THE SUPPLY CHAIN MAGAZINE • ISSUE 17 • AUTUMN 08

IMPORTANT changes to your membership…

Planning for the supply chain

professionals of tomorrow

STARS Of The SuPPly chAIN

The industry’s recognition of our contribution to

educating supply chain management professionals

cONTeNTS

Features16 Sandra to bring liquor industry in synchThe newesT oF Gs1 AusTrAliA’s CounCil members, sAndrA PrzibillA, is Also The mAnAGinG direCTor oF The liquor merChAnTs AssoCiATion oF AusTrAliA.

18 Stars of the supply chainmATThew smiTh oF The bunninGs GrouP, The souThern heAlTh PhArmACy dePArTmenT And AssoCiATe ProFessor CAroline ChAn oF deAkin universiTy Are The 2007 winners oF Gs1 AusTrAliA’s AwArds

20 GS1 System helps hospitals reduce drug receipt timesThe Time TAken To reCeive sToCk inTo A hosPiTAl PhArmACy sysTem hAs been siGniFiCAnTly reduCed – by beTween 60 And 92 Per CenT – durinG PhAse 2 oF The monAsh PhArmACy ProjeCT.

starters03 WelcomeChairman’s messageCeo insights

04 Quickscanletterhot datesvox Pop

This issue06 Local Newsmiddleware the key to successful migration to Gs1net

Gs1net will eliminate thousands of man-hours: auto aftermarket supplier

Technology to transform your business...

Gs1net users share experiences

important changes to yourmembership good news for smes 10

Global NewsGlobal eCommerce strategy charts Xml path

Global update rFid: improving visibility for music and entertainment

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Emerging Trendsmanufacturers and raw materials suppliers take on eCommerce

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Get SmartTraining the trainer

Planning for the supply chain professionals of tomorrow

learning more about the Gs1-enabled supply chain

university of Tasmania signs mou

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Tech Headsretailers say “don’t wait until 2010” for Gs1 databar™

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Industry Profilehardware retailers call suppliers to act on Gs1 standards

Alliance Partners22

Food safety and stability

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want to improve your cash flow...?

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on demand and rFid takes b2b eCommerce industry by force

CONTRIBUTORSediTor morag milneProjeCT mAnAGer matthew Timoshanko AdverTisinG And ProduCTion matthew TimoshankowriTers marian macdonald (Firefly marketing) morag milnedesiGn vetro designPrinTinG rA Printing

GS1 AUSTRAlIA heAd oFFiCe Axxess Corporate Park 100/45 Gilby road mount waverley viC 3149

SydNey OffICe lakes business Park building 4b, 2-4 lord street botany nsw 2019

national number: 1300 366 033 international number: +61 3 9558 9559 Fax: +61 3 9558 9551General email gs1aust@gs1au.orglink email editor@gs1au.orgwww.gs1au.org

Gs1 Australia is the only organisation authorised by Gs1 Global to allocate and administer Gs1 bar Code numbers in Australia. Gs1 Australia adds value to our members’ businesses by promoting and developing the adoption of cross-sector, global supply chain standards. Gs1 Australia delivers supply chain solutions and services for bar coding, electronic business messaging, global data synchronisation and radio Frequency identification technology (rFid).

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CHaIrmaN’S mESSaGE

Introducing your Board The lucrative share offerings and remuneration packages showered upon the board members of leading Australian companies regularly spark media sensations. not so at Gs1 Australia: your board and Council members volunteer their time and expertise.

why do they do it? i suspect it’s because they believe in what we’re all working together to achieve, which is an edge for Australian industry in an increasingly tough global marketplace and, at home, the opportunity for every member to prosper – no matter where they are in the supply chain.

Functioning at its best, the Gs1 system can make that happen but, to pull it off, we need a network of relationships underpinned by great two-way communication across industry sectors. we also need to be sure Gs1 Australia never forgets that it is an industry body run by industry for the benefit of industry.

our board and Council members guarantee we will stay true. each represents an industry sector and together they are untiring advocates for the concept of collaboration that is central to successful supply chains.

if ever you needed proof of that, take a moment to read the interview with the board’s latest recruit, sandra Przibilla, in this edition of LiNK. sandra has 25 years of experience in the liquor industry and a crystal clear vision of how we can better engage the diverse membership of the liquor merchants Association of Australia.

That’s why Gs1 Australia’s board is tied so closely to our membership. who better to chart our strategic direction and evaluate our performance than a representative of the people we set out to serve?

CEO INSIGHTS

Charting a course for 2008we asked members a big question: their plans for the supply chain in 2008. Their answers were: greater accuracy and better communication with trading partners, as you’ll see in the vox Pop (page 04).

in many ways, those sentiments are echoed right throughout this edition of LiNK. Gs1 has formed many new alliances, including a memoranda of understanding with the university of Tasmania (page 13), and engaged with the hardware industry, forming an action group (page 15) to tackle supply chain issues. Then, on page 16, you can read the story of sandra Przibilla, who is forging closer links between the liquor industry and Gs1 Australia.

we’re also focusing on data accuracy issues, which feature heavily in our stories on the Gs1net migration (page 06), the auto aftermarket (page 07), the global eCommerce strategy (page 10), and of course, the groundbreaking monash Project (page 20).

The monash Project highlights the breadth of benefits that the Gs1 system can bring about. Participants found that introducing the system will not only generate huge savings in time and money for hospital pharmacies but, through the use of Gs1 standards, will also uncover and address accuracy problems in the trading process. This is set to revolutionise the healthcare supply chain, and in doing so, has great potential to save lives.

That’s why monash’s pioneering southern health Pharmacy department was recognised with the 2007 Award for standards in Action (page 18). Congratulations to the pharmacy staff and to our other award winners, matthew smith of bunnings and Associate Professor Caroline Chan of deakin university. supply chain champions like you can, and do, make a real difference.

0.1 russell stucki, Chairman, with maria Palazzolo, Ceo, Gs1 Australia

WelcOMe

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QuIcKScAN

LetterIt was great to read about the surfwear and lifestyle apparel industry’s plans to ride the eCommerce wave (LiNK Summer 07/08).

it’s perfect timing for ocean & earth. we are just over one year into a five-year global expansion program and boosting the efficiency of our supply chain operations is an important part of achieving growth here and in europe and the usA.

The article in LiNK mentioned that the group would meet again at an information day. Please let us know so that ocean & earth can take part.

regards Phil Mewett CeO Ocean & earth Australia Pty ltd

As we go to print, the Australian surfwear/lifestyle Clothing eCommerce industry Collaboration Group are meeting on the Gold Coast (22nd February, after the big 3 expo).

link will keep you updated with the outcome of this meeting, plus keep you informed with any other industry developments that have occurred.

For more details on any further events, contact sean sloan of Gs1 Australia on 1300 366 033, or check www.gs1au.events/

NATIONAL PHARMACIES JOINS GS1NET

nATionAl PhArmACies’ Aim is To inCreAse dATA ACCurACy And brinG GreATer eFFiCienCies To CATeGory mAnAGemenT ProCesses, sPACe mAnAGemenT sysTems, And PromoTions mAnAGemenT.

“The expansion of Gs1net into healthcare through the national Product Catalogue means that most of our suppliers are now engaged with Gs1net, from Personal hygiene, Cosmetics and beauty through to Pharmaceuticals and medical devices,” said neil retallick, General manager merchandising at national Pharmacies. “This gives us a single source of accurate and complete item master data.”

national Pharmacies is the trading name of the Friendly society medical Association limited – a mutual organisation where profits made through operations are

ImPETuS 2008: InsIght. InnovatIon. ImplementatIon.imPeTus is bACk, biGGer And beTTer in 2008 – Gs1 AusTrAliA’s FlAGshiP evenT will be held AT The soFiTel melbourne on 23-24 oCTober 2008. The theme of this year’s event is “insight. innovation. implementation.” which is exactly what our line-up of international and local speakers will offer delegates over the two-day program.

The inspirational mike munroe will officiate the conference guiding delegates through the program of industry heavyweights, presenting on the most contemporary supply chain issues, case studies, and cutting-edge technologies.

impetus 2008 will again offer an exhibition providing you with access to the latest in supply chain product and service innovations – not only will you get the insight, but the knowledge and skills for implementation in your organisation!

For more information, visit www.impetus.gs1au.org

Achieve work–life balance in your career at GS1 AustraliaThe Gs1 AusTrAliA TeAm ConTinues To Grow And we Are AlwAys inTeresTed To heAr From CAPAble And eXPerienCed indusTry ProFessionAls keen To join The TeAm. ProFessionAls Are souGhT in The AreAs oF:

> Administration and customer service

> Client services and account management

> Consulting, business development and project management.

These positions require client-focused people, and experience in the areas of supply chain management and/or business- to-business eCommerce will be looked upon favourably. Gs1 Australia values its employees and encourages work–life balance, providing fitness classes, yoga, massage and rewarding staff with benefits such as an annual bonus plan, paid annual leave loading, a corporate day off at Christmas, parking and excellent facilities.

if you feel you have the right background to join Gs1 Australia and would like to express your interest in a particular role, please visit our website at www.gs1au.org/about_gs1_australia/employment_opportunities.asp to see our current career opportunities.

returned to members in the form of benefits and discounts.

national Pharmacies has been caring for the community since 1911 and today their operations include pharmacies in metropolitan and regional south Australia, victoria and new south wales, optical outlets in south Australia and victoria, and a distribution centre through which in excess of 70 per cent of stock is purchased and distributed.

“it is our aim is to increase the value proposition of Gs1net to the member community through the addition of more buying groups and retail chains,” said marcel sieira, Gs1 Australia’s business development manager. “Partnerships such as this one with national Pharmacies bring additional benefits by allowing Gs1net users to synchronise their data and trade electronically with even more customers.”

For further information contact marcel Sieira on 1300 366 033.

Morag Milne ediTor

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the followIng dates outlIne the events leadIng up to autumn 2008.

keep an eye out for further listings in the next edition of LiNK, or visit the Gs1 Australia events website at www.gs1au.org/events for current details on seminar dates, times and locations.

march 2008

05 Alliance Partners Accreditation Training (melbourne) — Alliance Partner Advisory Group (melbourne)

06 ePC Advisory Group (melbourne)

19 Gs1 webinar – “how do i improve visibility on my supply chain using the Gs1 system?” (online)

april 2008

02 Gs1 webinar – “how do i get started with the Gs1 system?” (online)

16 Gs1 webinar – “how do i improve visibility on my supply chain using the Gs1 system?” (online) — Alliance Partners Accreditation Training (sydney)

30 Gs1 webinar – “how do i get started with the Gs1 system?” (online)

may 2008

06 Classroom Training – “use Gs1 numbers & bar codes to improve your business” (sydney)

08 Classroom Training – “use Gs1 numbers & bar codes to improve your business” (brisbane)

13 Classroom Training – “use Gs1 numbers & bar codes to improve your business” (melbourne)

14 Alliance Partners Accreditation Training (melbourne)

16 Alliance Partners Accreditation Training (Adelaide)

15 Classroom Training – “use Gs1 numbers & bar codes to improve your business” (Adelaide)

20 Classroom Training – “use Gs1 numbers & bar codes to improve your business” (Perth)

20–22 CebiT Australia (sydney)

20 Gs1net user Group (melbourne)

22 Gs1net user Group (sydney)

June 2008

04 Gs1 webinar – “how do i get started with the Gs1 system?” (online)

05 ePC Advisory Group (sydney)

11 101 Classroom Training – “The fundamentals of electronic messaging” (melbourne)

16 Australian booksellers event (melbourne)

18 Gs1 webinar – “how do i improve visibility on my supply chain using the Gs1 system?” (online)

101 Classroom Training – “radio Frequency identification and the ePCGlobal standards” (melbourne)

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VOX POP…where Is your supply chaIn headIng In 2008? what are you focusIng on?

CarmEN ByrNE

nATionAl sAles & mArkeTinG mAnAGer, mediCAl division, 3m heAlTh CAre

for 3m australia, regional sources of supply will become more strategic; we will therefore see a move away from the more centralised sources in the us and europe.

rICHard BENNETT

nATionAl vendor relATions mAnAGer, john dAnks

“In 2008, we’ll be continuing to develop and expand John danks’ supply chain operations.

we commissioned two distribution centres in the last twelve months and another is planned for this year, together with the installation of new computer systems in our warehouses. A big part of our focus will be improving the accuracy of the information we receive from suppliers. john danks is already involved in quite a lot of ebusiness but we want to encourage the use of Gs1net because this will equip us with the correct information in our merchandise, supply chain and customers at the right time.”

GEd HaLSTEad

ChieF inFormATion oFFiCer, Ch2

as chair of the gs1 health user group australasia, I witnessed a shift in enthusiasm amongst partners as they moved beyond proof of concept and into actionable deliverables.

The discovery phase is being wrapped up for many partner companies and 2008 promises to be a year of action. This is not to say we have learnt all there is to learn about collaborative systems or that the Global huG’s work has moved out of development. There is still much to be done to create global industry standards around product identification, serialisation, traceability, ePedigree and product classification.

however, our sector needs to start delivering the foundations for the implementation of these initiatives. i believe extending the notion of supply chain to the unit of use delivery point (the patient) will be brightest light switched on this year.

what are you focusing on? Ch2 sees 2008 as the year to leverage the infrastructure investment made in its systems improvement initiatives of 2007. our short-term focus will be productivity improvements from the implementation of the Gs1 system for product identification using both our new rF systems and the nehTA national Product Catalogue.

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THE kEy TO SuCCESSfuL

The migration from eAnnet to Gs1net is on target but any suppliers yet to make the move must act now to complete the transfer before eAnnet closes on 31 march, says Gs1 Australia’s richard jones.

“Anyone who’s not fully migrated before the end of march will find it difficult to continue their trading relationships,” mr jones said.

“A lot of suppliers underestimated the effort needed to change over. not to upload the data – we do that for suppliers – but to maintain it because if you’re using middleware, you may need to upgrade it to suit Gs1net.”

one of the companies assisting suppliers who need to integrate business systems with Gs1net is innovit, a Gs1 Australia Alliance Partner. innovit’s bang Chau said large and small businesses faced quite different sets of challenges when moving to the new platform.

“in our experience, larger suppliers need tools to integrate Gs1net with back-end systems and help to build workflows that support very diverse business processes,” mr Chau said.

“The key for smaller suppliers is simplicity. often, staff members don’t have a lot of time or energy to dedicate to knowing the system intimately. They need something cost effective but, most importantly, a user-friendly tool.”

Aside from the added benefits that Gs1net will bring, mr Chau said the process itself presented a great opportunity to streamline business operations.

“The major positive for many of our clients has been that the migration has triggered improvements to the way product master data is managed throughout their business processes,” he said. “because they have to cleanse product data for customers, it makes sense to do it for internal data management.”

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GS1net users Share experienceSdemonstrations, updates and a chance to address issues with Gs1net are on the formal agenda of Gs1net user groups but, says their organiser, the star attraction is the chance to network with other users.

Gs1 Australia’s richard jones said the groups, which normally draw well over 100 people, offered an opportunity to share experiences and network.

“if you’re responsible for operating and maintaining your company’s catalogue – irrespective of whether you’re from marketing, packaging or operations for example – the Gs1net user groups are a great way to get tips from others dealing with similar issues,” mr jones said.

The next Gs1net user groups are scheduled for 20 may at the Glen waverley novotel in melbourne and 22 may at the Courtyard by marriott in Parramatta, sydney. The groups meet from 10am to 3.30pm; and to find out more, contact jenni Taylor at jtaylor@gs1.au.org

rittco managing director, jeff rittenbaum, is looking forward to Gs1net’s rollout. so much so, that rittco became the first automotive aftermarket company to register for Gs1net. supplying hardware and automotive aftermarket brands like jeep and michelin to the major grocery, discount, hardware and automotive retailers, rittco’s speedy adoption of Gs1net will have marketing and administrative benefits.

“i’ll be able to say to major customers like superCheap Auto and repco, ‘we’re ready, just pull the data down,’” said mr rittenbaum. “it tells our major accounts that we’re a progressive business.”

An American with decades of experience selling to wal-mart, mr rittenbaum is no stranger to ebusiness. he sees Gs1net as a natural extension to electronic data interchange (edi), which gave him a competitive advantage when he opened rittco’s doors six years ago.

CebiT AusTrAliA 2008 is The lArGesT TeChnoloGy evenT in AusTrAliA, And will be held AT The sydney ConvenTion And eXhibiTion CenTre From 20-22 mAy 2008.

The event features 720+ technology solution providers offering technology solutions ranging from Crm and Telecommunications to emarketing and supply chain solutions – ensuring that your business, along with an expected 30,000 visitors, can find the products and services that interest you or discover new technologies.

Gs1 Australia has participated in this prestigious event as an exhibitor for the last four years and is very proud to be a key exhibitor again in 2008 event. located at stand l60, Gs1 Australia will focus on new developments including rFid and how it is being implemented locally and overseas.

According to Gs1 Coo mark Fuller, “more than 1300 major companies and 3000 individuals are actively engaged in implementing rFid across 12 industry sectors globally through the Gs1 ePCglobal network. locally Gs1 Australia has launched an rFid/ePC Advisory Group involving 80 companies including woolworths, Coles Group, Telstra, motorola, superCheap Auto, CheP, mars, nestlé, ibm, visy and Amcor.

on-site registration for the exhibition costs $65 +GsT; however pre-registration online is only $25+GsT. it also means you do not have to queue up at the show.

Visit www.mycebit.com.au/ rego08/ to register today. GS1 Australia looks forward to seeing you at CeBIT!

“onCe The uPloAd To Gs1neT is done And done CorreCTly, ThAT’s iT. iT will eliminATe ThousAnds oF mAn hours And errors. iT’s A GreAT Tool.”

Gs1neT will ELImINaTE THOuSaNdS OF maN-HOurS : AuTo AFTermArkeT suPPlier

“wal-mart took vendors by the hand and made us efficient by introducing edi, so one of the first things i did when we arrived here was to make sure we were proficient in edi. At the time, it turned out to be a valuable marketing tool as well. when i met big w for the first time six years ago and told them we were edi capable, they said we’d be the first automotive aftermarket supplier.”

but, said mr rittenbaum, the lasting benefit of Gs1net would be greater efficiency.

“our website contains all our products’ photographs and details, from GTins through to pack weights and dimensions but, as Gs1 pointed out, you can link your Gs1net data to your site and make it a safe, secure, off-site cataloguing system,” mr rittenbaum said.

“it hopefully will mean all the retailers in Australia will use the one form and once it’s populated correctly, that’s it. you cut out a tremendous number of errors and man-hours. we’re going to need help but once companies learn how to use it, Gs1net will be a great tool.”

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Gs1 AusTrAliA hAs been mAnAGinG The develoPmenT oF nATionAl And GlobAl suPPly ChAin sTAndArds, The AlloCATion oF Gs1 numbers For bAr CodinG And eleCTroniC CommerCe For 30 yeArs. iniTiAlly The mAjoriTy oF members were lArGe orGAnisATions however, in reCenT yeArs The number oF smAller orGAnisATions joininG is inCreAsinG. This is reFleCTed in The diversiTy oF new member indusTries inCludinG wine, hArdwAre, musiC, APPArel And heAlThCAre.

last year GS1 Australia conducted extensive research into our entire membership base (16,000 Australasian businesses) as part of our commitment to meeting the needs and improving our service to members. The research has resulted in two significant changes for members and potential members as approved by Gs1 Australia’s board of directors:

ONe Companies needing up to five (5) bar codes

From 1 February 2008: Gs1 has expanded our offering to smes by increasing our single number membership to provide up to five individually allocated bar codes (GTins) under licence.

TWO Other GS1 Members

From 1 july 2008: Gs1 membership fees will be based solely on the annual turnover of companies. This new structure will be far more affordable for smes in particular and result in most members paying lower annual fees. To implement this new fee structure we need your help (see “new Fee structure” on page 9).

The compelling reason for these changes is to offer more equitable membership fees, and encourage more Australian businesses to adopt the Gs1 system so they may benefit from the global integrity and many services on offer.

Single Numbers Membership what this means for existing single number members:

eligible businesses with current single number membership can now request up to five single GTins before requiring a higher level of Gs1 Australia membership.

The second, third, fourth, and/or fifth single numbers (in addition to the original number) can be requested by filling out an “Additional single numbers request” form (available from www.gs1au.org).

imporTanT changes to your membership Good news For SmEs

members of Gs1 Australia range from micro businesses with just one employee or product to multi-nationals and large government departments. This diversity is reflected in the different requirements our members expect from us at the various stages of their business growth.

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GLNs are used to identify physical locations and legal entities – they are increasingly used by industry for eCommerce, online data synchronisation and logistics management.

what this means for existing Gs1 members:

existing members can apply for single number membership providing they meet the eligibility criteria and are willing to relinquish their current allocated company prefix. however, members should first consider the soon to be announced revised membership fee structure as it may be a more cost-effective option. Please refer to the eligibility criteria at www.gs1au.org

Charges, support and services:

single numbers members will continue to be entitled to one free bar code verification test per annum, and one unique Global location number (Gln).

The annual subscription fee for the original number remains $100 + GsT, with each additional number subject to an annual subscription fee of $50 + GsT.

To cover administration costs, an application fee will be applicable for each application.

All members receive complementary help desk assistance, and their first training session free of charge. other Gs1 services (such as training, additional bar code verification testing, and professional consultancy services) will be charged

to single number members at non-member prices.

New fee Structure for all GS1 Members your role in revising the fee structure

before Gs1 Australia can introduce the new fee structure, we are contacting all members to ask for their turnover details.

This information will be used to confirm that our proposed

fee structure will deliver an equitable outcome for all members, and to ensure that each organisation is charged the

correct fee and given the necessary support to maximise the membership benefits.

once we have collated turnover details we will confirm the final membership fee structure and identify which band your organisation fits into.

if you have not received a turnover form in the mail, or have not yet provided this information, please submit your details online at

www.gs1au.org/home.asp

Gs1 Australia takes the privacy and security of membership information

very seriously.

All information supplied to Gs1 Australia is strictly confidential in accordance with Australian privacy laws (see www.gs1au.org/privacy.asp for details).

The verisign digital Certificate logo will identify secure online pages.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our administration team on 1300 366 033 should you require any additional information.

GS1 numbers used for bar coding products (GTINs) are just the beginning. The GS1 System is used by more than 1.3 million organisations around the world – large and small – to reduce paperwork and remove errors from their supply chain operations.

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glObAl NeWS

For years, businesses investing in eCommerce have been faced with a choice between the very different Gs1 Xml and eAnCom standards. now, a global eCommerce strategy just released by Gs1 has set a clear direction,

focusing on Gs1 Xml as the standard of choice

for development.

Allaying any fears for users of eAnCom, Gs1 Australia's sue schmid said the migration

to Gs1 Xml would take place over the long term.

“This follows the un/CeFACT model that eAnCom belongs to, so eAnCom will

continue to be supported,” ms schmid said.

“under the strategy, enhancements will be made to eAnCom for years to come. Certainly, it’s a good idea to start educating yourself about Gs1 Xml and i’d highly recommend the Gs1 Xml101 workshops Gs1 Australia is planning for later this year.”

under the global strategy, any new major message suites developments will be made to suit the Gs1 Xml standard rather than eAnCom. ms schmid said this was unlikely to have any real impact on the large base of Australian eAnCom users, who she expected would continue using the standard over the next five to ten years.

The strategy's objective was to address the confusion between the two standards, particularly given the growing use of eCommerce by small to medium enterprises, ensuring interoperability across industry sectors.

Global updaterfID: improving visibility for Music and Entertainment

dvds are small, high-value items. They can also be sold quickly – especially new releases – and this creates a specific set of supply chain challenges for both retailers and distributors:

+ Find a faster way to track inventory: from production through to the consumer

+ keep shelves stocked with the movies consumers want to buy

+ ensure dvds first appear on shelves and promotional displays on their release date – not before and not after

Participants in the pilots spanned the full supply chain – including dvd replicators, distributors, retailers, and technology solution providers.

the north america pilot: tagged about 12,000 dvds of fifteen movie titles, sent to six stores over a six-week period. The work was divided over three work streams: manufacturing (Apply the Tag), retail (reading the Tag), and data Analytics.

Phase 1 of the pilot ended in november 2007; results are expected to be published this year. The group is now planning an extension of the pilot, Phase 2, to begin in 2008.

european retailers: have provided significant learnings for the ePC rFid community and 2008 is a year of expanded testing to confirm return on investment (roi) data.

GLOBaL eCOmmErCE STraTEGy ChArTs Xml PATh

Who is the media and entertainment industry Group?GS1’s EPCglobal Media and Entertainment Industry Group (M&E IG) oversaw the two pilots. This industry-led group was created in 2006 to develop industry adoption recommendations for Item Level Tagging (ILT), leveraging existing UHF and GS1 EPCglobal standards.

in 2007, the m&e iG delivered some very significant milestones:+ Developed recommended tag placement

locations for DVDs+ Proved that current technology meets

manufacturing and sorting speeds+ Delivered a successful Public

Relations plan+ Tagged, distributed and sold first DVD

and BluRay products+ Tagged at all levels through the

supply chain+ Successfully used EPCIS to track

products through the supply chain+ Came up with a significant amount of

learnings to be applied to future testsIn 2008 besides the existing working groups, a new working group has been formed to help address the needs of vendor-managed inventory based on RFID results.

In 2007 item-level tagging pilots were conducted in europe and North America to examine how ePC/RfId tags could ensure the availability of dVds for retail customers.

The european Pilot Group plans to expand the pilot to cover book industry participants including publishers, retailers, and libraries.

an australian working group: is examining rFid within the music and entertainment industry.

For more information on local developments in the m & e industry, contact sean sloan on 03 9558 9559

QUicK FacTS: The 2007 north american DVD pilot+ DVDs were supplied by 20th Century Fox, Cinram International, Sony Pictures Home

Entertainment, Technicolor, and Warner Home Video. + Each RFID label showed GS1’s EPCglobal logo and an explanation for consumers about

the technology’s use. + Distributors and retailers such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy were involved in the pilot. + The item-level RFID tags were scanned when stock was transferred between the

store room and the sales floor, and also utilised to track and find items on shelves and promotional displays.

+ Data related to the products and locations were made available to participants via software complying with GS1’s EPCIS standards.

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eMeRgINg TReNdS

Manufacturers and raw materials suppliers take on eCommerceOnce the domain of retailers and their trading partners, eCommerce is travelling to the head of the supply chain by engaging the packaging and raw materials suppliers.

The international Global upstream supply-chain initiative (Gusi) boasts high-profile members that include unilever, P&G, kraft, nestlé, kimberly Clark, iFF, Crown, kellogg’s, The Coca-Cola Company, bAsF, novozymes Georgia-Pacific, huhtamaki, sara lee, Phillips, smurfit kappa Group, bebo Plastik, euroma, quest, national starch, Givaudan, royal sens, el Pack sA, zentis, Firmenich, danone, heineken, daregal, l’oreal and dow Corning.

The Gusi model defines common business and data sharing processes to meet the major electronic communication needs of procurement, material forecasting, inventory management, despatch, receipt and consumption of materials, and financial settlement.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and Gs1 Australia have formed a working group to review the international team’s work and ensure it meets local requirements, and provide trouble-free implementation. The working group will also develop packaging and raw supplier engagement strategies before publishing an industry-wide “call to action”.

Gs1 Australia’s marcel sieira said raw materials suppliers stood to gain from the Gs1 system in many of the same ways as trading partners downstream.

“ The benefits to suppliers are often overlooked in the rush towards compliance with retailer requirements but they are just as compelling,” he said.

“ They’ll be able to optimise inventory levels, improve customer service, lower transaction costs and, in the process, streamline their operations.

“ Their trading partners – the manufacturers – enjoy all those benefits too, as well as higher production capacity and reduced obsolescence.

“ For retailers, that all adds up to increased on-shelf availability and reduced time to market. Everybody wins.”

The Gusi project is scheduled for completion this year. For more information, contact marcel sieira at Gs1 Australia on 1300 366 033.

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TRAINING THE TRAINER

geT SMART

last year the Gs1 supply Chain management (sCm) Futures Forum discussed supply chain management course content and considered a specialist Gs1 training program to accredit trainers and ensure academics are abreast of the latest developments in the Gs1 system.

The result is Gs1 Australia’s “Facilitator Training Program”, launched in melbourne on 5 February 2008.

This one-day program aims to up-skill academics with Gs1 content; accredit participants so they are recognised as being able to deliver Gs1 content themselves, and familiarise academics with current and upcoming supply chain technologies (e.g. rFid, data synchronisation, and Gs1 databar).

it covers the basics of the Gs1 system and its related technologies. seven modules will be presented during the day:

1. numbering and bar coding2. bar code quality3. emessaging4. data alignment5. radio Frequency identification and ePC standards6. GsmP (international standards management process)7. Gs1 Australia services and activities

The Facilitator Training Program will run in capital cities throughout Australia, and is available to all education institutions. registrations are now open.

For further information and bookings contact Camille dreyfuss on 1300 366 033 or email gs1aust@gs1au.org.

PlANNING For The SUPPly ChAIN ProFessionAls Of TOMORROW

members of the GS1 australia SCm Futures Forum:+ Australian Food and Grocery

Council+ Chisholm institute (TAFe)+ deakin university

(school of information systems)+ kimberly Clark+ meat livestock Australia+ monash university (Faculty of

business and economics)+ nestlé+ queensland university of

Technology (Faculty of business)

+ rmiT university+ swinburne university (TAFe)+ university of melbourne+ university of south Australia+ university of western sydney

(school of management)+ university of wollongong

(sydney business school)+ victoria university+ woolworths limited

institutions to produce supply chain professionals who are knowledgeable on global standards and are learning material relevant to today’s supply chain challenges.”

These skills include the ability to:+ be socially interactive,

communicative and technology savvy

+ Analyse and solve problems as they arise in the business

+ demonstrate an appropriate knowledge on supply chain management and its connection with other disciplines

+ Apply supply chain knowledge in a practical environment in a critical, creative and ethical way

+ behave responsibly and have a social conscience through leadership

universities and other partners of the forum have committed to check their course curriculum against this matrix to make sure they are giving their students the appropriate skills for industry readiness.

For more information on this skills matrix and on the forum, contact Camille dreyfuss on 1300 366 033 or email gs1aust@gs1au.org

Four times a year Gs1 Australia holds a sCm Futures Forum focused on the next generation of supply chain professionals.

it is attended by business and supply chain practitioners, Australian universities and other teaching institutions. Together they identify course curricula where global standards and emerging sCm technologies could be incorporated. The group considers relevant content and modes of delivery for future education and training programs.

one of the topics discussed in the forum during 2007 was the level of knowledge required by graduates for their successful entry into the workplace. The discussions led to the creation of a skills matrix listing the competencies students should acquire during their studies.

The forum concluded that the majority of sCm graduates have a scientific and analytical background, so while this provides a valuable set of technical skills, they also need additional skills so they can work effectively and be commercially savvy when applying their knowledge in the workplace.

steven Pereira, Gs1 Australia’s Chief information officer and head of the education and training department, is convenor of the forum: “we want our teaching

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learning more about the GS1-enabled supply chainThe curriculum for Gs1 leArn, Gs1’s online training tool, has been updated for 2008. it now has fourteen modules, classified by the pillars of the Gs1 system: Gs1 barCodes, Gs1 eCom, Gs1 Gdsn and Gs1 ePCglobal.

This online study method provides a comprehensive grounding in the Gs1 system and how it applies to everyday supply chain processes. it also delivers flexibility, allowing you to study at your own pace – anywhere, anytime.

A test at the end of each module evaluates progress through the course and when 100 per cent has been achieved for all modules within one pillar (e.g. Gs1 barCodes) the student is sent a Certificate of Completion.

GS1 BarCodes GS1 eCom GS1 GdSN GS1 ePCglobal

introduction to Gs1 basics of eCom Gdsn – data synchronisation basics

radio-frequency identification and ePC standards basicsGs1 barCodes basics of eAnCom data Accuracy basics

Gs1 barCode quality developing and implementing eAnCom

Global Product Classification basics

Gs1 Application identifiers and id keys

Gs1 barCode Applications – Trade items

Gs1 barCode Applications – logistic units

GTin Allocation rules

GS1 BarCodes modules introduce the Gs1 system and the Gs1 standards and are recommended for all new Gs1 members and students. They explain who Gs1 is and what the different foundational elements of the Gs1 system are. They describe how to put bar codes on trade items and how to be sure of the quality of bar codes produced. They also go into detail about identifying and bar coding logistic units, boxes…

GS1 eCom modules give a basic understanding on electronic data interchange; the technical aspects of edi, such as communication channels; the tools used for edi, and security aspects etc. They also provide an introduction to the Gs1 emessaging standards, Gs1 eAnCom® and Gs1 Xml, and an insight on the Gs1 standardisation and development process as it relates to the eCom area.

GS1 GdSN (Global data Synchronisation Network) modules cover the benefits and meaning of data synchronisation as well as the specific terminology used within the Gdsn. The student is provided with the key details of certified data pools, the Gs1 Global registry™, the basic principles of interoperation of data pools, and the Gs1 Global registry within the network.

GS1 ePCglobal modules allow students to learn more about the basics of ePC (electronic Product Code), the ePCglobal network and rFid (radio Frequency identification) technology.

For costs, module information and registration please see: www.gs1au.org/services/education_and_training/ online_training/

Gs1 Australia and the university of Tasmania signed a memorandum of understanding (mou) on Tuesday 22 january 2008.

The university of Tasmania is the tenth educational institution to sign a mou with Gs1 Australia.

“Gs1 Australia is looking forward to further strengthening our relationship with the university of Tasmania,” said steven Pereira, Gs1 Australia’s Cio and head of the education and Training team.

These mou partnerships signal the strong commitment from Australia’s academics and Gs1

uNIvErSITy OF TaSmaNIa siGns mou

The moUs between GS1 australia and universities include a diverse range of offerings such as:+ Academic participation in the GS1 Australia-led Futures

Workshop Forums

+ Guest lecturers provided by GS1 Australia to present on GS1-related topics such as EDI, bar coding, IT integration, RFID

+ A voluntary GS1 Certificate course offered to students studying eCommerce, information systems, or logistics-related subjects. This course aims to provide students with a fundamental and practical grounding in the GS1 System that can be applied to manufacturing, retail, transport industries, and eCommerce systems development, in Australia and internationally

+ GS1 Australia offers an annual academic grant to individuals wishing to undertake post-graduate studies in the supply chain field

+ Research projects between GS1 and the universities in the area of logistics and supply chain management

+ Content assistance (e.g. for study guides) from GS1 for relevant university subjects to ensure study material is relevant to local and global applications

to ensure tomorrow’s supply chain professionals are suitably prepared for an increasingly global and technologically dependent industry.

Gs1’s steven Pereira signing the mou with lecturer malcolm bertoni (far left), Associate Professor Paul Turner (left) and Gs1’s Camille dreyfuss (far right)

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Tech heAdS

They may be little but the Gs1 databar bar codes soon to be rolled out are certain to have a huge impact on the way small products are traded. The new symbols that were originally piloted in fresh produce and pharmaceuticals not only print and scan well but can carry more product information.

At information sessions recently hosted by Gs1 Australia, woolworths and metcash explained why it is vital that the information Communication and Technology (iCT) sector does not wait until 2010 to get involved, and encouraged all iCT attendees to make certain that their products were Gs1 databar compliant.

held in melbourne and sydney, the seminars were well attended by representatives from the iCT industry including scanner, scale and software and hardware solution providers.

both seminars were supported by the AdCA (Australian data Capture Association), AeemA (Australian electrical and electronic manufacturers Association), AiiA (Australian information industry Association) and the ArA (Australian retailers Association).

Gs1 Australia’s rachel kairuz outlined the roadmap for industry engagement and Greg rowe, visiting from Gs1 Global office, delivered the business benefits, case study examples and a call to action.

during Greg rowe’s visit he also met with Aus-PiC (the Australian Produce identification Committee), which affirmed that piloting Gs1 databar on loose fruit and vegetables was on its 2008 agenda.

Gs1 Australia’s Gs1 databar introductory Flyer is available from www.gs1au.org/assets/documents/info/brochures/gs1_broch_databar.pdf

For further information about the Gs1 databar rollout in Australia, contact rachel kairuz on 1300 366 033.

SolutIon PRoVIDER DIRECToRy:Gs1 Australia works with iCT companies that share its business solutions – oriented vision of delivering real supply chain benefits to Australian businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprise corporations.

As a result, you can rely on over 80 Gs1 Alliance Partners that can provide a diverse range of supply chain hardware, communications products and services solutions to assist you with the implementation of the Gs1 system in your business.

All Gs1 Alliance Partners are Gs1 system Accredited by Gs1 Australia, so you can trust that their solutions are compliant, proven and effective with the Gs1 system of standards.

To view a full listing of the Gs1 Alliance Partners visit our online Gs1 solution Providers directory at www.gs1au.org/membership/spd/

reTailerS Say “Don't wAIt untIl 2010” For GS1 DaTaBar™

Two of Australia's largest retailers, woolworths and metcash, have urged action well

before the 2010 sunrise date for Gs1 databar (formerly rss – really small symbology) scanning.

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A sTellAr line-uP oF AusTrAliA’s hArdwAre reTAilers And buyinG GrouPs is inviTinG suPPliers To join in A Push For suPPly ChAin And eCommerCe imPlemenTATions bAsed on Gs1 sTAndArds.

HardwareINduSTRy PROfIle

The hGAG will focus on the industry- wide implementation of the full set of Gs1 standards, including unique numbering, bar coding, electronic messaging (edi and Gs1 Xml), and global data synchronisation using Gs1net.

The group’s steering committee is comprised of Australian and new zealand companies withe mitre 10 Australia as Group Chair; other retailer, wholesale and buying group representatives are: bunnings, boC, Crane Group, danks, iTm, mitre 10 new zealand, natbuild, Placemakers, and reece; with suppliers represented by 3m, Carter holt harvey Timber, GwA, iTw, orica, and saint - Gobain Abrasives.

Gs1 Australia’s john hearn said he was confident the group would achieve significant inroads into the adoption of the Gs1 standards in Australia and new zealand.

“it’s essential that we focus on key activities that drive the implementation. The standards are all developed, but industry only starts to achieve the benefits once the rollout commences, and with such widespread industry support, it’s going to be an exciting time for the Australasian hardware sector,” mr hearn said.

mr Price urged suppliers to consider the inevitability of supply chain management change.

“don’t take the risk of being left behind,” he said. “First of all, you’ll miss out on the efficiencies and if you don’t embrace eCommerce, ultimately other trading partners will say ‘sorry, i can’t deal with you’. The industry’s not there yet but it’s only a matter of time – you only have to look at what’s happened in the grocery sector.”

membership of the hGAG working groups is open to all suppliers, buying groups, wholesalers and retailers within the hardware sector. software, hardware and solution vendors will be also asked to participate in some of the group’s activities.

For more information, contact john szabo, Gs1 Australia, on 03 9550 3483. Chair of the newly formed hardware Gs1

Action Group (hGAG), mitre 10 information services manager Andrew Price, said the Australasian hardware industry had an opportunity to reap the benefits of the Gs1 system already proven by the grocery and other industries.

“The reason i’m so passionate about this group is that the hardware industry is poised to leverage the efficiencies and accuracies of eCommerce that we’ve been struggling with until now,” mr Price said.

retailers call suppliers to act on Gs1 standards

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the newest of gs1 australia’s council members, sandra przibilla, is also the managing director of the liquor merchants association of australia. three months after her appointment, ms przibilla was coming to grips with the intricacies of data synchronisation and told LiNK her role was to deliver her industry a clear understanding of the process and benefits.

The imPorTAnCe oF A sTronG relATionshiP wiTh Gs1 AusTrAliA beCAme obvious The insTAnT sAndrA PrzibillA sTePPed inTo her new role As mAnAGinG direCTor oF The liquor merChAnTs AssoCiATion oF AusTrAliA in november 2006.

“one of the major projects on our table, then and now, is called data Capture,” she said. “To move the project along, it was necessary to identify some key areas, one of which is obviously product identification, and then to look at where the industry was in its relationship with Gs1.

“i discovered that it was more of a corporate relationship; Gs1 was working with individual companies rather than a central body. i started to work with Gs1 on the identification and assessment of a data set that was relevant to the data capture project. That then escalated the relationship to the point where i was offered a seat on the Council to formalise a communication channel between the Australian liquor industry and Gs1 Australia.”

Although the many liquor industry work groups convened in recent years had generated awareness of data synchronisation processes, ms Przibilla said large chunks of the industry remained uninformed.

“if there was an issue or if one of the large retailers saw a need, there would be a work group with others who would take the information back to their business but it was restricted to those who attended,” she said.

feATuRe

saNdra PrzibiLLa

joins the Gs1 Boardto briNg the Liquor iNdustry iN syNch

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“my role on the gs1 australia council is to ensure the communications coming out from gs1 are concise, consistent and accurate and open to all of the liquor industry rather than just the participants in the work groups.”

“my role in the liquor merchants Association of Australia allows me to communicate on a more open basis with the industry. i felt that by joining the Gs1 Australia Council and becoming involved in the workshops and gaining a better understanding of what Gs1 Australia is trying to achieve, i would be able to develop a communications strategy to take back to the Australian liquor industry.

“my role on the Gs1 Australia Council is to ensure the communications coming out from Gs1 are concise, consistent and accurate and open to all of the liquor industry rather than just the participants in the work groups."

ms Przibilla said that as well as an understanding of data synchronisation, the make-up of the standard data set to be shared between trading partners deserved industry-wide discussion.

“The companies in the industry will need to represent themselves in any commercial interests they have but most importantly in data synchronisation we need, as an entire industry, to make sure the rules, the criteria, the protocols and the message are clear, concise and consistent."

“There is a universal data set that is tailored to suit the industry. in the Australian liquor industry, like most industries that are around consumer items, it’s driven very much by the customer, so the producer meets the retailer requirements. what i’m hoping to achieve is a strong communications strategy so that when we are discussing Gs1net or becoming Gs1net ready, we are all talking about the same thing.”

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feATuRe

matthew smith of the bunnings Group, the southern health Pharmacy department and Associate Professor Caroline Chan of deakin university are the 2007 winners of Gs1 Australia’s awards.

Of THE SuPPLy CHAIN

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Two awards, the 2008 Award for standards in Action for a company and the 2008 leadership in standards Award for an individual will be presented at the impetus conference in melbourne on 23 and 24 october 2008.

To nominate an individual or a company to receive this prestigious award:

Visit: www.gs1au.org/excellence_awards.asp and complete the online application form.

Mail: a letter of commendation stating why the nominee is deserving of the award. be sure to include full details of the nominee, including their name, address, email address, telephone number and company contact (for a company nomination).

