation here is the lack of standardization of systems along the supply chain.

In the light of COVID-19, new SOPs were implemented such as the limit on the number of people allowed inside a work environment resulting in production output decreasing and less security available to physically guard a business’ assets and property. Security seals can be used as a substitute for human resources due to their reliability and physical strength. One of the major benefits of security seals is that they are compatible with hardware when used in the implementation of the traceability system – monitoring, visibility and security.

4. Acts as a form of verification, enforcement and surveillance

To dive further into the importance of security seals, we interviewed an expert in the Ministry of Health of Malaysia to learn more about the law enforcement of application security seals in food safety. Muhayudeen Muhammad, Assistant Director, Ministry of Health Malaysia mentioned that,

“One step forward and one step back, security seals application benefits both law enforcement agencies and the industry players.”

Security seals are a form of verification, enforcement and surveillance in the health sector. There are regulations to enforce food security and traceability however with the cost factor as the main concern among industry players, limited and inconsistent information is captured in the operation. As this process is time and workforce consuming for the law enforcement agencies, the need to reinforce the importance of security seals throughout the food supply chain is critical.

With benefits gained in the data collected via the presence of security seals by both agencies and business owners, it eases their workload when the need to trace root causes of a crisis while keeping the business owners accountable. The transparency and synergy between agencies and business owners are valuable for the nation’s food supply chain environment to be nurtured, kept safe and ultimately contribute to all end-customers.

As a way forward, implementing a sophisticated tracking system with security seals being the main hardware brings greater interest for the agencies and business owners. Thus, agencies and government could work hand in hand to push regulations and incentives, ensuring business owners comply with the regulation and make necessary changes in their operation.

From the academic’s perspective, security seals have a lot more potential beyond what the eye can see. While bringing ease to work, they have great potential to make businesses and industries accountable to every consumer chain. As we mention these benefits, we aim to see a drastic growth in the entrepreneurial space via the usage of security seals to create high-end services and products for the nation. Security seals are undoubtedly established as a need in every business in the long run.

Hungarian Security Forum

The importance of the role of Security Forums and conferences cannot be underestimated, especially when organised and managed effectively. It can provide a professional and constructive environment whereby critical areas and topics can be discussed, evaluated and addressed with the view of developing common approaches for improvements/development.

It was a combination of all the above factors and the desire to create a professional base of opinions and expertise that the Hungarian Security Forum was established in 2011. Formed in conjunction with Mr Peter North, Managing Director of Mega Fortris Hungary and Security professionals from numerous multinational companies, an expert panel consisting of eleven representatives was established.

The Hungarian Security Forum now holds an annual professional conference which hosts around 350 participants. Professional seminars are held covering all aspects of security: Personal and property protection, Security Cameras, Mechanical protection of goods, Tamper Evidence in supply chain etc. The forums also actively work in conjunction with universities, thereby supporting the next generation of security professionals.

Annual awards are now also announced each year at the conference which includes recognising professionals who have excelled in their role, or those who have worked in emergencies and saved lives, with many other areas also included.

HSF also launched the “One Day For Safety” concept which helps companies identify their security weaknesses for free. At the end of the day a report is submitted outlining the shortcomings that have been addressed. The company is then given the option to address the problems itself or to develop and work through it with the Hungarian Security Forum for a fee.

HSF is also an active member of TAPA – as their main Easter Europe Partner.

Mega Fortris has seen many benefits through the HSF as it has provided a platform whereby many companies have been introduced via one of our events and subsequently shared experiences etc through one of our forums. MFHU has now nearly 800 customers, mostly from the large multinational customers due to my work at the Hungarian Security Forum.

As we continue to battle against the pandemic which has impacted all business operations / Industries, it is becoming ever more vital to adapt to changes in procedures to ensure the safety of employees and customers. During these unprecedented times, we have been working with many organisations to develop new safety products to provide an added layer of security in various diverse operations.

Tamper Evident Vehicle Key Bags

We are proud to announce the launch of our new “VEHICLE KEY BAGS” which allow the safe and secure storage and movement of vehicle keys. The vehicle key bag allows the keys to be secured safely and also features a tamper-evident security closure which will act to show if any attempt of tampering is made to the bag. The bags also feature an information box which includes details such as vehicle reg, name, date and time. It also has a perforated tab at the top which works as a receipt for the customer. To allow for easy integration into an automated system, there is also a barcode 128 which comes as standard.

Sanitised & Quarantined Tamper Evident Labels

Our non- residue Sanitised and Quarantined labels leave a clear ‘Void/Open’ message when any attempt of removal is made. The message will clearly illustrate any attempt of tampering whilst leaving no residue on the application surface.
Protects product integrity by giving a clear indication of any tampering, unauthorised entry, potential fraud and possible cross-contamination of Covid-19.
Interior and exterior doors and panels, car/van doors, hotel rooms, office doors, cupboards, fuel caps, cash boxes etc.

Car Dealerships

The labels and key bags can be used in conjunction within car dealerships/showrooms. The tamper-evident key bags are designed to secure the keys whilst service/repair/test drives etc are being conducted. The bags facilitate the secure storage of the keys, whilst a tamper-evident closure gives reassurance to both staff and customers that no unauthorised entry and consequent possible contamination to the keys has been made. The keys can still be activated through the bag and can therefore be returned in the same condition as received.

Our safety labels have been tried and tested for use in car dealerships between each test drive/demo. Currently, cars are Sanitised between each test drive, and a label then placed on the car door. Any subsequent attempt to remove it will again highlight any breach in security and possible cross-contamination threat.

Car Hire Service

Similarly, the car hire industry can also utilise this bag within its activity. Allocation of the keys via the bags will give peace of mind to the customers that the keys have been properly sanitised. Furthermore, the bags can also be used to quarantine the keys when returned by a customer, therefore allowing staff to log the contents and take the necessary steps to sanitise and quarantine etc.

At Mega Fortris, we understand the importance of keeping a business running in these difficult times and appreciate the challenges organisations face right now. If you have a query regarding implementing safety features in your business, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected]