tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86156681078080430972024-03-13T00:52:15.106+01:00The MDM BlogThis Blog is about MDM (Master Data Management) and how GDS (Global Data Synchronisation) does relate to it.bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-88293596712229678242017-10-09T12:33:00.003+02:002017-10-10T21:52:01.800+02:00Big data as a Tool for Better Master Data<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
High-quality master data is often decisive for the success of Analytics and Big Data projects. An analysis that starts with incomplete or incorrect Master Data will usually yield incorrect results. One can rightly claim that Master Data in some way lays the foundation for Big Data. This correlation is fairly obvious and has been described many times (see[<a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-21332-3_2">1</a>],[<a href="https://datascience.codata.org/articles/10.5334/dsj-2015-002/">2</a>], and[<a href="https://betanews.com/2015/02/17/why-data-quality-is-essential-to-your-analytics-strategy/">3</a>]).<br />
<br />
Conversely, there is a connection that at first glance does not seem to be so obvious: analytical methods and Big Data can help to improve the quality of your Master Data. We would like to give you an example of this in the following.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Relevance of Attributes for the Customer's Purchase Decision</h3>
<br />
When it comes to hundreds of thousands of item records, manual revision and enrichment can often become very time-consuming. This makes it all the more important to focus on the relevant attributes. It would be mindless to put effort into improving the data quality of attributes that afterwards turn out to be insignificant. If you succeed in identifying the relevant attributes, then you can achieve a higher quality increase with the same effort. But how do you know which are the really important attributes?<br />
<br />
When assessing the relevance of attributes, the knowledge and experience of stakeholders should be brought in by appropriate participation. In e-commerce, however, involving stakeholders is rather difficult, as the customer is the stakeholder. And no customer would like to participate in a survey to answer whether this or that piece of information was the more important one for his purchase decision.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Find Relevance by Means of Choice-based Conjoint Analysis</h3>
<br />
Here statistics comes to your aid. As early as in the 1970s, psychologists and market researchers developed a method called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjoint_analysis" target="_blank">Choice-based Conjoint Analysis</a> (CBCA), which enables us to provide information about the "perceived benefit" of a single product characteristic from the customer's point of view. This method still works even if many other product features go into the purchase decision. By applying the CBCA, you can deduct the benefit of each individual product feature from the total value of the product.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8UdfvKjYw-bgH5b16vjAp2Q7bujXPbEhNrFy2oVrEuIlbrXK6C9O29gDeGUhXcPmnBCWDV881yXQxA0xZb_SpFll8TLnDcG5xI3ijb81I9E3MjOKHPOEPfBv-OdBAC4E4zlgJ-FOC-s/s1600/conjoint-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8UdfvKjYw-bgH5b16vjAp2Q7bujXPbEhNrFy2oVrEuIlbrXK6C9O29gDeGUhXcPmnBCWDV881yXQxA0xZb_SpFll8TLnDcG5xI3ijb81I9E3MjOKHPOEPfBv-OdBAC4E4zlgJ-FOC-s/s320/conjoint-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The method is based on purchasing decisions of customers, who have to choose between different but comparable products (e. g. smartphones with different amounts of memory, processor speed, etc.). Such a choice situation can be achieved in an online shop by simple means and the customer's behaviour can be easily understood by analyzing the log files. Based on a statistical benefit and decision model, a formula with a number of free parameters is derived. This formula can be used to calculate the probability with which the customer will decide on one of the products offered in the choice situation. The parameters are then adjusted iteratively until the calculated value matches the customer's actual behaviour in the best possible way (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_likelihood_estimation" target="_blank">maximum likelihood method</a>). In the end, each of the inferred parameters reflects the partial benefit of a certain product characteristic. From the partial benefit, we can then deduce the relevance of the attribute in relation to other attributes.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Big Data: Implementation with Apache Spark</h3>
<br />
This procedure, especially when applied to e-commerce, quickly results in an order of magnitude of tera bytes. Classic software for Conjoint Analysis is not necessarily the best choice in this setting. At one of our customers we used a Spark/Hadoop cluster to assess the relevance of attributes. We were able to implement the maximum likelihood method relatively easily using the <a href="https://spark.apache.org/docs/latest/ml-guide.html" target="_blank">Apache Spark Machine Learning Library</a> (MLlib).<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Conclusion</h3>
With the help of the Choice-based Conjoint Analysis, the relevance of attributes can be determined on the basis of customers' buying decisions in an online shop. This helps to improve the quality of Master Data in a targeted manner.</div>
Holger Joesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817546861373151279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-80272274286211481082015-10-27T19:09:00.000+01:002015-10-27T19:12:13.428+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GDSN - What's Next?</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now that the GDSN community is in full swing of preparing for the update to </span><a href="http://www.gs1.org/gdsn/3-1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Major Release 3</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which is scheduled for May 2016, it's a good time trying to dare a glimpse into the future and wrap our minds around developments that, as we believe, are likely to become a focus of attention in master data synchronization over the next few years.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-5ab10dc2-aa04-2c5c-5fa8-c433065a3b00" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Notwithstanding the challenges and efforts ahead, Major Release 3 will be a big step forward. It provides many substantial improvements, some of which were long and eagerly yearned for, and moreover, we are convinced that it will open up the standard for broader adoption. So far, so good. But, what is next? If a standard doesn’t evolve, it’s dead. Thus, nobody should be surprised that there is room for improvement. The discussions that lead the way to Major Release 3 started many years ago, and meanwhile, new challenges came about that have not yet been addressed nor discussed, let alone solved.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These challenges arise from an overall need for greater agility and responsiveness in the supply chain which in turn demands the same from global data synchronization. Essentially, it all boils down to providing and processing</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">more volatile data,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">more detailed and fine-grained data, particularly with more attributes,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">more consumer-targeted data,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">more interwoven and interdependent data,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">more data at an earlier stage of the product lifecycle,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and more partially available or even premature data.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moreover, these challenges get boosted by an increasing number of participants in the market, that all require access to product data, particularly</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">more (and smaller) retailers,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">more verticals</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">third-party logistics,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">e-commerce,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">search engines,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">mobile applications,</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and, before anything else, the end consumer.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So why do we think that the GDSN standard in its current form, even with Major Release 3, isn’t fit for these challenges? In business and in engineering there are often good reasons to do things exactly the way they're done, and surely one might be tempted to assume that this applies equally well to the GDSN. On the other hand, it’s occasionally a good idea to have a look beyond the horizon. After all, it is a certain fact that the GDSN community is not alone in its efforts to shuffle data back and forth. And if you look around, you’ll notice that the way synchronization is done in GDSN is not without alternatives. Of course, it’s a valid question to ask: Can’t we do it any simpler than with all that rigid and complicated choreography stuff?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But before we delve deeper into the present shortcomings of the GDSN, we should try to understand how it got there, and thus take a look at how it evolved historically. The GDSN was designed to pursue a “push-centric” messaging approach, where the relevant information is actively sent in the form of business messages. This approach got its roots in the EDI standards of the nineteen-eighties, namely in </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASC_X12" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ANSI X12</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="http://www.unece.org/cefact/edifact/welcome.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EDIFACT</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">/</span><a href="http://www.gs1.org/eancom" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EANCOM</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. These were mostly adopted for messaging schemas dealing with purchase orders (</span><a href="http://www.gs1.org/edi-xml-gs1-eancom/eancom-orders-s4/syntax-4" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ORDERS</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) and invoices (</span><a href="http://www.gs1.org/edi-xml-gs1-eancom/eancom-invoic-s4/syntax-4" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">INVOIC</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">), where clearly a push-centric approach is legally advisable: Before an invoice can become due, it somehow must have been delivered. Similarly, a purchase order can only become binding after the supplier provably received it. In fact, if you need a certain level of guaranteed delivery, usually in the form of a confirmation receipt, then it is better to push the message to your business partner rather than to rely on them for pulling it. By the way, it is no surprise that in the aftermath of the greater adoption of EDI, an Internet-based transport protocol like </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS2" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AS2</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> evolved, which provides exactly such a kind of confirmation receipt, namely the MDN, on top of a push protocol.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are several reasons, why the push-centric approach that was initially chosen for purchase orders and invoices, sometimes still makes perfect sense for master data synchronization. For example, when you deliver an update on a product item which is highly important for a retailer to know about, then, of course, you want to be able to prove that you did. In general, however, push-centric approaches tend to be stolid. Why? Because, when a sending party starts pushing a message, it cannot know the receiver’s most urgent demand, at least not at exactly that point in time.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbsG3z3XM7pePG2naEHgaulNZ-05NTj3HoVu4Chy011eyVyBm_bjCL2nqad2k0GWJsI7FUXx9twWNAuaJ_7L8Wy_N94BM5POcvF1CcJKZu5CCShfx9kC9B7yiJYFSLAG7Sr7qNkheHK0/s1600/Tauziehen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbsG3z3XM7pePG2naEHgaulNZ-05NTj3HoVu4Chy011eyVyBm_bjCL2nqad2k0GWJsI7FUXx9twWNAuaJ_7L8Wy_N94BM5POcvF1CcJKZu5CCShfx9kC9B7yiJYFSLAG7Sr7qNkheHK0/s320/Tauziehen.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is what happens to a retailer in the GDSN when they submit an item subscription to the data pool where the pub-sub match results in hundreds of thousands of item notification messages, which is regularly the case when e.g. the subscription retrieves on a target market. The result is often a flood of messages jamming the line for hours or even days and there’s almost no chance of getting through with any other subscription during that time. If you urgently need the product data for another item at that point in time, you don’t have to be a genius to start dreaming of a URL where you could </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">just download™</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the desired item data instantaneously and on demand. Technically, what this dream is about is the ability to pull the information, hence a pull approach. And now you understand that the GDSN has implemented only the first half of a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push%E2%80%93pull_strategy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">push-pull strategy</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. As they describe it perfectly well in this Wikipedia page: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“On markets the consumers usually "pull" the goods or information they demand for their needs, while the offerers or suppliers "push" them toward the consumers.”</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s why suppliers feel quite comfortable with the push-centric approach of the GDSN, and it’s also why the retailers feel the pain. We see it as inevitable that the GDSN needs to be supplemented with a pull approach. In other words, we believe that the GDSN needs to get its missing second half of the push-pull strategy. Recent ambitions of the GS1 like the “</span><a href="http://www.gs1.org/gtin-plus" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GTIN+ on the web</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” standard go exactly in that direction. “GTIN+ on the web” provides schemas for structured product information, very similar to the data structures in a GDSN item notification, but adhering to the rules of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linked_data" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">linked data</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The crucial thing about linked data is, that every data object or “resource” as they call it, has its unique, permanent, and addressable location, namely a URL. Now with linked data, a product item or even a set of product items has the URL we dreamed of above, where you can </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">just download</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the desired data from. It’s basically the idea behind the World Wide Web that we all know, where every page has a URL, just carried forward to the realm of information exchange between software systems.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In our opinion, it’s just a matter of “when”, not “if”, that data pools will pick up on these ideas.</span></div>
<br /></div>
Holger Joesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817546861373151279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-78481228866421927012015-06-25T17:43:00.000+02:002015-06-25T17:51:07.485+02:00Change makes for a vibrant daily life<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div style="direction: ltr;">
<h3>
Change Management is a paradox in itself. Because the term denotes something that is a daily routine in private and professional life: change and development.</h3>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
We constantly move from one "setting" to the next, from waking up and going to the bathroom, from work and to off time spend with family and friends. We constantly react to what we encounter and thereby, to a certain degree, alter ourselves as well as our environment. Perhaps precisely because change is so self-evident, as part of a project, change management is sometimes considered a mere luxury.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<b>
CHANGE MANAGEMENT AS LUXURY</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br />
Specifically IT projects are initially about tangible optimisations of processes or structures. They are designed in view of major milestones and measurable effects. Anything in between, especially the "taking along" of colleagues, is considered self-evident by the project management - a given task to be done on the side.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
This mindset ignores the fact that not all stakeholders in the project automatically follow the same development. Each staff, unit, department or company could pursue a different goal. Also, behind the scenes, hidden agendas and entire dramas unfold: desire, rejection, jealousy, ambition, interests, rebellions. Another aspect are projections and expectations towards the project or the IT that seem irrational and out of place, and therefore remain untreated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<b>
FOCUS ON RESISTANCE: A SHORT CIRCUIT</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
Once projects develop in this direction, the focus diverts from their potential and possibilities and resistances manifest themselves. Only by ignoring unconscious correlations, a situation occurs in which the change management has no choice left but to focus on resistances. This is due to the fact that any development implies simultaneously opportunities and limitations. Both have a psychological impact and and push towards development. It depends on the context and the participation for stakeholders to perceive development opportunities or to cling to the familiar status quo.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
DEVELOPMENT ON COMMON GROUND</h4>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
We know all the satisfying experience when something is developed collectively and cooperatively, when something becomes more than just the sum of its parts. We postulate that all stakeholder aspire to this concerted evolution, because basically we as human beings constantly strive to participate and thus realize ourselves. Yet to establish a common ground that recognizes all the differences in both small and complex organizations, is a distinct discipline.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmab5d5J2eTbqQI2JleKFf32XCy75bju3X0PFDwfQP0xRUEieLpqPTjmMRGhW8htNdmw6Iz2GiD-x-KHGDRvQmhhyphenhyphenTZwqWPppzRRZBm2apiisAhLFBTvg7ow9PDSxWodYGOqdTd92EGL4/s1600/Blu%25CC%2588hende+Blumen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmab5d5J2eTbqQI2JleKFf32XCy75bju3X0PFDwfQP0xRUEieLpqPTjmMRGhW8htNdmw6Iz2GiD-x-KHGDRvQmhhyphenhyphenTZwqWPppzRRZBm2apiisAhLFBTvg7ow9PDSxWodYGOqdTd92EGL4/s320/Blu%25CC%2588hende+Blumen.jpg" width="252" /></a>This distinct area can only be set up on a well-crafted project work base. Change Management is a sufficient condition to achieve designated goals, but not a necessity. Imperative though are a neatly run project and liability! Because transformational phases are characterised by uncertainty, a stabilising, reliable framework becomes absolutely vital. Only if the "hard facts" are backed up, can the other variables be attended to. Yet it is those that make the absolute difference as to whether a project is merely implemented or fully accepted and filled with life.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
Therefore, change management is always a cooperative task at the interfaces of the organization(s) that synchronise or involve project management, implementation and operative business.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN IT-PROJECTS</h4>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
The advisory portfolio of Bayard Consulting includes solutions for the described determinants in the environment of master data management. Initially, our IT experts support you software-independently with the technical processing of your project. We understand master data management as a process that brings together stakeholders from different worlds on a technological basis. Accordingly, we support you with the operationalisation of the project management. The change management is established as an interface function at the beginning of the project and continuously implemented with the aim to create synergies. The relevant correlations are processed in the form of concrete measures and methods that quantifiably enhance the project success and are based on the specific issues at hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<i>Daniel Piontek welcomes all questions at daniel.piontek@bayard-consulting.com.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<i>Daniel Piontek is a psychologist who studied in Cologne, Frankfurt and Vienna. For Bayard Consulting he currently oversees an SAP implementation for several hundred employees in the German food retail sector.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Helvetica; width: 1000px;"><tbody>
<tr valign="top"><td></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
Daniel Piontekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15913295144155283595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-13569087450435733392015-05-29T15:32:00.000+02:002015-05-29T15:51:13.945+02:00Communication and sales promotion 2.0 – stationary retailers sit back and watch<h3>
<br />Traditional retailers miss opportunities which good online communication and online sales promotions provides. Online retailers leverage this space for their own growth. Already small differences in the details can have an appreciable impact.<br /> <br /></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The evolution
of online food draws an interesting picture. Emerging online retailers, often
Internet pure-players (IPP), typically offer a very selective assortment like
tea and coffee or muesli. They conquer a specific market segment, establish
themselves and expand their range of products. Of course they show recognizable
strengths in their execution of online communication and online sales promotions.
At the same time they successively enhance their logistic as the business
growths. Meanwhile traditional retailers work on closing gaps in the assortment,
increase online-investments and start integrating their different sales and
communication channels.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Stationary food retailers retain price
leadership in food retailing </span></b></h3>
<div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Traditional
German food retailers still continue to lead the price competition in our
observation. Their challenge is to transfer their efficient merchandize
management and logistic processes into the online world, where they inevitably
have to offer more services and still want to make profit. Store processes, that
have been transferred onto the customer since decades, have to be done by
the retailer again, like the physical picking of items during the shopping
process. By introducing self-service supermarkets back in the 1960's, this was
no longer done by the merchant behind the counter, but by the customer himself
via pushing his shopping cart through the store. The gain in efficiency was for
instance reflected in lower prices. But online retailing means to add services
like picking and packing or a comfortable home delivery. Especially customer
oriented fulfilment services became an important competitive advantage during last years. As it is very hard to charge extra
fees for additional services</span> in the German grocery market, retailers need to scale this business and find
new approaches for making it viable. Established retailers will find ways to
handle such challenges.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Make better use of online options for
communication and sales promotion</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">However,
we often notice that traditional food retailers neglect their online
communication and sales promotion in the course of the effort described above.
For example, a young online retailer advertises a key value item, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JACOBS Krönung 500g, for 6,59 EUR using
Google. At the same time, a stationary retailer runs a price promotion for the
same item at 4,29 EUR - a difference of 2,30 EUR or 35 percent. As the Google
search result does not bring up this promotion, the potential customer will not
be informed about this offer and probably shop the coffee for 6,59 EUR. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFChqzAVULym6vc_SWuW9BxhdJyBMvOb3UA-eUyc7sz6nqbpXZ4CFejpMB9VUmQ0l61VjMHpeCsHETkEUog9xXJ91OTtLL_XxdIPLfzlJwAI7yB0MmdluuMT8U6iG9lk94YA0Ieq6xQDW/s1600/sales+promotion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Example: JACOBS Krönung 500g - price advantage and customer approach" border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFChqzAVULym6vc_SWuW9BxhdJyBMvOb3UA-eUyc7sz6nqbpXZ4CFejpMB9VUmQ0l61VjMHpeCsHETkEUog9xXJ91OTtLL_XxdIPLfzlJwAI7yB0MmdluuMT8U6iG9lk94YA0Ieq6xQDW/s400/sales+promotion.jpg" title="Example: JACOBS Krönung 500g - price advantage and customer approach" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Example: JACOBS Krönung 500g - price advantage and customer approach</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
In this
example, the stationary retailer could render his promotion interpretable for
search engines by utilizing the shared markup vocabulary (http://schema.org).
He could explicitly bring up the promotion price, product availability and customer
feedback. The algorithms of popular search engines reward and typically use such
kind of information when preparing search results.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Approach customers online at the right time and stage in their buying process</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The retailer
gains a digital version of the popular weekly hand-out without having to place
a Google ad. The customer is already targeted during his Google search, long before
visiting the online shop when the buying decision was already made. Additionally, a consumer will hardly buy the coffee online for 6,59
EUR if he only has to spend 4,29 EUR during the next shopping trip in the store
or online. The retailer can add such kind of online activities as added value to the regular dialogs and negotiations with his suppliers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Reliable master data is the basis</span></b></h3>
</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>561</o:Words>
<o:Characters>3539</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Bayard Consulting GmbH</o:Company>
<o:Lines>29</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>8</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>4092</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>DE</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are
many ways to be more present online and expand the business. The basis for us
is reliable master data. We love to help you to properly set up your master
data and leverage business value.</div>
Stefan Steudelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12318327630216508193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-37941383383773122592014-12-16T17:15:00.002+01:002015-01-29T16:48:59.661+01:00Only unpacked Chocolate accepted! - Or: Why retail is struggling with incomplete item master data<br />
<div class="p1">
Whether large or small, whether from Palatinate or beautiful Bavaria, one thing everyone is obliged to do: maintain ones item master data fully and accurately. Yet somehow this task doesn't seem to be that easy.</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlofKpemkkMn944E0z5zxKPpPRNVyNf6vRdh0Ym54Lss18SwQgRg9F0wFbXkGAC9obkjNOvf3Jk9c9Id5uNqssQuUmWYxcHfIYE2QS-nPkeRe_1SrSnpOgfOydn41semGx86NWEAuh0F23/s1600/Bildschirmfoto+2015-01-29+um+16.38.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlofKpemkkMn944E0z5zxKPpPRNVyNf6vRdh0Ym54Lss18SwQgRg9F0wFbXkGAC9obkjNOvf3Jk9c9Id5uNqssQuUmWYxcHfIYE2QS-nPkeRe_1SrSnpOgfOydn41semGx86NWEAuh0F23/s1600/Bildschirmfoto+2015-01-29+um+16.38.48.png" height="131" width="200" /></a></div>
For almost 2 years now I am involved with an ever growing customer project concerning the synchronization of master data in food retailing. Again and again, I am astonished about how inconsistently many suppliers maintain their item master data. Especially now, in the context of the migration from Sinfos to <a href="http://bayard-consulting.com/index.php/en/consulting/standards/gdsn" target="_blank">GDSN</a>, I increasingly encounter the same problem: items with incomplete packaging hierarchies in the data pool.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
One could almost say the suppliers didn't know their own products. That they had no idea that chocolate bars come in a box where they are well protected and ultimately need the least possible packaging space in order to be optimally positioned on the retailers shelf. Also, the supplier doesn't seem to be aware that for transport, lots of cartons are being lifted on one pallet which is then foil wrapped - after all, you don't want things to get broken - to be safely shipped to the next retailer by truck.<br />
Apparently, these three packaging levels are simply unknown to them.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
Or are they?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
You'd think that a manufacturing company knows its products and their packaging.</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
But why is it then, that packaging hierarchies are often neglected or incompletely maintained? Could lack of know-how play a role? Does the small chocolate manufacturer simply ignore the GDSN standard? Does the small chocolate manufacturer even know what a packaging hierarchy and its hundred associated attributes are? Is he aware of additional mandatory information required by the <a href="http://themdmblog.blogspot.de/2014/01/the-eu-regulation-11692011-on-food.html" target="_blank">EU Regulation 1169/2011</a>? Or does he simply see no added value in the electronic maintenance of item master data in the item master data pool for his own business?</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
Shouldn't he be able to maintain those few mandatory information in the item master data pool practically blindfold?</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
In fact, this is not as trivial as one at first might think and as many suppliers assume in the beginning. There is no short supply of suppliers who are very happy to have gotten access to the data pool and then ask "And where can I now create an item?" only to call 3 hours later again, because they have realised that their products cannot be published as no order units and and no units of account have ever been maintained.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
So, what do we suggest?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
Set precise goals: premium, complete item master data aren't simply an operative byproduct. This topic belongs on the management agenda. For the point is not only to meet retail requirements. First class master data are a clear competitive advantage. This encompasses data provision at the touch of a button, the correct presentation of all products in trade partners online-shops, correct delivery of the demanded goods, speedier reaction-times in case of a crisis, enhanced provision of information if required by environmental organizations and of course the optimization of stocks and production.</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
With the right goals and consistent implementation suppliers creates benefits for themselves while almost automatically supplying its trading partners with master data.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
What do we learn?</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
Item master data management isn't trivial. It's an issue that every company has to face. Even the smallest chocolate manufacturer should establish suitable <a href="http://bayard-consulting.com/index.php/en/consulting/organizational-and-process-consulting" target="_blank">organization</a>, <a href="http://bayard-consulting.com/index.php/en/consulting/organizational-and-process-consulting" target="_blank">processes</a> and <a href="http://bayard-consulting.com/index.php/en/consulting/it-consulting" target="_blank">IT</a> support.</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
We wouldn't want it to become retail standard only to accept chocolate unpacked! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04392704807825668974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-80441414152428321222014-07-09T15:19:00.000+02:002015-02-19T14:10:23.476+01:00Tablet of chocolate or box of chocolate? - The confusion over the allocation of GDSN packaging types<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #434343; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
challenge of migrating from Sinfos to GDSN confronts both retail and industry
inside the German <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast-moving_consumer_goods" target="_blank">FMCG</a> community right now. Both parties work hard to prime
their item master data for the successful participation in the GDSN. Alongside
the migration preparations, there are numerous smaller "sideshows"
taking place, which I repeatedly encounter throughout our customers projects. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
is precisely these supposedly minor sideshows eventing around the GDSN
migration that I will focus on in my upcoming blog series. Again and again,
practice shows that for an effective migration a smooth coordination between
industry and trade partners is absolutely essential. The success of the
implementation highly depends on the correct interpretation of individual GDSN
elements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's
start today with the definition of <a href="http://bayard-consulting.com/index.php/de/consulting/standards/gdsn" target="_blank">GDSN</a> packaging types. When synchronising the
item master data between industry and retail, there seems to be more
disagreement regarding the immediate packaging then initially expected. On the
one hand, this is due to the definition of the individual immediate packaging.
For example, it is easily possible to define a '<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">carton</span>', yet to differentiate it clearly from a
'folding box' is a different matter. Is it the size? The closing mechanism? Or
rather the type of construction?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
abundance of existing packaging types inevitably leads to duplication and
demarcation problems between two or more packaging types relating to the same item.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On
the other hand it is the perspective from which an item is viewed and the
resulting selection of immediate packaging in the master data system which
leads to discrepancies between the industry and its retailers. The retailer primarily
wants to service its customers. Therefore, parallel to choosing the immediate
packaging, it also labels the shelf tags for the store. The industry, however,
defines the immediate packaging inconsiderate of the customer's perspective at
the point of sale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.schogetten.de/images/produkte/Tafel_Alpenvollmilch.png" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uh5HrvN5eICrR3b2sNqI2N43zYN6AOnK46tAre8SF9V-vpnWEQWT1EqK67RXHrkyUSdNdyzsHwHuCe49U8IafHXIvTjK1nqVollMNxy_oC_hyphenhyphenV40A3qJAxeMGYvLDITsn67ZWDaRvjou/s1600/Schogetten+Alpenvollmilch.png" height="129" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
food retailer maintains a "Schogetten Alpenvollmilch" <span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">tablet</span> of chocolate
preferably as a '<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">tablet</span>'
in the system. The supplier, on the other hand, is more likely to choose
"box" as the immediate packaging in the data pool on the grounds
"that the chocolate is actually packaged in a box". This in itself is
perfectly conclusive. There is only one problem: the customer is used to find
"Schogetten" under the tag "<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">tablet</span>" on the shelf label at the point of
sale - an expectation that the retailers would obviously like to continuously
fulfill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.nivea.de/-/media/NIVEA/de-DE/Packshots/NFM/Original-Mild/Original-Mild%20Intensive%20Feuchtigkeitscreme/NIVEA-MEN_Original-Mild_Intensive-Feuchtigkeitscreme_01.ashx?mh=350&mw=260&reflection=1&reflectionHeight=50" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zRue5LHUAAUtXVbWXQa6aE9_a__THrLq_kMpyLhCJ2TdoMcuMvnOMa4EGZFcF-CGZ0YZHalQ0RcoT2dZKV2yXw5GZzDe5HJQojVaTH5MQv_ulYwY1HuFalv6-r8oJ9il4IriK7sayzN_/s1600/NIVEA-MEN_Original-Mild_Intensive-Feuchtigkeitscreme_01.png" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's
look at another range of products such as the "Nivea Cream for Men".
The cream comes in a glass jar and is additionally packaged in a box. This
poses the question which package type to select: "box" or "<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">jar</span>"? The retailer
leans towards the perspective of the end consumer, who will eventually hold a
glass <span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">jar</span> when
using the Nivea Creme for Men. The supplier though chooses the packaging type
"box", considering the item how it is distributed to the retailers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who
is in the right? Is there a 'right' perspective at all?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According
to the <a href="http://www.gs1-germany.de/" target="_blank">GS1</a> recommendations, the immediate packaging is also referred to as
"sales packaging". In this context it can be legitimately understood
as the outer packaging. In this case, the GS1 application recommendation
"Efficient Unit Loads" goes even further. It defines "packaging
types that are used as additional packaging to the sales packaging and are not
necessary for reasons of hygiene, shelf life or the protection of the goods
against damage or soiling when delivered to the end consumer" as immediate
packaging, thus supporting the industries perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="background-color: white;">If
the suppliers insist on their perspective, the tagging of the immediate
packaging on the shelf label will no longer make sense for a lot of items. At
this point, the retailer will have to consider which additional applications
there may be for the most efficient use of the packaging type provided by</span> the
industry. This is because the useful information left to the retailer in
respect to the immediate packaging would merely be the information about how he
can display his item according to the immediate packaging on the shelf. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Which
immediate packaging now is the right and which the wrong, remains undecided.
This question will not be easily answered in the near future. The confusion
about packaging types thus remains with us; there will still have to be a lot
of discussions until an agreement is reached.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>DE</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In
my next blog article I will write on the question why the system of proper
packaging hierarchies in the GDSN is so important and what the consequences of
incomplete packaging hierarchies can be.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04392704807825668974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-23378634503906342692014-06-02T09:34:00.000+02:002014-06-02T09:34:05.323+02:00Heated discussions concerning the allocation of new GTINs due to the REGULATION (EU) No 1169/2011 have ensued!<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaTye2PyIrNAJPvnaFGegHmzFCOpjlh6utBJxNtaMYr2l0eFlgc1bnA0bf7PG0OV2KXuJfVPPIqzqbfCs7-150P5DF9uBaYRkbL_bwLodhLqCNNvtOQ6Qmf4tnIXlPREYUu2IMxUGP7A/s1600/ShoppingCartSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaTye2PyIrNAJPvnaFGegHmzFCOpjlh6utBJxNtaMYr2l0eFlgc1bnA0bf7PG0OV2KXuJfVPPIqzqbfCs7-150P5DF9uBaYRkbL_bwLodhLqCNNvtOQ6Qmf4tnIXlPREYUu2IMxUGP7A/s1600/ShoppingCartSmall.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The regulation on the provision of food
information to consumers, coming into effect in December, poses various
challenges. One of them is the procurement and maintenance of information that
is subject to declaration. Another concerns the procedure when this information
is being changed. In the following, I would like to comment on this currently
hotly debated topic of change.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>
The problem, in brief</b></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
The unambiguous identification of an article is guaranteed via its GTIN. The
article information is printed on the product label. At the store, the customer
picks up the article and studies the label. If information changes, the label
is adjusted. The customer can look at both articles at the store and compare
the changes - even if they have an identical GTIN. No problem so far.<br />
<br />
The regulation yet also refers explicitly to distance selling. Article 14
explains: "[...] mandatory food information [...] shall be available
before the purchase is concluded and shall appear on the material supporting
the distance selling [...]".<br />
<br />
Here comes the problem: The unambiguous identification of the article takes
place via its GTIN. If information concerning the article changes (for example
if ingredients are changed), a new article with a new GTIN must be created so
that both articles (with old and new ingredients list) are distinguishable.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, the information of the article under the previous GTIN would change.
Yet what isn't a problem in the store, does not work for the online shop. Here
every distinguishable article requires its own, separate GTIN.<br />
<br />
This evidently draws a rat-tail of consequences behind it:<br />
<br />
An article with a new GTIN requires a new packaging hierarchy. New article
variants have to be created in the master data systems, ordered, stored and
shipped. An overview of this is offered in the "Position paper about the
identification of products with different labeling at distance selling in the
context of the Food Information Regulation (FIR)", published by GS1
Germany. It can be found on their website under </span><a href="http://www.gs1-germany.de/lebensmitteltransparenz/"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.gs1-germany.de/lebensmitteltransparenz/</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. It also details the perspective of a possible future
solution called GTIN+X, namely the GTIN with additional variant identification
(+X).<br />
<br />
Due to such changes, there could be an inflation in the allocation of new
GTINs. No wonder it is hotly debated under which circumstances a change is
relevant for the allocation of a new GTIN if one looks at the necessary effort
and time as well as the procedural consequences.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>
There are two points of view in this discussion:</b></span></h2>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a) Minimal changes of the foodstuff, as for example in the nutrition facts, do
not require new GTIN, since foodstuff can not always contain exactly the
specified nutritional value due to natural fluctuations and changes in
production and storage.<br />
<br />
This view can be supported by a manual of the EU: "GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR
COMPETENT AUTHORITIES FOR THE CONTROL OF COMPLIANCE WITH EU LEGISLATION ON [
... ] in relation to the establishment of tolerances for nutrition facts
indicated on the label" (Source: </span><a href="http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/labellingnutrition/nutritionlabel/guidance_tolerances_december_2012.pdf"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/labellingnutrition/nutritionlabel/guidance_tolerances_december_2012.pdf</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">). This manual, referring to the Food Information Regulation
1169/2011 and various directives, implies and explains the tolerances in the
determination of nutrition facts. It also translates the otherwise ambiguous
"minimal" into definable numbers. Already on its first page, the
manual includes a notable restriction though: "IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER. This
Document has no formal legal status and, in the event of a dispute, ultimate
responsibility for the interpretation of the law lies with the Court of Justice
of the European Union".<br />
<br /><b>
Which leads us to the alternative point of view in the discussion:</b><br />
<br />
b) If the declarable information changes, the product has to be re-labeled
according to the Food Information Regulation 1169/2011, namely get a new GTIN.
(Source: </span><a href="http://www.gs1-germany.de/fileadmin/gs1/best_practices/GS1_LMIV_Kompaktes_Wissen.pdf"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.gs1-germany.de/fileadmin/gs1/best_practices/GS1_LMIV_Kompaktes_Wissen.pdf</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">). This approach avoids possible conflicts and points
of attack concerning tolerances or the interpretation of the term "minimal
change" by referring back to the description level. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take the following example: A change of
the nutritional value of "Sugar 8.5g" to "Sugar 8g" is
within the tolerance of the nutrition facts - but since the text of the
declarable specification itself changes, the article will be allocated a new
GTIN.<br />
<br />
It will be fascinating to watch which procedure will emerge from the
discussion. This will certainly also depend on how the topic is treated by
government agencies, consumer advocates and lawyers on behalf of competitors.
Government agencies could consider version a) acceptable (the guidance document
on tolerances may point that way). Meanwhile the procedure of version b) may be
the safer way to go to fend of cost-intensive legal warnings.<br />
<br />
We will follow the developments to come.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>770</o:Words>
<o:Characters>4853</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Bayard Consulting Group</o:Company>
<o:Lines>40</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>11</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>5612</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>DE</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another enthralling topic of the Food
Information Regulation 1169/2011: "exceptions", such as for example
in Annex V, point 19: "Food, including handcrafted food, directly supplied
by the manufacturer of small quantities of products to the final consumer or to
local retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer."<br />
<br />
Here again the field is open for individual interpretation!</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08223660220245348321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-91229599112228447392014-02-12T17:56:00.001+01:002014-02-12T17:56:09.489+01:00Automatic Classification According to eCl@ss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoep8YxGo1aeaz5F_h5lRBS3g20IdUM6FQ-XeIrUXtPBwrZy1ul96lXR-Z_DA3-bpXQJr60Wsr-HbVF5R2RYgrBzsb7_3w63pSK3cRMgZSOT_S8vIuA1sTqvx_Avae5usV8wG8zWlIcc/s1600/shutterstock_114089494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoep8YxGo1aeaz5F_h5lRBS3g20IdUM6FQ-XeIrUXtPBwrZy1ul96lXR-Z_DA3-bpXQJr60Wsr-HbVF5R2RYgrBzsb7_3w63pSK3cRMgZSOT_S8vIuA1sTqvx_Avae5usV8wG8zWlIcc/s1600/shutterstock_114089494.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>The product classification system <a href="http://www.eclass.de/" target="_blank">eCl@ss</a> has established itself in many industries as the preferred standard. Initiated and funded by Germany's major companies and later adapted by the federal procurement and some of the federal states, eCl@ss today plays an increasingly leading role in the implementation of electronic commerce for SME (small and medium-sized enterprises). This being said, the classification of product master data via eCl@ss is by no means trivial. eCl@ss is more than just a product group structure and the classification of items in product groups may be itself already an endeavor hardly manageable without automation, particularly with data sets that go into the hundred thousands or even millions.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoep8YxGo1aeaz5F_h5lRBS3g20IdUM6FQ-XeIrUXtPBwrZy1ul96lXR-Z_DA3-bpXQJr60Wsr-HbVF5R2RYgrBzsb7_3w63pSK3cRMgZSOT_S8vIuA1sTqvx_Avae5usV8wG8zWlIcc/s1600/shutterstock_114089494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Yet whoever wants to classify product master data entirely via eCl@ss has to consider the so-called feature lists on top. Also, there is no operating eCl@ss correctly and consistently without supplying all articles with a customs tariff number. We'll come to that in a later blog post.<br />
<br />
<b>Classifying on the "green field"</b><br />
<br />
Naturally, here as elsewhere applies: Every journey begins with the first step. Every eCl@ss introduction should start with a product category assignment. On the one hand, it can be quite useful for the eCl@ss introduction if another product group system (a company-owned in-house one, for example) is already in place. On the other hand, as a point of departure this can tempt into going the wrong route, namely, into trying to map the eCl@ss category from the existing product group. At first, this approach appears obvious and sensible, as it makes use of already available information. In the long run though often entire departments become occupied with the creation of mapping tables intended to map the product groups onto each other. At the end it typically turns out that such a mapping can hardly or not be defined at all, unless the granularity of the two product group systems are incidentally identical up to the last detail.<br />
<br />
Let's illustrate this with a specific example.<br />
Assuming, a company’s product master data were classified according to an internal product group system. This system would, for example, separate flow pumps into axial, diagonal and radial pumps. Such product grouping may well occur in industrial practice.<br />
<br />
eCl@ss, however, offers very different categories:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAao01yko_5KShcibHcO1rwS-ltodqhWHHiTiGc0It10F96HnUVPkB35bY_M9hzCTgO9erLB-ay150NX9uHlkgwF6I4iypfEJDNWjf97FCQWJLcygyvIJIWP11lVLYANXzwPIHwap9xk/s1600/pumpe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAao01yko_5KShcibHcO1rwS-ltodqhWHHiTiGc0It10F96HnUVPkB35bY_M9hzCTgO9erLB-ay150NX9uHlkgwF6I4iypfEJDNWjf97FCQWJLcygyvIJIWP11lVLYANXzwPIHwap9xk/s1600/pumpe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAao01yko_5KShcibHcO1rwS-ltodqhWHHiTiGc0It10F96HnUVPkB35bY_M9hzCTgO9erLB-ay150NX9uHlkgwF6I4iypfEJDNWjf97FCQWJLcygyvIJIWP11lVLYANXzwPIHwap9xk/s1600/pumpe.png" height="218" width="320" /></a>
<li>Submersible pump</li>
<li>Circulation accelerator pump</li>
<li>Ship lift (pressure increase)</li>
<li>Centrifugal pump with shaft seal</li>
<li>Centrifugal pump with canned motor</li>
<li>Centrifugal pump with magnetic coupling</li>
<li>Other unspecified centrifugal pump</li>
</ul>
<br />
Obviously, there is no correlation between the two systems. The product group in eCl@ss is significantly determined by the sealing system (shaft seal, magnetic coupling , ...) of the centrifugal pump, while the design (axial, diagonal or radial) is only laid out as an additional feature. In our assumed example however, the design is crucial for the definition of the product group itself. No matter how you look at it: the eCl@ss category can not be derived, at least not as long as one only considers the internally classified product group. Unfortunately, in practice this often leads to "pragmatically" attributing a shaft seal to each and every pump. Alternatively and even worse, all pumps may straight away be subsumed under "Other unspecified centrifugal pump". It should be clear, that this "solution" is far from being pragmatic, actually even more than botchy.<br />
<br />
The answer to this problem is relatively simple though. As well as considering the internal product category, all available information about the article needs to be evaluated. If for example the article description includes the terms "magnetically coupled", then this information should obviously be employed instead of being ignored. To effectively implement this approach, a software is needed that can utilize existing master data for <a href="http://www.bayard-consulting.com/index.php/en/services/automatic-classification" target="_blank">automatic classification</a> using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Learning" target="_blank">machine learning</a> algorithms. Roughly speaking, this principle uses known examples (learning set) to calculate how the occurrence of the term "magnetically coupled" as part of the article description affects the (conditional) probability, that the article in question is indeed a "centrifugal pump with magnetic coupling". The calculated value is then used to predict the remaining, as yet unclassified articles. In fact, algorithms for automatic classification work even quite satisfyingly if there hasn't been an internal product group in use prior to the introduction of eCl@ss.<br />
<br />
The next blog post will discuss how methods of automatic classification can optimize master data quality.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/+HolgerJoest?rel=author">Holger Joest</a></div>
Holger Joesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12817546861373151279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-86288159352165568532014-01-09T10:00:00.000+01:002014-01-09T10:00:10.125+01:00The EU Regulation 1169/2011 on Food Information for Consumers vs. GDSN - A Closer Look into Nutrition Declaration<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In this
article of our blog series on the European regulation 1169/2011 on the
provision of food information to consumers, I want to discuss the nutrition
declaration in closer detail with reference to some actual examples.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What does
the new EU regulation say about nutrition declaration?</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Here are
two excerpts from the introductory statement:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>"(35
) To facilitate the comparison of products in different package sizes, it is
appropriate to retain the requirement that the mandatory nutrition declaration
should refer to 100 g or 100 ml amounts and, if appropriate, to allow
additional portion-based declarations. Therefore, where food is prepacked and
individual portions or consumption units are identified, a nutrition
declaration per portion or per consumption unit, in addition to the expression
per 100 g or per 100 ml, should be allowed. ... "</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>"(41)
To appeal to the average consumer and to serve the informative purpose for
which it is introduced, and given the current level of knowledge on the subject
of nutrition, the nutrition information provided should be simple and easily
understood. ..."</i></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the
subsequent articles the mandatory information is explained in more detail. The
following is a very abbreviated summary:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Article 30
defines the mandatory content of the nutrition declaration. These mandatory
data are called "BIG 7" (the nutrition declaration with the
additional specification of fiber is called </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"BIG
8"):</span><br /><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"... </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The mandatory nutrition declaration shall include the following:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />(a) <b>energy value</b>; and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />(b) the amounts of <b>fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt</b>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> ..."</span></i></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Article 32
defines the amount to which the mandatory nutrition declaration must refer: </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"...<b>Expression per 100g or per 100 ml</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />(1) The
energy value and the amount of nutrients referred to in Article 30 (1)-(5)
shall be expressed using the measurement units listed in Annex XV.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />(2) The energy
value and the amount of nutrients referred to in Article 30 (1)-(5) shall be
expressed per 100g or per 100ml. ..."</span></i></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Article 33
defines optional additional nutrition declaration per unit of consumption: </span><br /><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"...
Expression on a per portion basis or per consumption unit. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />(1) In the
following cases, <b>the energy value and the amounts of nutrients</b> referred to in
Article 30 (1)-(5) <b>may be expressed per portion and/or per consumption unit</b>,
easily recognisable by the consumer, provided that the portion or the unit used
is quantified on the label and that the number of portions or units contained
in the package is stated:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />(a) <b>in
addition to the form of expression per 100 g or per 100 ml</b> referred to in
Article 32 (2); ..."</span></i></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Article 34
defines the presentation. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>" ...
(1) The particulars referred to in Article 30 (1) and (2) shall be included in
the same field of vision. They shall be presented together in a clear format
and, where appropriate, in the order of presentation provided for in Annex XV.</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i><br />(2) The particulars
referred to in Article 30 (1) and (2) shall be presented, if space permits, in
tabular format with the numbers aligned. ..."</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The nutritional information is to be presented as
follows (according to Annex XV "EXPRESSION AND PRESENTATION OF NUTRITION
DECLARATION " ): </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>" ... The units of measurement to be used in the
nutrition declaration for energy (kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal)) and
mass (grams (g), milligrams (mg) or micrograms (µg)) and the order of
presentation of the information, as appropriate, shall be the following:"</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />- <b><i>energy
(kJ/kcal)</i></b>, mandatory ("BIG7")</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />- <b><i>fat (g)</i></b>,
mandatory ("BIG7")</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />of which:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> - <b><i>saturates
(g)</i></b>, mandatory ("BIG7")</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> -
<i>mono-unsaturates (g)</i>, optional</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> -
<i>polyunsaturates (g)</i>, optional</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />-
<b><i>carbohydrate (g)</i></b>, mandatory ("BIG7")</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />of which:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> - <b><i>sugar
(g)</i></b>, mandatory ("BIG7")</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> - <i>polyols
(g)</i>, optional</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> - <i>starch
(g)</i>, optional</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />- <i>fibre
(g)</i>, optional (additional information of the "BIG8")</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />- <b><i>protein
(g)</i></b>, mandatory ("BIG7")</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />- <b><i>salt (g)</i></b>,
mandatory ("BIG7")</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For the
nutrition information on "salt", the regulation defines: <br /><i>" ... (
37) Since one of the objectives pursued by this Regulation is to provide a
basis to the final consumer for making informed choices, it is important to
ensure in this respect that the final consumer easily understands the information
provided on the labelling. Therefore it is appropriate to use on the labelling
the term 'salt' instead of the corresponding term of the nutrient 'sodium'. ..."</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />Annex I
"Specific definitions" defines how the value for salt is calculated
based on sodium: 'salt' means the salt equivalent content calculated using the
formula: salt = sodium × 2,5".</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When does the nutrition declaration become effective?</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
nutrition declaration is mandatory from 13/12/2016 onwards. If voluntary
declarations are being provided before this date, they have to correspond
to the regulation from 13/12/2014 onwards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Product
examples and their mapping in GDSN</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Looking at product examples today, the format and presentation of nutritional values can be more
or less divided into three classes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ol type="a">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"single-column" -<b> the strictly mandatory declaration, i.e. the
nutritional information per 100 g or 100 ml</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"double column" - <b>in addition to the mandatory declaration,
information is provided for every individual portion size</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">c.
"triple column" - <b>the mandatory declaration, the portion size and an
additional percentaged quantity, based on a daily intake standard</b> (reference
standards for the daily intake are listed in annex XIII of the regulation). On
these products, the "1+4 model", developed by the German Federal
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, is often additionally
applied. This model declares the energy content and the amounts of fat,
saturates, sugar and salt per serving as well as the percentage of its calories
and nutrients in relation to the recommended daily intake.</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Additionally,
the "Representation in the GDSN data model" shows how these
informations are transported throughout the GDSN. It also illustrates how much
interpretative and processing work is needed for a representation apart from
just the data transfer task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Product
example 1 and representation in the GDSN data model </span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38AIqvqd3Qk_q2iGmPoJQq1l5BTQ6dcB9IeepvMUglSVw6cg4-sc1WztGl_NP60DjK3YANNQNmU9z_KPh9eKxfthE2A1KX0U1Qlhu6HEck39du_9F29wRS5FImlnBvbbUp5ZJC5q1ZM4/s1600/Mais-N%C3%A4hrwerte-Klein.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38AIqvqd3Qk_q2iGmPoJQq1l5BTQ6dcB9IeepvMUglSVw6cg4-sc1WztGl_NP60DjK3YANNQNmU9z_KPh9eKxfthE2A1KX0U1Qlhu6HEck39du_9F29wRS5FImlnBvbbUp5ZJC5q1ZM4/s1600/Mais-N%C3%A4hrwerte-Klein.png" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Single-column",
Big 8 complete, sequence standards according to the EU regulation not met,
lists sodium instead of salt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-AwCB_ZXQaK6DzY5Xbc07ON6UrAKMG_LCIJ27Q2vzRjdnpu2bkxMbxZdmbxNbZ2SmM-ivFUfFOokk3VuiRI1_wR9hplNhpLROyS-W8RuD060KM4oDzvMiL6v-uHsJ2_iLzWWT5sz0g8/s1600/Mais-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-AwCB_ZXQaK6DzY5Xbc07ON6UrAKMG_LCIJ27Q2vzRjdnpu2bkxMbxZdmbxNbZ2SmM-ivFUfFOokk3VuiRI1_wR9hplNhpLROyS-W8RuD060KM4oDzvMiL6v-uHsJ2_iLzWWT5sz0g8/s1600/Mais-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" width="720" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Product example
2 and representation in the GDSN data model</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBa331KKoYCYKkIhMpOTHEOVsWZhOYs_NcI5Bh9_tLKmHwwBAj9NHdQ5JI6VNar4OziejadGSvqMMiWkRjqT24bVnTjooM2Q9h1TVakWODZ5wWLUana6841vaXONZirUVBQOvfKsUVK0/s1600/Cola-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBa331KKoYCYKkIhMpOTHEOVsWZhOYs_NcI5Bh9_tLKmHwwBAj9NHdQ5JI6VNar4OziejadGSvqMMiWkRjqT24bVnTjooM2Q9h1TVakWODZ5wWLUana6841vaXONZirUVBQOvfKsUVK0/s1600/Cola-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" height="275" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Single-column",
Big 8 complete, sequence standards according to the EU regulation not met,
lists sodium instead of salt, plus the "1+4 model". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Portion size is
one 250ml serving.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMvZ5v6aXdLVsbqQ__f2X_QeXugnAihK8Z7XUPyWVKqsjfcCGl0ccD0bXt0_8rBXzQIhWRuBjwDGnzNhQsmZ_YliKkPeVOxjCAOnyv2XgweyxUZdLUVAJ1cc8pUShFx8xDzQ7g9vRTm0/s1600/Cola-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMvZ5v6aXdLVsbqQ__f2X_QeXugnAihK8Z7XUPyWVKqsjfcCGl0ccD0bXt0_8rBXzQIhWRuBjwDGnzNhQsmZ_YliKkPeVOxjCAOnyv2XgweyxUZdLUVAJ1cc8pUShFx8xDzQ7g9vRTm0/s1600/Cola-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" width="720" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Product
example 3 and representation in the GDSN data model</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2lwE4ZkLUCZncsAOOo63cDVeXReX8BSI8I4ujoXvU6KwIQWTfi-009tqeXBbW4jzEoGWBASqeGb1vQbuXhwtA4HdiW3pJQLalGGhLGgwVviIvmDVXcIs_CHSZUQpgTTVRNpmlXzposk/s1600/Prinzenrolle-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2lwE4ZkLUCZncsAOOo63cDVeXReX8BSI8I4ujoXvU6KwIQWTfi-009tqeXBbW4jzEoGWBASqeGb1vQbuXhwtA4HdiW3pJQLalGGhLGgwVviIvmDVXcIs_CHSZUQpgTTVRNpmlXzposk/s1600/Prinzenrolle-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" height="320" width="286" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Double
column", Big 8 complete, sequence standards according to the EU regulation
not met, lists sodium instead of salt. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Portion size is one biscuit (24g).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMEeapAaJiZOJIZ0oqgmW48OamObvx_BXIPyl3FwhKwtY9k2dSPUsrnDqZ1hNjwRmUqMDLt9Eevc-CjVyTTZ5Zm6Ai5TWb3JnFv5Z5GMDoCM1I-QiaiC6ljx7VeUVpbLkfFofgAzE22U/s1600/Prinzenrolle-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMEeapAaJiZOJIZ0oqgmW48OamObvx_BXIPyl3FwhKwtY9k2dSPUsrnDqZ1hNjwRmUqMDLt9Eevc-CjVyTTZ5Zm6Ai5TWb3JnFv5Z5GMDoCM1I-QiaiC6ljx7VeUVpbLkfFofgAzE22U/s1600/Prinzenrolle-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" width="720" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Product
example 4 and representation in the GDSN data model</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7S18c6hY65wBLxDZO0cay0sW8F6fp2outlIWBPknTrogNkq7TV10kfjWHRfkmc1x5-oOtN_payxy_tnkezvu0DdS7tpGx_vHnZqPPs50ee35zzDUlHGU1kQu9efw2u6zX4WFq5Yazgo/s1600/Vitalis-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7S18c6hY65wBLxDZO0cay0sW8F6fp2outlIWBPknTrogNkq7TV10kfjWHRfkmc1x5-oOtN_payxy_tnkezvu0DdS7tpGx_vHnZqPPs50ee35zzDUlHGU1kQu9efw2u6zX4WFq5Yazgo/s1600/Vitalis-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" height="320" width="174" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Double
column", Big 8 complete, sequence standards according to the EU regulation
not met, lists sodium instead of salt.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Additionally,
vitamin and trace element information are being listed as well as their
percentage in relation to the recommended daily intake.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Vitamin B1 is not specified on the GDSN UNInfoods list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The "1+4 model" is located on the front of the packaging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The portion size is based on a prepared serving of cereal with milk.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDceGBlCeBMLp9-9ZuskLWTwrBrQd7GPmt1rbJi6YHRzu5sTdtzKsqGV99HiG6wBr1FkPkjcLTKG98hSAqwke63bF7GrpN1c-3TjlRIbHtE9bKj8e_tM8MF6MtGqNobZ28sEdX7dBXSA/s1600/Vitalis-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDceGBlCeBMLp9-9ZuskLWTwrBrQd7GPmt1rbJi6YHRzu5sTdtzKsqGV99HiG6wBr1FkPkjcLTKG98hSAqwke63bF7GrpN1c-3TjlRIbHtE9bKj8e_tM8MF6MtGqNobZ28sEdX7dBXSA/s1600/Vitalis-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" width="720" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Product
example 5 and representation in the GDSN data model</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QGbj7hKuZN5f1aUBSMgCQlDK3hR5sYpmlvTgrWxBlqXrGMzegImDDegsSW8zNTNbD-iZiNmoVZ7h5LsGMHSp5t0l4SOw_7dl1jNKg3UX_Pgxg7E7wV4vIPjSNbCANx1iZHXfdlaVIV0/s1600/Knoppers-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QGbj7hKuZN5f1aUBSMgCQlDK3hR5sYpmlvTgrWxBlqXrGMzegImDDegsSW8zNTNbD-iZiNmoVZ7h5LsGMHSp5t0l4SOw_7dl1jNKg3UX_Pgxg7E7wV4vIPjSNbCANx1iZHXfdlaVIV0/s1600/Knoppers-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Double
column", Big 8 complete, sequence standards according to the EU regulation
not met, lists sodium instead of salt, plus the "1+4 model". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Portion
size is one 25g waffle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2K7f69j3NTb-zh9UbJV8EMzKRYVVuqQbERwI0JRiHto-5l5SB2oY4-60hmhY3pFsM4LKWEoXamjyk-_JfB6qINIisd1GaTjyaqD-17BcI6Iix7Ip4DN-7GX5wlsD27kO1TCfbNs_LeI/s1600/Knoppers-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2K7f69j3NTb-zh9UbJV8EMzKRYVVuqQbERwI0JRiHto-5l5SB2oY4-60hmhY3pFsM4LKWEoXamjyk-_JfB6qINIisd1GaTjyaqD-17BcI6Iix7Ip4DN-7GX5wlsD27kO1TCfbNs_LeI/s1600/Knoppers-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" width="720" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Product
example 6 and representation in the GDSN data model</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKD3fQy7TTKwuEMedFlyyjo6PuI8wUVq60VReeMgG1F_c-UiczuRyS1FKKFFh2i_oITWT3ppoZ3bjFLY_dHoz2ETWRnxFunSdeQVHQeZIX_AmcNx_tfAjfOuWVX7lbbdREO6fbXXK95s/s1600/Butterkeks-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKD3fQy7TTKwuEMedFlyyjo6PuI8wUVq60VReeMgG1F_c-UiczuRyS1FKKFFh2i_oITWT3ppoZ3bjFLY_dHoz2ETWRnxFunSdeQVHQeZIX_AmcNx_tfAjfOuWVX7lbbdREO6fbXXK95s/s1600/Butterkeks-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-Klein.png" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Triple
column", Big 8 complete, sequence standards according to the EU regulation
not met, lists sodium instead of salt. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Portion size contains five biscuits (ca.
34g).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtdiZXTbT4UCrKlBNWOc21rMdeUTvxOfsNbnHBfgLdTfFhIYSNsbKGHOP36Qa4_rU0gij3vljemeHGtj1NmQ3dDpsIFnTYV-ts07aQjgAPILdQxvL_CCtHiTQP_7eFkyM5-gv_05oQZ8/s1600/Butterkeks-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtdiZXTbT4UCrKlBNWOc21rMdeUTvxOfsNbnHBfgLdTfFhIYSNsbKGHOP36Qa4_rU0gij3vljemeHGtj1NmQ3dDpsIFnTYV-ts07aQjgAPILdQxvL_CCtHiTQP_7eFkyM5-gv_05oQZ8/s1600/Butterkeks-N%25C3%25A4hrwerte-GDSN.png" width="720" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">EU
regulation conformity of the product examples</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It is
striking that <b>none </b>of the considered examples <b>is EU regulation compliant yet</b>.
On all products the voluntary nutrition declaration according to directive
90/496/EEC in form of the "Big 8" (energy value, protein,
carbohydrates, sugar, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sodium) is supplied. However,
their sequence is changed in the new table according to the EU regulation: Fiber becomes optional and salt
is no longer listed as sodium.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nutritional value coding in the GDSN data model</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The nutritional values of the product examples were
coded following the GS1
recommended codes and attribute applications </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(see the following comment on salt)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">They therefore represent a "best practice" use
of GDSN for the nutritional information.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Yet the
example of "sodium" already indicates the band width of variations
when it comes to data management. The EU regulation compliant information would
be "salt" (code "SALTEQ"). A conversion (salt = 2,5 *
sodium) on part of the data recipient would appear to be the most pragmatic
solution. The EU regulation holds responsible whoever registers or changes the
product information though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Many
product data will have been registered according to the GS1 recommendations for
the use of GDSN alongside the new EU regulation data. But there will also be
data suppliers who will provide product data that are EU regulation compliant,
but depart from the GS1 recommendation. Next to different applications of
attributes, codes for single nutrition values can also vary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Here, for
example, are the possible alternatives for protein declarations:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>PRO-</b>,
protein, total; method of determination unknown or variable (<b>the GS1
recommendation for protein coding</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Possible
other codes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROA,
protein, total; determined by direct analysis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROANI,
protein from animal sources<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROCNA,
protein, total; calculated from amino<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROCNP,
protein, total; calculated from protein<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROCNT,
protein, total; calculated from total nitrogen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROPLA,
protein from plant sources<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROTAN,
protein, animal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">PROTPL,
protein, plant<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Conclusion</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
new regulation ensures that the up to
now largely voluntary nutrition information on products will become obligatory
for the entire European Union. Information will be more comprehensive, uniform
and more intelligible and nutrition information will be made available for
stationary as well as online trading. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Until this is achieved by the end of the
transition period in 2014 though, a lot of implementation efforts are still
waiting.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08223660220245348321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-59237757852881090302013-12-19T11:06:00.000+01:002013-12-19T11:06:42.321+01:00The Mandatory Information of the EU Regulation 1169/2011 on Food Information for Consumers vs. GDSN<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #434343;">We
are currently working on a project where GDSN product data, especially those
relating to the new European regulation, are being received and edited into
consumer-friendly formats for an online shop. I would like to highlight this
challenge in the second article of our blog series on the EU regulation </span><span style="color: #434343;">No 1169/2011.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #434343;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">What
characterises the mandatory information of the new European regulation in relation to a real product
example?</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLONwMCMf4gAjP14kTBhfrdK4am5OsvUica7862wnGUQ_4MgaTKzge2J0eiMsmfuPrOZYuZawLVjid06JISlTb1a9C9imPIdo60yriPAWjMwhGIqtSjfvKDAoUO0F7zo0V0yIsTskljw/s1600/LMIV-MandatoryInformation-Example.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLONwMCMf4gAjP14kTBhfrdK4am5OsvUica7862wnGUQ_4MgaTKzge2J0eiMsmfuPrOZYuZawLVjid06JISlTb1a9C9imPIdo60yriPAWjMwhGIqtSjfvKDAoUO0F7zo0V0yIsTskljw/s1600/LMIV-MandatoryInformation-Example.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343;">Lets
recall article 9, "List of mandatory particulars" (see also </span><a href="http://themdmblog.blogspot.de/2013/12/eu-regulation-11692011-on-provision-of.html">http://themdmblog.blogspot.de/2013/12/eu-regulation-11692011-on-provision-of.html</a> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343;">):</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ol type="a">
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The <b>name of the food</b> ("Product Name" in the illustration:
"Double-filled biscuits with cocoa cream filling 46%".</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The <b>list of ingredients</b> ("Ingredients" in the illustration):
"Ingredients: flour, sugar,..."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">Any<b> ingredient or processing aid causing allergies or intolerances</b>
("Allergens" in the illustration): "May contain traces
of: Soy". </span><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The additional nutritional information "Suitable for vegetarians" is no mandatory declaration according to the European regulation.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The <b>quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients</b>. The product
example provides here no more detailed declaration in its list of
ingredients </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The <b>net quantity</b> of the food: ("Net Content" in the illustration):
"400 g".</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The <b>date of minimum durability or the 'use by 'date</b> ("Best Before Date" in
the illustration)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">Any special <b>storage conditions and/or conditions of use</b> ("Storage Instructions"in the illustration): "Protect from heat. Store in dry
conditions"</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The <b>name or business name and address of the food business operator</b> as well as</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The <b>country of origin</b> or place of provenance where provided for ("Origin
/ Manufacturer" in the illustration)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><b>Instructions for use</b> (if necessary) - not relevant in case of the product
example</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">With respect to beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol, the
actual <b>alcoholic strength by volume</b> - not relevant in case of the product
example</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">A <b>nutrition declaration</b> (mandatory only from 13. December 2016)
("Nutrition Info" in the illustration)</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">Who
will be affected by the European regulation?</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">European regulation applies to industry and commerce,
both stationary stores and online stores.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The
product example is largely European regulation compliant and therefore meets
its stationary trade standards: the customer can take the product into his
hands and decide on the basis of the information printed on the package whether
it fits his needs.</span><br />
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">How
does the online shop get the relevant data via GDSN though?</span></h3>
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">Let's
look, for example, at the allergy information on the product example: <b>"May
contain traces of : Soy"</b>. The GS1 manual for the use of GDSN for the
European regulation makes the following
recommendation:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">In
the GDSN data model, there is the repeatable attribute group
<b>"foodAndBeveragesAllergen"</b> with which a lot of the allergens
contained in a food product can be described. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The
attributes of this group are defined as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><b>allergenSpecificationAgency
</b>- organisation that defines the allergen information </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><b>allergenSpecificationName
</b>- name and version of the definition informing the transmitted allergen
information </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><b>allergenTypeCode
</b>- code that identifies the allergen contained </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><b>levelOfContainment
</b>- code that specifies the amount of the allergen contained </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">Using
our specific example, this will look as follows (attribute = value ->
explanation)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">allergenSpecificationAgency
= <b>EU </b>-> pre-defined default referring to the recommendation </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">allergenSpecificationName
= <b>1169/2011</b> -> pre-defined default referring to the recommendation </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">allergenTypeCode
= <b>AY </b>-> GDSN code list code "allergenTypeCode"</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">levelOfContainment
= <b>MAY_CONTAIN</b> -> GDSN code list code "Level of Containment Type
Code"</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">In
this example, the actually relevant allergen information is transmitted via the
two codes <b><i>"MAY_CONTAIN AY"</i></b> contained in the pre-defined GDSN code
lists. </span><br />
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">So
what do these codes actually mean?</span><br />
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">As a
code of the "allergenTypeCode" code list, AY is defined as: <i>"AY:
Refers to the presence of soybeans and their derivatives in the product, as
listed in as listed in the regulations specified in AllergenSpecificationAgency
and AllergenSpecificationName"</i>. <b>Or, to put it simple: <i>"soy"</i>.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">As a
code of the "levelOfContainment" code list, MAY_CONTAIN is defined
as: <i>"The substance is not intentionally included, but due to shared
production facilities or other reasons, the product may contain the
substance"</i>. <b>Or, to put it simple: <i>"can contain".</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How
is this information contained in the GDSN Catalog Item Notification (CIN)
message which any data recipient gets from the GDSN data pool? </span></span></h3>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In our example it
looks, in a highly abridged version, as follows:</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1ND-YCoG23FLNipPzqFdrhC2-s9vm9iCHwwRe6qsjVu2FljEHJHk7ha0K6ZafVhyDGElgomBcWsF1qz5P0sBuazr96Snj16QyVcpp7OkGT3VO9xWnEdtAok9JGnjIBbgBaEaqBKvoLU/s1600/CIN-Fragment.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1ND-YCoG23FLNipPzqFdrhC2-s9vm9iCHwwRe6qsjVu2FljEHJHk7ha0K6ZafVhyDGElgomBcWsF1qz5P0sBuazr96Snj16QyVcpp7OkGT3VO9xWnEdtAok9JGnjIBbgBaEaqBKvoLU/s1600/CIN-Fragment.png" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">What
is necessary to format this for the online shop?</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">The
task is now (in addition to the technical details of the GDSN data pool connection
and transformation of the GDSN messages, which I will not look at in this
article) to extract the consumer-friendly notice <b><i>"Can contain traces of:
soy"</i></b> from the GDSN compliant product information <b><i>"MAY_CONTAIN: AY"</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">This
means that for the relevant codes of the GDSN code lists the desired text
fragments must be deposited and mapped. In our example these would be text
fragments for the notice if an allergen is contained ( "Level of Containment
Type Code"):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><i><b>"MAY_CONTAIN"
=> "May contain traces of:"</b> </i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>"CONTAINS"
=> "Contains:"</i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>"FREE_FROM"
=> "Does not contain:"</i></b></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">As
well as the text fragments or declarations for potentially allergy-causing
substances ("Allergen Type Code") - here are some examples:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li><b style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><i>"AX"
=> "gluten"</i></b></li>
<li><b style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><i>"AY"
=> "soy"</i></b></li>
<li><b style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><i>"AS"
=> "sesame"</i></b></li>
<li><b style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;"><i>"SH"
=> "hazel"</i></b></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">Following
this final text module mapping, the consumer-friendly text passages for display
in the online shop can be extracted from the coded GDSN product information:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjRoiWfL6LxC-hBQUxD-OC5B2Se_7LCr5_Gf3mTb5z8Tne9_K-8wV4y6EmqZEpnsA0h0XinDqShTxH2T8QRom9oTuONc7VZGLDvrAcBpbz3R9hHPLVw8uXcg1zkD1UHKO7DA0Wef7C-I/s1600/Webshop-Screenshot-en.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjRoiWfL6LxC-hBQUxD-OC5B2Se_7LCr5_Gf3mTb5z8Tne9_K-8wV4y6EmqZEpnsA0h0XinDqShTxH2T8QRom9oTuONc7VZGLDvrAcBpbz3R9hHPLVw8uXcg1zkD1UHKO7DA0Wef7C-I/s1600/Webshop-Screenshot-en.png" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #434343; font-family: inherit;">There are of course quite a
few more delicacies regarding the mandatory product declarations according to
the new European regulation - we will come back to them<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in our </span></span><span style="color: #434343;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">in our next article ...</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08223660220245348321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-84501585101678640542013-12-19T10:21:00.001+01:002013-12-19T10:26:59.888+01:00EU Regulation 1169/2011 on Food Information for Consumers in Brief Overview<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In response
to different food scandals of younger history the EU issued the regulation
1169/2011 as a directive on the provision of food information to consumers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This
regulation states<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;">General
goals, as in chapter II, article 3: <i>“ The provision of food information shall
pursue a high level of protection of consumers’ health and interests by
providing a basis for final consumers to make informed choices and to make safe
use of food, with particular regard to health, economic, environmental, social
and ethical considerations.”.</i></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-style: normal;">Basic requirements, as in chapter III, article 7: <i>“(1) Food information shall not be misleading, … (2) Food information shall be accurate, clear and easy to understand for the consumer. …”.</i></span></i></span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-US" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">As well as responsibility for the supplied information.</span></i></span></i></span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span>In addition
the regulation contains a number of specific, detailed requirements on
mandatory information, the presentation and placement on food packaging,
guidelines for language used and labeling as like as lists of ingredients,
additives, allergens which may cause intolerances or allergies etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
List of mandatory particulars:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol type="a">
<li>The
name of the food;</li>
<li>The
list of ingredients;</li>
<li>Any
ingredient or processing aid listed in Annex II or derived from a substance or
product listed in Annex II causing allergies or intolerances used in the
manufacture or preparation of a food and still present in the finished product,
even if in an altered form;</li>
<li>The
quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients;</li>
<li>The net
quantity of the food;</li>
<li>The
date of minimum durability or the ‘use by’ date;</li>
<li>Any
special storage conditions and/or conditions of use;</li>
<li>The
name or business name and address of the food business operator referred to in
Article 8(1);</li>
<li>The
country of origin or place of provenance where provided for in Article 26;</li>
<li>Instructions for use where it would be difficult to make appropriate use of the
food in the absence of such instructions;</li>
<li>With
respect to beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol, the
actual alcoholic strength by volume;</li>
<li>A nutrition declaration (becoming mandatory on 13<sup>th</sup> of December 2016).</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This directive
affects both manufacturers and retailers. It applies to food business operators
at all stages of the food chain, where their activities concern the provision
of food information to consumers. Stationary shops as like as online shops. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">It
becomes effective 13<sup>th</sup> of December 2014. Thus it is only 12 month
time, to learn about the requirements and get the implementation done.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">How GDSN
may help with these requirements is part of upcoming blog articles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Source:
REGULATION (EU) No 1169/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of
25 October 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08223660220245348321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-75891324775024934842013-05-22T21:20:00.001+02:002013-05-22T21:20:37.794+02:00Let’s proof “What are the Positives and Negatives of GDSN?”<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">Björn
wrote this Blog article </span><a href="http://themdmblog.blogspot.de/2012/04/what-are-positives-and-negatives-of.html"><span lang="EN-US">http://themdmblog.blogspot.de/2012/04/what-are-positives-and-negatives-of.html</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">about one year
ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">As we have
a global supplier as customer for a GDSN project I’ll pick up this topic and
keep you posted. We’re currently in requirements analysis phase. Let’s start
with a look at some of the mentioned “Positives” from this view point:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">“1) GDSN
is the only global infrastructure to exchange product information.” and “2) It
is used by many global suppliers and retailers.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">The customer is a global company. It is already using GDSN (in its 1SYNC
implementation) to exchange product information in the US. Now Europe should
follow, extending and leveraging the data pool connector implemented by the
company’s global IT. So, the choice for GDSN to exchange product information
makes sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-left: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">“3) It has a lot
flexibility build in with the extension concept and extensions like the
AVP-Extension.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">The customer wants to transport quite a lot of textual information on its
products. Plus some specific attributes which did not find their way into the
extensive GDSN data model yet. Therefore the generic attribute name/value
mechanism given by the AVP Extension provides the needed flexibility. However,
I need to come back to this point looking at “Negatives”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">“4) There is a channel for communicating back
from retailers to suppliers (the Catalog Item Confirmation message CIC).”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">As a
sensible supplement to 1) and 2) this is a clear decision point for GDSN.
However it stands or falls with retailers using that mechanism to give their feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-left: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-left: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">A glance at some of the mentioned “Negatives”:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">“1) Implementation is complex for suppliers and
retailers”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">Without a
doubt: A project has to set up the GDSN data model with its attributes, code
lists and validation rules, implement the message formats and message
choreography plus the technical interface to connect to a GDSN data pool. Even
choosing the right attributes from several hundred ones within GDSN core and
various extension areas is a challenge. <br /><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">But instead of starting from scratch the customer uses LANSA “Data Sync Direct”
(</span><a href="http://www.lansa.com/pim/"><span lang="EN-US">http://www.lansa.com/pim/</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">), a lightweight PIM with focus on GDSN
connectivity, containing a prebuild, out-of-the-box GDSN data model,
generating the XML data formats and following the needed message choreography.
This reduces the project complexity to its essential core: Choose and configure
the needed attributes, data sources and mappings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">“2) Although GDSN defines a message standard,
this is only mandatory to be used between data pools. … MDM/PIM/tool provider
has to build an extra interface for each and every data pool he wants to
connect his tool to. ...”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">This is
another issue losing its effort with the use of LANSA “Data Sync Direct” containing
prebuild interfaces to both, the 1SYNC and the 1Worldsync “WS2” GDSN data pool.
In this project the customer’s global home data pool is going to be the US
1SYNC GDSN data pool. Any recipient connected to another GDSN data pool, e.g.
the 1Worldsync “WS2” in Germany is going to receive the data via pool-to-pool
communication done in the background by the GDSN.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSiT-MdMgjvf5U0rMKhOlaAX8Ni78wVNGUbZDKJnQ7P4l7eSbv3wMiT2UmeWF5bg-ORiOI_NgLcSplZ40bq5Wxj2sOaAF2a3Ln61b07QYI7aeYNVubg3TyMo7PPH89Uloi8vfLpJo8xA/s1600/BlogPicture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSiT-MdMgjvf5U0rMKhOlaAX8Ni78wVNGUbZDKJnQ7P4l7eSbv3wMiT2UmeWF5bg-ORiOI_NgLcSplZ40bq5Wxj2sOaAF2a3Ln61b07QYI7aeYNVubg3TyMo7PPH89Uloi8vfLpJo8xA/s400/BlogPicture.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f">
<o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit">
</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape id="Grafik_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 260.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 448.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
<v:imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\Lutz\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png">
</v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-left: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">“3) Typically
GDSN does not cover all the requirements a retailer has regarding data
synchronization. Therefore retailers are often asking for additional product
information from suppliers on different ways. Very obvious is that GDSN today
does not yet cover B2C data. …”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">Even with hundreds of attributes, the current GDSN data model focuses on
B2B data exchange. In this project the additional textual B2C product
information is split apart several additional attribute name / value pair
attributes. Even though this mechanism gives flexibility to transport arbitrary
data across the GDS network, an attribute value is restricted to 255
characters, which makes it hard transporting longer text fragments. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">The GDSN data model offers more options to implement such requirements, like
the “Trade Item External Information” attribute group, allowing to link to data
being available externally (e.g. via URL). <br />
However the B2C requirements are an area which GS1 needs to give answers on by
extending its GDSN standards suitably. Otherwise different projects would use
GDSN specifically to transport such data with the result of individual
solutions within GDSN.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: DE;">In
summary, the positive aspects outweigh. All requirements – even the more tricky
ones – could be mapped onto GDSN data model and obviously it allows
implementing the “one point of entry principle” for a global company also. We’ll
have a look at the system once all requirements are implemented and product
information is synchronized with European retailers using the GDS network. I’ll
keep you posted!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08223660220245348321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-57065983426848943492013-04-06T17:47:00.000+02:002013-04-06T17:57:40.819+02:00It’s a recommendation – not a standard!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbivF2uZ8HchSn3quMx51EbGGrw5KqUg25CPStCmKCgcYUku50zTtN-RiwhWPvNUt57sywBhpFDpU-_wdGJjxlWaQP_-Peqn5LIzWr1Yyndvev_DVXRIcbf3BJqIboSM_lxEx_NAhIW2q/s1600/shutterstock_120224320_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbivF2uZ8HchSn3quMx51EbGGrw5KqUg25CPStCmKCgcYUku50zTtN-RiwhWPvNUt57sywBhpFDpU-_wdGJjxlWaQP_-Peqn5LIzWr1Yyndvev_DVXRIcbf3BJqIboSM_lxEx_NAhIW2q/s200/shutterstock_120224320_1.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Experiences
with GS1 Standards for Data Exchange in Germany for Healthcare Industry</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Like your
navigation system in the car warning you to stick to traffic regulations and
not follow the instructions blindly, the same applies if you enter unknown
territories in IT. In our MDM world I was asked to cross an “unknown
territory”, namely doing GS1 GDSN compliant item data transformation for
healthcare industry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Starting
with that it looked pretty straightforward: The data provided was CSV, the
result expected GS1 XML item messages. The customer told me there’s a GS1 Germany
“Healthcare Implementation Recommendation on Item Data Exchange”. Good, well
documented area. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">But stop:
The document is based on version GS1 XML version 2.3. Version 2.3? That was
issued in 2008 – meanwhile we’re five versions ahead at 2.8! Lucky I was – only
a few uncritical attributes seemed to be missing. No problem, for such cases
GDSN defines some kind of backdoor to the highly standardized data model, so
called “attribute/value pairs” to transport individual data. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">But stop
again: Where is this attribute value pair structure described in the “Healthcare
Implementation Recommendation”? Nowhere! So, no backdoor, no attributes – the
customer dropped them from his data model mapping requirement list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I continued
mapping the data: Healthcare industry uses eCl@ss classification extensively to
categorize products and add additional attributes. Categorization is ok – GDSN
allows for lots of additional classifications. But again, more attributes to
transport – having the missing attribute/value structure still in mind? The “Healthcare
Implementation Recommendation” gives a helping hand, the solution described is
creative: The GDSN “Classification Description” field is used to transport the
eCl@ss attributes. As repeated structure. Defining a CSV usage style for this
misused “Classification Description” attribute. What?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are two comments on
that: 1) My personal preference: We’re in a XML world – I don’t like mixing
that up with CSV-style values. 2) The hard fact: GDSN validation rule 108 (“For
each supported classification agency a GTIN may only have one classification
code”) would disallow such item data to go into a GDSN pool.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Stop again:
The customer required this eCl@ss data to be transported. That was put on the
issue list – maybe the GDSN data pool provider de-activates validation rule 108
to get that data stored in the data pool…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Some first
tests against a GDSN data pool with transformed single items showed another
smaller problem: The recommendation does not define any date or timestamp
related to the item. GDSN defines four mandatory dates and timestamps. Remained
stuck again. However, this hurdle was taken pragmatically by adding some
generated dates and timestamps, the date of transformation will do!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the
data model mapping done, the final step was assembling the item hierarchies. Another
look into the “Healthcare Implementation Recommendation” explained that as
“…Due to the fact there’s no hierarchy being built, the CIN should contain the
base item and then the next higher level.” Did I say “What?” before? Think so!
The GDSN standard defines item hierarchies always being set up top-down:
Starting e.g. with a pallet and then “unpacking” the contained items until the
base item is reached. With the recommendation implemented, the hierarchy is set
up vice versa. A first test against a GDSN data pool resulted in weird error
messages: It looked like no one on the pool provider side expected data
suppliers to send hierarchies turned around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Final stop
for this blog post: I added the wrong hierarchy to the issue list where the
eCl@ss problem already resided… this needs to be sorted out with the customer
and GS1 as this blows pragmatic solutions. Keep posted for an update on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">So, be
careful, if the standard travel guide describes a bridge to be used, but your
navigation system recommends using a rowing boat ferry where your car can be
transported upside down easily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08223660220245348321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-84167418050794334592013-01-02T09:45:00.003+01:002013-01-02T09:45:41.499+01:00Predictions on GDSN and MDM for 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DAwBNRKBFYIDiWgRFOcbzla5tyr5fwyV4R9DCsVx3LEwALSmj8JSuCgTI3XGtimMIDi2VXVbIGjz-2OZrCrKmieIXSrvkz09GgUI1rEnHRKzUapS0gdcyfGFizvMzac1zP4FpqOS2Bjg/s1600/shutterstock_122575555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DAwBNRKBFYIDiWgRFOcbzla5tyr5fwyV4R9DCsVx3LEwALSmj8JSuCgTI3XGtimMIDi2VXVbIGjz-2OZrCrKmieIXSrvkz09GgUI1rEnHRKzUapS0gdcyfGFizvMzac1zP4FpqOS2Bjg/s320/shutterstock_122575555.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Do you remember my last years posting "<a href="http://themdmblog.blogspot.de/2011_12_01_archive.html" target="_blank">9 Predictions on GDSN and MDM for 2012</a>"? In the following I will try to see where we are and what I am personally expecting from 2013 ...<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1. GDSN will overcome the national Data Synchronization standards and become the real global Datasync standard</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Has this already happened in 2012? It depends on your view - for sure GDSN is not yet fully established in whole europe but the european communities are all working on this. In Germany industry and retail is working hard on migrating from SINFOS to GDSN (see <a href="http://bit.ly/ZPsZJB" target="_blank">here</a>). Austria is starting a complete new initiative to launch GDSN (have a look <a href="http://bit.ly/ZTjoBw" target="_blank">here</a>). GS1 Finland is preparing to switch from SINFOS to GDSN (see <a href="http://bit.ly/ZPycRu" target="_blank">here</a>). GS1 Denmark <a href="http://bit.ly/ZPyGXV" target="_blank">too</a>. France, Italy and Spain are already on GDSN. Even GS1 UK is pushing hard for GDSN even though the major UK retailers are still not beyond pilot. So the majority of europe is at least working seriously to adopt GDSN.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">For sure it will take some more time until whole europe will show reasonable adoption of the GDSN. In germany the official goal is to have the whole migration to GDSN finished by the end of 2013. I would not be surprised if it will take until mid or end 2014. But then it will be accomplished.</span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">2. Master Data Management also gets implemented by European retailers</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">What are twelve month for such an important business decision? European retailers definitely have the awareness that there is a huge business need to introduce Master Data Management as a new business process ... At least that is my perception when I am talking to european retailers. To support my perception I just tried to find some publications on the internet on the topic - but looks quite difficult. There is not much published out there. What I found was some success stories like </span><a href="http://bit.ly/WdIzGR" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Heiler on EDEKA</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> or </span><a href="http://bit.ly/WdIpPT" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Imperia on METRO</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">, and a very old blog post from Gartner </span><a href="http://gtnr.it/WdIWRT" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">. But some more general information or survey? Nothing right now ... So in 2013 I definitely have to collect some more information on that topic, help always welcome ;-)</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">3. Retailers build their own portals to gather item master data on top of GDSN to have a free solution for suppliers and to collect data beyond the standards – and this will burst the usage of GDSN</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">At least </span><a href="http://bit.ly/WdNU0Q" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Casino</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/ZTsHRT" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Edeka</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/ZTsJtb" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Metro Group</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/ZTsNZK" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Praktiker</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> and </span><a href="http://bit.ly/ZTsXQX" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">REWE Group</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> (not sure whether this is a complete list) are using the 1WorldSync service to offer their suppliers a free portal to provide their master data to them. Other retailers choose other solutions (eg. </span><a href="http://bit.ly/ZTthz3" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Tesco</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> uses a service from Brandbank) and I am pretty sure that there are also other retailers out there who have build their own supplier portals offering options to let suppliers provide them their product information.