Post to: 2008 Gs1 Awards selection Committee Gs1 Australia unit 100/45 Gilby road, mt waverley viC 3149.

Announcing the 2008 GS1 Australia Supply Chain excellence Awards

ms Palazzolo said. “matt embodies that spirit. aside from all his work with GS1 XmL in Bunnings, matt participates in the GSmP work groups both at the international and local levels.”

mr smith said the award-winning project made sense for both bunnings and its trading partners across Australia and new zealand.

“my role at bunnings is to manage the business-to-business integration with our trading partners and, for the last five years, we have been providing un/ediFACT as an option for integration,” mr smith said. “while un/ediFACT has served trading partners well, there has been much discussion and request for a more modern solution, namely something Xml based.”

“bunnings’ adoption of Gs1 Xml is expected to shorten the implementation time to deliver business benefits but, more importantly, adopting this emessaging standard will make trading partners’ integration with bunnings easier while providing a clear migration path from un/ediFACT.”

The 2007 Award for standards in Action was presented to ian larmour on behalf of the southern health Pharmacy department.

describing southern health as a “catalyst for change in the health sector”, ms Palazzolo said it was hard to imagine the monash Project without the vital contribution of ian larmour’s team.

speaking after the award’s presentation, mr larmour said “the award symbolised the fact that with a common desire, a small group of people can achieve something really substantial and set a direction for an industry that will be of great benefit to all.”

“The award sends a message to all companies not yet involved in the project that this is important.”

This year, a special recognition Award was also presented to Associate Professor Caroline Chan of deakin university, who has worked with Gs1 Australia over the past seven years to bring the Gs1 system to the supply chain professionals of the future.

“in just seven years, Caroline has overseen the introduction of Gs1 content into undergraduate eCommerce course work, the Gs1 Certificate, research projects and involvement in the masters of ebusiness program,” ms Palazzolo said.

“on top of that, Gs1 has been invited to sit on a course advisory board, to present to students and host visits to the supply Chain knowledge Centre. we even have two deakin graduates on staff at Gs1 as a direct result of our partnership with the university.”

Associate Professor Chan said the award reflected a supply chain management curriculum that was “up to date, responsive and relevant to industry”.

“it is a very different award from what we have received in the past which makes it very special,” she said. “As Gs1 Australia represents 14,000 or more businesses in Australia, this award not only recognises our excellent teaching in supply chain management but it also reflects the industry’s recognition of our contribution to educating supply chain management professionals.

“our work with Gs1 is important because it enables us to create a mutual partnership. with Gs1, we are working to prepare graduates for their career and for meeting industry needs as well as undertaking real industry-relevant research, which could benefit the industry and community. we have seen great outcomes from this partnership and it is an exemplar of what any academic can do. it is a win-win situation and combining the strengths of each, it’s creating value for both organisations.”

“As GS1 Australia represents 14,000 or more businesses in Australia, this award not only recognises our excellent teaching in supply chain management but it also reflects the industry’s recognition of our contribution to educating supply chain management professionals.”

2007 Award winners (from left to right): ian larmour of the southern health Pharmacy department, Associate Professor Caroline Chan of deakin university, and matthew smith of bunnings Group

behind every supply chain success story, says Gs1 Australia Ceo maria Palazzolo, is a champion who overcomes competing interests to achieve collaborative change. each year, one such organisation and an individual are recognised for their outstanding leadership.

matthew smith, the winner of the 2007 leadership in standards Award, led bunning’s selection of Gs1 Xml, making the hardware retailer the first to implement Gs1 Xml in Australia.

“The Leadership in Standards award recognises the contributions made by an individual in championing the promotion and implementation of the GS1 global best practice standards, within the company, sector or industry,”

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results from the second phase of the project, which involved implementation of the Gs1 system in the healthcare sector, were released in december last year.

seven pharmaceuticals manufacturers, two wholesalers and the southern health Pharmacy department operating from five hospitals participated in Phase 2, which also involved monash university, health Purchasing victoria and Gs1 Australia. As part of the pilot, the Gs1 system was used for bar coding and identification of trade items and logistics units, sending of electronic messages using Gs1 eAnCom and synchronisation of data via the recently launched national Product Catalogue (nPC), hosted on Gs1 Australia’s Gs1net.

The time taken to receive stock into a hospital pharmacy system has been significantly reduced – by between 60 and 92 per cent – during Phase 2 of the Monash Pharmacy Project.

Time savingsThe most impressive results were reported by ian larmour, director of Pharmacy at southern health. key Performance indicators recorded from the southern health Pharmacies showed that scanning serial shipping Container Codes (ssCCs) and matching these with the electronic despatch advice messages delivered a 60 to 92 per cent reduction in the time taken to receive stock into merlin – the department’s drug management software. ordering time was also reduced.

The southern health pharmacy department’s purchasing officer, karen martin, said the benefits for hospital pharmacies would continue to grow as more companies send standards-based emessages.

GS1 SySTEM hELPS hoSPITaLSrEduCE druG rECEIPT TIMES

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“as more companies are moving to standards-based electronic messaging, the benefits seen from the order placement perspective are increasing and very positive.”

“As more companies are moving to standards-based electronic messaging, the benefits seen from the order placement perspective are increasing and very positive.

Previously, to place an order electronically with a supplier, we would have to go into up to three different systems – our internal merlin system, a communications module and then the supplier system. now, we access merlin and all communication is directly through that interface. whilst we didn’t measure the time taken to place orders pre and post-implementation, i can say that the timeframe has definitely reduced significantly with the new processes.”

Foundations for more advanced functionalityone of karen’s colleagues, Trevor ireland, said the project brought unexpected benefits.

“This project has allowed access to functionality we previously didn’t have. For example, now that we have electronic messaging, perpetual inventory functionality has been enabled in merlin, meaning we can set stock inventory minimums and maximums and the system produces a suggested purchase order.”

data quality issues revealedThe data synchronisation sub-project involving baxter and the southern health pharmacy departments highlighted the need for continuous master data alignment processes using the nPC. This sub-project allowed comparison of baxter’s nPC data with the southern health data. For every one of the 97 products compared, there were differences between the trade item description or label name fields between the two organisations’ sets of records. Typical mismatches concerned packaging types, sizes, and units of measure. discrepancies involving the brand name, supplier’s code, and selling unit of measure were also very common.

“Accurate and complete data provided by the nPC will be extremely valuable to southern health as we further expand this project,” says ian larmour. “This data will provide the foundation for additional electronic messaging implementations, meaning our processes for supplier engagement and rollout will be even more effective.”

nigel Allsop, manager strategic Procurement, health Purchasing victoria (hPv), adds:

“The recent experiences from southern health highlight what hPv already has concerns about – the implementation of quality control in data management to ensure data accuracy which contributes to the foundation of the supply chain process.”

“hPv has already implemented a number of improvement measures to ensure data accuracy in the formats of tendered data, such as controlled format fields in the tender pricing schedule. hPv has also extended the contract evaluation upon request of industry.

in recent tender processes, hPv has experienced improvements in tendered data (formatting) but, as southern health is experiencing, data accuracy still is an opportunity for improvement.”

Phase 3 readyThe next phase of the monash Pharmacy Project will broaden its scope, with batch numbers and expiry date bar coding, scan pick-pack systems, alignment with the nehTA eProcurement strategy and work on the foundations for patient safety.

