New Zealand’s wine industry is complex and fragmented. The largest companies account for a significant share of total production and have significant technology requirements. There are also many small and medium-sized producers, some making specialty wines under distinctive brands. There is a myriad of other companies providing raw materials, transportation, storage, distribution and other services that are also very important to achieving robust traceability throughout the wine industry.

Effective traceability systems involve automatic data capture, systematic item identification, batch control, links management, and exchanges of relevant data.  Traceability is required in many jurisdictions. Moreover, wine producers and others in the industry find a focus on traceability is very useful for managing risks and for cost-saving automation of certain business processes.