Articles
Grocers gear up for UBF fadeout (December 2004)
As Australasia's major grocery retailers and their suppliers move towards EANnet, it seems the days of the paperbased universal buying form (UBF) are numbered.
In the five months since June, the number of EANnet subscribers has jumped by more than 35%. At time of article printing, the 456 strong EANnet subscriber community boasted 96 of Australia's top 100-grocery suppliers*. Growth is also impressive across the Tasman with the recent launch of EANnet in New Zealand prompting an initial 22 suppliers to join their local community.
To date, 55,000 trade items have been loaded into EANnet and 105 suppliers have achieved EANnet Ready™ status. Already, 61 suppliers to Coles/BiLo have eliminated paper-based UBF's.
Coles' well-publicised approach to EANnet requires all packaged goods suppliers to its Coles and Bi-Lo supermarkets to be EANnet Ready by March 2005, while the timeframe for fresh produce suppliers is marginally later at May 2005.
Metcash, which comprises IGA, Campbells Cash and Carry and ALM, has been fully integrated with EANnet for two years and is poised to begin phasing out UBF's according to Michael Haire, Metcash National Data Administration Manager.
"Metcash would like to be in a position by 31st March 2005 where paper UBF's are being progressively phased out and all product related information from vendors to Metcash is electronically exchanged via EANnet."
Woolworths' Senior Business Manager eCommerce B2B Peter Roebers said Woolworths' suppliers would be able to use either EANnet or the company's own electronic Core Record Integration system (eCRI), which is currently undergoing trials with a number of suppliers.
"Our aim is to improve data accuracy and efficiency for suppliers," Peter said. "Woolworths is actively working with EAN to establish integration between eCRI and EANnet."
Franklins General Manager Information, Bill Morgan, confirmed its adoption of EANnet as the company's eCommerce data synchronisation standard and is working with EAN Professional Services to engage with more than 1,000 suppliers.
"Franklins supports EANnet in its endeavours to help vendors become EANnet compliant as this would facilitate cost effective product information exchanges between suppliers and Franklins," Bill said.
The Franklins and Metcash experience has been carefully watched by New Zealand's largest grocery distributor, Foodstuffs. The company is to pilot EANnet with six key suppliers and has targeted third-quarter 2005 to go live.
In response to the unprecedented interest in EANnet, EAN Professional Services recently increased its resources and is well-equipped to assist members become EANnet Ready with a range of training courses, implementation programmes and project managed assistance.
* Source - AC Nielson Top 100 Grocery Suppliers Report