Companies interested in participating should contact Tania Snioch on 1300 366 033.

aLLiaNce PartNer eXchANge

FooD SaFeTy & STaBiliTy

Cedar Creek director/Ceo Tony Abbott

Food safety and traceability are hot topics as Cedar Creek director/Ceo Tony Abbott explained to Gs1 Australia’s joseli munive.

Gs1 Australia’s joseli munive

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Joseli how should companies establish a traceability system?

Tony begin by identifying the drivers. Customer requirements should be the least of them, quite frankly. see how you could get business benefits and collect, record and pass on the data quickly as a normal part of your business process. if it’s something you have to record separately, it won’t work.

Consider your entire business and don’t just say: “i’ve produced this, now i need to put a bar code on it and ship it out the door”. That’s not going to have much benefit to you. drive it right back to your suppliers.

large companies have the power to drive it down the chain. smaller companies don’t. That’s why associations like Gs1 and their promotion of industry-wide standards really come to the fore.

Joseli what role does Cedar Creek play?

Tony we don’t see Cedar Creek as just a software house. we are a solution provider, across process, systems such as the Gs1 system, and training.

Joseli who should be involved in the development of a traceability system?

Tony The Ceo’s got to be an evangelist. if there’s no commitment at the top, it won’t happen. you have to sell the benefits to the people on the floor because they have to record the information.

Joseli Are Ceos generally receptive to this message?

Tony it’s rapidly gaining more attention and i’m not just talking about food. it’s toys and household items too. in pharmaceuticals, there’s more regulation and they’re concerned about health and safety obviously but there’s a huge problem with counterfeiting. Traceability can protect your brand and profits.

Joseli what would you say to companies lagging behind in traceability?

Tony do it before you’re forced to and find the reasons that have a positive outcome for your business.

Joseli how well is food safety regulated in Australia?

Tony There are regulations about record keeping. it’s the classic one-up and one-down, which asks: “where did you get it from and where did you sell it to?”.

we need a framework to manage recalls. when companies don’t have detailed records they can get to in time, recalls have a habit of getting out of hand. Topp meats, a very major food company in the us, recently had a food recall. nobody was hurt but they couldn’t contain it and were out of business one week after the recall began.

The Gs1 system is key in creating the electronic trail that lets you say: “yes, there was a problem in this particular batch of food and we can trace that back to where it came from and then forwards to where associated batches may have gone.”

Joseli is mandatory traceability increasing internationally?

Tony it’s a growing trend. it’s also about branding and marketing. innovative companies use traceability systems to say: “my product is clean, it’s safe, here’s the way we do it. we use bar codes or rFid, we’ve got the Gs1 system in place”.

Joseli Can a system bring operational benefits?

Tony yes, if you can drive a traceability system right through your business process.

you lose raw materials due to inefficiencies but, without measuring, you certainly don’t know where. That’s why embedding traceability in processes allows you to improve yields. in industries with very low margins but very high volumes, a minor influence on yield can have a major influence on your bottom line.

“We don’t see Cedar Creek as just a software house. We are a solution provider, across process, systems such as the GS1 System, and training.”

FooD SaFeTy & STaBiliTy

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your customer’s card information is securely transferred from the T-Pad to the mobile phone. Transactions are then processed over the next G™ network and verified by your financial institution, using the same level of encryption commonly used in internet banking.

your customers will enjoy the convenience of making payments using any major credit cards or charge cards, as well as visa or mastercard debit cards. And your business potentially saves time and money in extra paperwork and chasing debts.

want to improve your cash flow, reduce bad debt and administration costs associated with the collection and processing of customer payments?Then Telstra has your answer.

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+ reduced pressures on your workforce – Telstra mobile Payments saves both time and money, reducing the need for processing cash and cheque transactions or using paper-based card payment alternatives.

+ reduced financial risks – Telstra mobile Payments complies with the same security standards as commonly used internet banking transactions, helping to prevent unauthorised interception. your customers can also be assured that no card information is stored on either the mobile phone or the T-Pad, reducing the possibility of fraudulent transactions.

+ real-time reporting – immediate transaction and settlement reports make reconciliation and cash management quick and easy.

Telstra mobile Payments is compatible with internet merchant facilities available from a number of major financial institutions. with a number of next G™ handsets you have the freedom and flexibility to choose the options which best suit your business.

To find out more about how Telstra mobile Payments can improve your business outcomes, contact your Telstra Account executive or call Telstra business on 1800business.

Collecting payments on the spot means you don’t have to wait days, weeks or even

months for your invoices to be paid.

Immediate business benefits include:

+ increased mobility – because you can collect payments immediately on the move, your staff can spend more time chasing up new business opportunities and servicing existing customers and less time chasing bad debts or processing paperwork.

+ improved cash flow – Collecting payments on the spot means you don’t have to wait days, weeks or even months for your invoices to be paid. which gives your business more room to manoeuvre in a competitive market.

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The introduction of On demand technology and the move to Radio frequency Id tags (RfId) is rapidly changing the face of the Australian b2b eCommerce sector, according to industry expert and leadtec Managing director Scott Needham.

The b2b eCommerce industry is moving away from the traditional client side electronic data interchange (edi) translation software to on demand or software as a service (saas), providing more scope for smaller Australian companies to compete on a national and international level using b2b technology.

“Translation software is no longer required because it is now often provided as a service in the network, allowing for massive cost reduction for trading communities,” says scott. “however, the huge uptake in internet communication means smaller companies are capable of eTrading, creating huge disparity in the quality of the software and messages that are being sent. supply chain companies like leadtec have become fundamental in the b2b process to enable the big retailers to engage with these companies.”

scott says the main challenges facing eTrading in Australia include the increasing number of trading partners, Global data synchronisation (Gds) and the introduction of radio Frequency identification (rFid) tag technology in supply chains.

“with an increase in the number of companies eTrading our challenge is to be able to communicate these messages while maintaining industry standards,” he says. “our alliance partner Gs1 supports leadtec with standards implementation.”

“Great opportunities will come with rFid, which will enable retailers to pass stock through a scanner, removing the need for line-of-sight bar codes. basically it means one day a shopper will be able to push their supermarket trolley through a gate and each item will be automatically scanned.

“realistically this technology is about ten years away from being used at the consumer level.” scott says rFid coupled with on demand services will bring Australia in line with global standards for b2b eCommerce, particularly within grocery supply chains.

“This new technology will provide Australian retailers, logistics organisations and suppliers with real-time, anywhere access to information about a shipment’s contents and destination by simply scanning the rFid tag.”

he says the new technology will benefit major retailers in Australia’s retail, health and automotive sectors, by giving them easy access to transactional, product and shipping information. “leadtec’s eTrading platform will provide all of these new technologies to our clients through one integrated on demand platform.”

Gs1 Australia Coo mark Fuller says on demand technologies have transformed supply chain systems, by improving the way they share information.

“over the next few years, the need for unique identification of products will become increasingly important, and companies such as Coles, woothworths, bunnings and others will start using Gs1net, an on demand platform, in their supply chain systems,” says mark.

“we’re also starting to see a greater uptake in rFid technology in Australia, and we will need dynamic technology enablers and communications companies such as leadtec to provide effective data solutions for Australian retailers who want to take on this new technology.”

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