GS1 UK, the global supply chain standards organisation, has issued a charter signed by 12 grocery retailers and brands, committing to a single industry solution for product data management.
The Co-operative, Itsu, L'Oréal, Mondelēz, Nestlé, Ocado, PepsiCo, P&G, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Unilever and Waitrose have shown their support for an industry-wide programme that aims to deliver improved data quality.
GS1 UK's Retail Grocery Advisory Board launched the new programme, Digital DNA, last year, and is currently developing an industry-governed solution for launch in 2018.
“The UK retail industry is in many ways a world leader in innovation and execution,” says Gary Lynch, CEO of GS1 UK.
“But it has fallen behind other countries in addressing the challenge of poor quality supply chain and product data. This costs the industry millions through inefficiencies and lost sales, and holds back innovation that could improve the customer experience.”
Programme Development
Two technology providers are currently working with multiple retailers and suppliers on an end-to-end pilot programme, which would allow the organisations to populate and pull data to and form the service using multiple channels.
“This is an important step towards the delivery of a new industry-wide service for managing product data,” says Gianluca Branda, associate director of product supply at P&G Northern Europe.
“Currently, brands provide product information in multiple ways to different retailers and this adds both cost and complexity."
Mark Watson, director of planning and supply chain at Ocado, added that such a programme would also be beneficial for consumers.
"As an industry, it is essential we work together so solve the problem of providing quality product data to all our customers," he said. "Giving them this information will help them make easier purchasing decisions – whether it’s based on health and wellbeing or lifestyle choices.”
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
