How the Platform Works

One product identity.
Authentication, traceability, compliance, and enforcement.

Every Authentific-protected product carries a single cryptographically signed identity. That identity does not serve one function - it supports authentication at the point of purchase, traceability across the supply chain, compliance reporting for regulators, and enforcement intelligence for brand and government teams. One issuance. Every workflow.

Unit-level Identity granularity
<100ms Global verification latency
Multi-role Scan verification support
5 steps From issuance to intelligence
Core Principle

Issue once. Verify everywhere.

Traditional product security uses separate tools for separate problems - one system for authentication, another for compliance, another for enforcement. Authentific is built on a different model: a single serialized product identity that persists across the entire product lifecycle and activates different capabilities depending on who is scanning, where, and why.

Issuing that identity once - at the point of manufacture - eliminates duplication, reduces integration overhead, and ensures that every actor in the supply chain is working from the same verified product record. The same QR code a consumer uses to check authenticity is the code a customs officer uses to verify the tax stamp, and the code your compliance team uses to generate a regulatory report.

Authentication

Genuine or suspect - for consumers, retailers, and inspectors

Traceability

Complete movement history from manufacture to point of use

Compliance

Audit-ready records for regulatory submissions and reporting

Enforcement

Diversion detection, anomaly alerts, and evidence-grade intelligence

The Workflow

How the platform operates - step by step

Every deployment follows the same five-stage workflow. The process is identical whether the product is a consumer good, a pharmaceutical, a spirits bottle, or a government-issued document.

Step 01

Generate a Unique Product Identity

Before a product is labelled or packaged, Authentific generates a unique, cryptographically signed identity for each unit. Every identity is bound to a specific serial number, batch reference, product class, and issuance timestamp. The signing happens inside a hardware security module - the private key never leaves that boundary.

The identity is delivered to your existing printing or labelling system via API or batch export, at line speed. Every code is unique to its unit - no two products share the same identity, and no identity can be reproduced from a captured sample.

  • Unique serialized identity per unit - no shared or batch codes
  • Cryptographic signature generated entirely within HSM infrastructure
  • Unit serial, batch reference, product class, and timestamp encoded at issuance
  • Delivered to line equipment via REST API or batch export at production speed
  • SAP, Oracle, and MES integration available out of the box
  • Step 02

    Apply the Identity to the Product

    The signed identity is encoded as a QR code and applied to the physical product or document. The method depends on the product category, packaging format, and the requirements of the programme - commercial or regulated.

    All standard physical application formats are supported. No proprietary hardware is required. The platform works with existing line printing and label equipment at production speeds.

    Labels

    Tamper-evident and void label formats for consumer goods and pharmaceutical packaging

    Direct Print

    Thermal, inkjet, or laser-applied directly to packaging materials at line speed

    Tax Stamps

    Government-issued excise and fiscal marking with cryptographic identity for revenue authorities

    Certificates & Documents

    Secure labels for permits, licences, and regulated documents requiring authenticated identity

    Step 03

    Scan and Verify

    Any authorised party can scan the product at any point in its journey - from the warehouse to the retail shelf to the consumer's hands. The scan is verified against the cryptographic identity and returns a result in under 100ms, from any device, anywhere in the world.

    Different users receive different responses. A consumer sees a branded authenticity confirmation. A customs officer sees an inspection-grade verification record. A retailer sees product provenance and distribution history. The same scan, routed to the right view.

    Consumer

    Distributor

    Retailer

    Customs

    Regulator

    Pharmacy

    Enforcement Inspector

    Step 04

    Record the Event

    Every scan is recorded against the product's identity - regardless of who scanned it or what the result was. These records build a complete, tamper-evident chain of custody from manufacture to end use, and form the foundation for compliance reporting and enforcement intelligence.

    Records are available in real time and can be integrated directly with ERP, WMS, and compliance management systems via webhook or API.

  • Timestamp - precise event date and time at the point of scan
  • Product identity - unit serial, batch, and product class
  • Location - geographic coordinates where permitted by scan context
  • Scan source - consumer, trade partner, inspector, or automated system
  • Verification result - authentic, suspect, or flagged for investigation
  • Anomalies - duplicate scans, geographic inconsistencies, or clone patterns
  • Role-Based Access

    Who sees what?

    The same product identity serves every stakeholder - but each receives information tailored to their role. Here is what each party sees when they scan or query the system.

    Consumer

    A branded verification page confirming whether the product is genuine. The page loads in under a second through the Authentific app or an authorized deployment application. It shows the product name, authenticity status, and any brand-specified information such as origin, batch date, or a product registration prompt.

    Distributor & Retailer

    A trade verification view showing the product's authentication status, distribution pathway, and chain of custody up to the point of scan. Distributors and retailers can confirm that a product arrived through authorised channels before accepting or dispatching stock - and flag anything that does not match the expected route.

    Compliance Team

    Access to the full event history for any product unit - scan timestamps, locations, custody handoffs, and verification outcomes - formatted for regulatory reporting. Compliance teams can generate DSCSA, EU FMD, and excise-compatible reports directly from the platform without manual data preparation.

    Customs, Regulator & Enforcement

    An inspection-grade verification record confirming stamp or product identity, issuance authority, and current status. Officers can verify authenticity on-site, without requiring a live database connection. Regulators and enforcement teams can also access aggregated scan data, anomaly reports, and geographic intelligence to support investigations and duty evasion cases.

