Case studies
Foodservice standard on the way (March 2005)
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and major foodservice distributor organisations have agreed that new product identification, bar coding, electronic messaging standards and the EANnet data synchronisation catalogue should be adopted as soon as possible in the Australian foodservice sector.
This initiative originally came about via the National Food Industry Strategy (NFIS) Foodchain project and a Foodservice industry forum run by the AFGC.
The aim of the project was to develop foodservice industry standards and to show the benefits to the whole supply chain flowing from the implementation of EAN•UCC standards. This includes the development of numbering and bar coding guidelines and the creation of the latest version of the Australian Retail Industry message implementation guidelines (MIGs) for Purchase Order and Despatch Advice.
According to Dick Wells, CEO of the AFGC, the adoption of EAN•UCC numbering and electronic messaging standards and the EANnet data synchronisation catalogue will "enable major suppliers to reap the benefits they already gain from the supply of similar products to the retail grocery sector."
Many industry experts have said the adoption of the retail grocery industry standards by the foodservice industry should reduce errors, avoid duplication and improve inventory management, in turn resulting in lower costs, reduced inventories, accurate and timely information and improved profitability.
The first of four stages, the development of foodservice guidelines for numbering and bar coding, is complete. The second and third stages of this project involving EAN•UCC automatic data capture and electronic messaging standards and data synchronisation are in progress. The fourth stage will involve dissemination of the benefits of the uses of EAN•UCC standards to the wider industry via a roadshow at a later date.