    Step 05

    Act on the Data

    Scan events feed the Authentific intelligence layer, which surfaces alerts, compliance outputs, and enforcement data across all products and markets in your deployment.

    Compliance teams receive submission-ready reports. Brand teams receive diversion alerts. Enforcement agencies receive investigation-grade evidence. Consumer engagement teams receive scan behaviour and interaction data. Each output is structured for the team that needs it.

    Authentic / Suspect Result

    Real-time verdict delivered to the scanning party with context appropriate to their role

    Diversion Detection

    Automated alerts when products cross unauthorised territorial boundaries

    Compliance Reporting

    DSCSA, EU FMD, and excise-compatible event records formatted for regulatory submission

    Enforcement Intelligence

    Geographic scan patterns and anomaly data for brand and government enforcement actions

    Deployment Variations

    The same workflow. Configured for each sector.

    The five-step process is consistent across all deployments. What changes is the configuration - the physical application method, the scan user types, the compliance outputs, and the intelligence rules - adapted to the specific requirements of each industry.

    FMCG & Spirits

    Consumer Goods & Brand Protection

    Identity is applied as a label or direct print to individual product units or cases. Supply chain events track distribution from manufacturer to retailer. Consumer scans deliver branded verification pages. Diversion alerts identify products crossing territory boundaries, and enforcement reports support commercial legal action against counterfeit operations.

    FMCG deployment →
    Pharmaceuticals

    Pharmaceutical Serialization & Compliance

    Unit-level serialization at the pack level, with cold-chain event recording and DSCSA T3 and EU FMD compliance outputs. The scan workflow supports wholesale distributors, pharmacy dispensing verification, and regulatory inspector access - each receiving the event data appropriate to their compliance role.

    Pharmaceuticals deployment →
    Government & Excise

    Tax Stamps & Fiscal Marking

    Cryptographic identity is embedded in government-issued tax stamps applied to excisable products. Customs and enforcement officers verify stamp authenticity at the point of inspection without connectivity to a remote database. Revenue authorities access scan data and anomaly reports for duty evasion detection and prosecution evidence.

    Government deployment →
    Certificates & Regulated Documents

    Permits, Licences & Secure Documents

    Physical certificates, import permits, licences, and regulated documents carry a cryptographically signed identity applied as a secure label or printed element. Inspection bodies and regulatory agencies verify document authenticity on-site. The event record confirms who verified the document, when, and where - creating an auditable inspection history.

    Applications overview →
    Platform Structure

    How the platform is structured

    Authentific is the identity and verification infrastructure. Named deployment configurations package that infrastructure for specific markets and operational contexts.

    Core Infrastructure

    Authentific

    The underlying platform: HSM key management, cryptographic identity issuance, unit-level serialization, edge verification API, event logging, and analytics. Every deployment runs on this foundation. Authentific is not a consumer product - it is the identity infrastructure that all downstream workflows depend on.

    Platform technology →
    Commercial Deployment

    Trailio TrueBrand

    The brand protection and commercial deployment layer. TrueBrand configures the Authentific platform for consumer goods, FMCG, spirits, luxury, and pharmaceutical brand owners - delivering anti-counterfeit verification, market diversion monitoring, and consumer-facing authentication experiences packaged for brand and trade teams.

    Explore TrueBrand →
    Government Deployment

    Trailio TrueTax

    The government and excise compliance deployment layer. TrueTax applies the same cryptographic infrastructure to tax stamp issuance, excise duty control, and regulated supply chain verification - for revenue authorities, customs agencies, and enforcement bodies requiring secure fiscal marking with audit-grade event records.

    Explore TrueTax →
    All three layers share the same underlying event data model. Intelligence gathered through a TrueBrand deployment and a TrueTax deployment can be unified into a single product intelligence view - essential for manufacturers operating in both commercial and regulated contexts simultaneously.
    Why This Matters

    The business and operational outcomes

    The five-step workflow is not an end in itself. Each stage produces a concrete, measurable outcome for the organisations that deploy it.

    Verified Authenticity

    Every product unit carries a credential that can be verified independently, instantly, and without relying on a database as the sole security layer. Counterfeit products fail at the signature level - not just by matching a serial number.

    End-to-End Visibility

    From the production line to the consumer's hands, every movement event is captured and recorded. Distribution gaps, unauthorised diversions, and scan anomalies surface in real time - before they become incidents or losses.

    Regulatory Compliance

    DSCSA, EU FMD, GS1 EPCIS, and national excise serialization requirements are met through the platform's event data model. Compliance outputs are generated automatically - not assembled manually from fragmented records after the fact.

    Enforcement Capability

    Anomaly detection, geographic boundary alerts, and scan pattern analysis give brand teams and government agencies the evidence they need to act - whether in a commercial enforcement context or a criminal investigation.

    Consumer and Trade Trust

    Consumers receive instant, branded confirmation that the product they are holding is genuine. Retailers and distributors have a verified chain of custody to rely on. The entire supply chain operates on a shared, trusted product record.

    Operational Intelligence

    Scan volume, geographic distribution, verification rates, and anomaly patterns provide a continuous stream of supply chain intelligence - surfacing risks and opportunities that are invisible without product-level event data.

    Next Step

    See the platform operate across your use case.

    A solutions engineer will walk you through the complete workflow - from identity issuance and physical application through to verification, event recording, and the intelligence outputs relevant to your deployment context. Walkthroughs are tailored to your industry, whether that is FMCG, pharmaceuticals, government and excise, or other regulated product categories.