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">How this helps GDSN adoption? Retailers who are offering their suppliers a free channel to provide their item master data to them as an alternative to GDSN are able to rollout this to their suppliers very quickly and thereby they are getting their ROI for the electronic data sync process much quicker then if they would only rely on GDSN. And this is what counts.</span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">4. E-Commerce in Europe becomes the driver for MDM and GDSN in retailers &</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">5. B2C item information will become integral part of GDSN</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">EU Food Information Regulation (1169/2011) obviously became in 2012 a driver for suppliers and retailers in grocery to think about how they can get this information into the online shops. A good impact analysis of this regulation can be found </span><a href="http://bit.ly/ZTrHx6" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">. As this regulation will take effect in December 2014, industry and retail will be busy in 2013 and 2014 to solve the challenges.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">GS1 is pushing here with their "B2B2C"-Initiative a lot to solve those challenges based on the current GDSN infrastructure. This approach from my perspective is very reasonable and gives retailers the benefit of only having to implement one interface (MDM at a retailer is then a prerequisite) and suppliers the freedom either to also implement MDM and GDSN or to just use a data capture service provider to fulfill the requirements of retailers.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The risk for this approach is that retailers really have to implement it now (in 2013). Otherwise they might be tempted in 2014 to take a shortcut and favor a model like in UK where retailers are mandating that B2C data has to be captured by Brandbank. This is a free service to retailers but has to be paid by industry. And retailers might be tempted even not to touch their IT infrastructure but simply feed that data only directly into their online-shop and not getting any other benefits out of this data. </span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">6. Stationary retailers will learn from Amazon that the electronic supply-chain is key for success</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Hmmm, any update on this? I do not know ... just a personal note - I learned that grocery online shopping is different from shopping other goods online. I never did grocery online shopping until REWE started their home delivery service here in cologne. Even though the online shop is not yet as good as you would expect it today (product information, images, search, ... - Amazon sets the bar quite high) the whole service is great! Why? It is home delivery! Since they started their service back in October 2012 I have never been again in a supermarket!</span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">7. The GS1 system demands an integrated solution for supplier data, item master data and transactional data</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I have not seen anything happing in that area. Did you?</span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">8. Gepir will be abandoned</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I have not seen anything happing in that area. Did you?</span></span><br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">9. GDSN at the tipping point - Not for profit vs. commercial services</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">2012 was the tipping point - with the merger of 1SYNC and SA2 Worldsync there is only one real global data pool left and that is owned by GS1 US and GS1 Germany. Now most of the GDSN is controlled by a not for profit organisation. This should remove all the barriers and politics within the network and hopefully help to make data synchronisation a lot easier. Looking forward to 2013!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<b>2013 will become again very interesting in the areas of MDM and GDSN!</b></div>
<div class="p4" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy New Year!</span></b></div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></b>bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-14672640350288348162012-06-05T18:09:00.000+02:002012-06-05T18:09:12.427+02:00Sold out?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpaoGopZwEBoZ7gmuv_CEv3OeitjepAervfxW8XbUBalvovPb3RLozuGPXtmCfFsm8qg9-5BOfNzNmmaejmnjSKnrEx7YAhUN5LDNf5_e1xq_IJHomDAqfUDrKzQUhmWlaZknmqLTKdi4/s1600/sold-out.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpaoGopZwEBoZ7gmuv_CEv3OeitjepAervfxW8XbUBalvovPb3RLozuGPXtmCfFsm8qg9-5BOfNzNmmaejmnjSKnrEx7YAhUN5LDNf5_e1xq_IJHomDAqfUDrKzQUhmWlaZknmqLTKdi4/s200/sold-out.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
This is really NOT how eCommerce should work: You are ordering on a wednesday evening, you are hoping that your goods will be delivered on friday or latest by saturday, and then you are receiving an email on tuesday (!!) that they are sold out.<br />
<br />
This is what happened at the german shoe retailer GOERTZ, as you can see on their email here:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3tVLCXLtxSw5ws42XT4ImOPMLeDP_uZQPbwJfkirSbCztJDMUzeekMbuaNi3yUM6BOkJtaD3J8zqJyimYKdIme3w8fGXf1UNAx9RVDAVhBo30RsuGlWc-IvYrr0Et7n4Htev7kMHOg9Q/s1600/goertz_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3tVLCXLtxSw5ws42XT4ImOPMLeDP_uZQPbwJfkirSbCztJDMUzeekMbuaNi3yUM6BOkJtaD3J8zqJyimYKdIme3w8fGXf1UNAx9RVDAVhBo30RsuGlWc-IvYrr0Et7n4Htev7kMHOg9Q/s640/goertz_01.png" width="522" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There are two topics within this case:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>You should not treat your customer as an idiot. You should not excuse yourself by telling your customer that there are rare cases where products get "suddenly" sold out, if you are sending your article-is-sold-out message nearly a week after you have received the order.<br /></li>
<li>You should integrate your backend IT better to your shop infrastructure. You always compete with Amazon regarding service and response time and Amazon is damned good at that.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I think retailers have to learn that in eCommerce your online shop is what your physical store is in stationary retail. If you are not investing into your stores to make the customer experience as good as possible you will loose. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Btw. that is what lately happend to Schlecker here in germany. They missed to keep up with their competitors, lost more and more customers and in the end failed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And how does this whole case relate to master data management? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Actually "stock on hand" typically is not considered to be master data. This shows that introducing master data management also implies to look into your IT infrastructure how you are doing integration for your IT systems.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And the requirement for an online shop is typically a "near real time integration". This means changes from all sources for the online shop have to be propagated to the shop nearly in real time. Batch jobs which run once a day are not acceptable!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And your master data system should be one source for your online shop.</div>
<br />
<br />bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-42170758083941381752012-04-15T13:20:00.000+02:002012-04-15T13:20:06.162+02:00What are the Positives and Negatives of GDSN?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNOn325kbzKR24kvKDROU5hhgqzOkpPX9-XflxC7bD43sTpqY-jx0Rzm0jAznZILwpsOfrX08tKzGq-qqOyldCHtzVqu841YCjql7Ia-trMGWZAVRM-aY8vDXy60Ap_Jzj83D9LdVlAdA/s1600/pos-neg-gdsn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNOn325kbzKR24kvKDROU5hhgqzOkpPX9-XflxC7bD43sTpqY-jx0Rzm0jAznZILwpsOfrX08tKzGq-qqOyldCHtzVqu841YCjql7Ia-trMGWZAVRM-aY8vDXy60Ap_Jzj83D9LdVlAdA/s200/pos-neg-gdsn.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
Lately I received the question whether I could quickly summarize the Positives and Negatives of GDSN.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Guys, I can tell you - that is not an easy task! So I tried my very best and this is what I came up with:</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Positives:</b></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<ol>
<li>GDSN is the only global infrastructure to exchange product information</li>
<li>It is used by many global suppliers and retailers</li>
<li>It has a lot flexibility build in with the extension concept and extensions like the AVP-Extension</li>
<li>There is a channel for communicating back from retailers to suppliers (the Catalog Item Confirmation message CIC)</li>
<li>-Full coverage for all B2B processes in the verticals of FMCG and Grocery</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="p2">
<b>Negatives:</b></div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Implementation is complex for suppliers and retailers</li>
<li>Although GDSN defines a message standard, this is only mandatory to be used between data pools. The communication between data source/recipient and the data pool is not standardized at all. This means every MDM/PIM/tool provider has to build an extra interface for each and every data pool he wants to connect his tool to. Therefore there are right now not that many tools which have build in GDSN capability.</li>
<li>Typically GDSN does not cover all the requirements a retailer has regarding data synchronization. Therefore retailers are often asking for additional product information from suppliers on different ways. Very obvious is that GDSN today does not yet cover B2C data. And the question is whether the current GSMP process really can master the challenges of B2C data (category specific attributes).</li>
<li>GDSN Pricesync is very complex and there is only one community which has adopted it (australia) up until now.</li>
<li>There is a huge reengineering of the message format under way (Modular Item / GDSN 3.0) to give GDSN even more flexibility. There is not yet any date for putting that into production (rumours are saying, maybe 2015!?). This will put a lot of burden on all data pools and probably also on customers using GDSN today.</li>
</ol>
<div>
What do you think? Is that a fair summary? Do you have any extra Positives or Negatives?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Looking forward to your comments!</div>
<br />bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-19608563813654924812012-02-12T11:31:00.000+01:002012-02-12T11:31:26.594+01:00Cap Gemini: MDM in 2012 still top IT topicDo you remember<a href="http://themdmblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/cap-gemini-mdm-top-it-topic-for-2011.html"> my blog post</a> from nearly a year ago? There I commented on Cap Gemini saying that MDM is one of the Top 5 IT topics for 2011.<br />
<br />
Recently Cap Gemini released a <a href="http://www.cio.de/rolle-des-cio/2303375/" target="_blank">report on the top IT topics for 2012</a>. And there MDM and Data Quality Management are both top topics for 2012.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Dd2NMJ6ul-UAzj2PTa_8Xh2d6q6I5yMoFJ9a91VbtvWgC8WsfCTWE70-p_D7rs8SiaDkybW028n49QF2RY88ODF5-nHxDI2hvAPtyurNrEVm51Yi7oaTtM5vLnuEaWaxJo1bz4IKYoKy/s1600/cg_2012_topics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Dd2NMJ6ul-UAzj2PTa_8Xh2d6q6I5yMoFJ9a91VbtvWgC8WsfCTWE70-p_D7rs8SiaDkybW028n49QF2RY88ODF5-nHxDI2hvAPtyurNrEVm51Yi7oaTtM5vLnuEaWaxJo1bz4IKYoKy/s400/cg_2012_topics.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
What does that mean? Actually it demonstrates that master data and its quality is key for sustainable IT. Therefore Master Data Management and Data Quality Management will continue to be key topics for IT and business as long as IT exists.<br />
<br />
And my comment from a year ago that MDM is not only an IT topic but has to be driven by the business is today even more valid than a year ago. So let's continue to work on these topics!bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-28099189597771581942012-01-06T17:54:00.001+01:002012-01-06T17:54:45.837+01:00Amazon is struggeling too with product information quality ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-mvKBIjGmcotTuM04JUk3PQ7JotdFnS-WlYvoCMQxPdGc6KYsnvXGVvBfD17UYMs5axELkvfqCUXAKh1UtLAKX0lBcxUAwtKGdn4ee5O8GNN4uc1FUXUqm9hP5eP9Y4o1vZV-A0K0RC0/s1600/amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-mvKBIjGmcotTuM04JUk3PQ7JotdFnS-WlYvoCMQxPdGc6KYsnvXGVvBfD17UYMs5axELkvfqCUXAKh1UtLAKX0lBcxUAwtKGdn4ee5O8GNN4uc1FUXUqm9hP5eP9Y4o1vZV-A0K0RC0/s200/amazon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
... I am always very impressed by the product information and esp. by the quality of the product information Amazon does provide in their shop system.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But even Amazon seems to struggle from time to time with the data quality of their product information.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Look at the following screenshot which I have take today while I was shopping for a landline phone.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZWdptl-DnJkfqiYB285GDmXxLrzxxTaIW_dlgH5eJ-6hDABS2obFJxwlYGSmU5xkkKL12uF_InytYXeiQGRvmlXP3DhiIPhbWRBGSyYvf2P35aTvQnNPfA15SD9dhAsEqmDyAAswIj4U/s1600/screen-capture-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZWdptl-DnJkfqiYB285GDmXxLrzxxTaIW_dlgH5eJ-6hDABS2obFJxwlYGSmU5xkkKL12uF_InytYXeiQGRvmlXP3DhiIPhbWRBGSyYvf2P35aTvQnNPfA15SD9dhAsEqmDyAAswIj4U/s640/screen-capture-5.png" width="536" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For those of you who are not familiar with german here is how it should be written:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Plug&Play Anrufb<b>ASIN</b>tworters:" -> "Plug&Play Anrufb<b>ean</b>tworter:"</div>
<div>
"Bedienung des Anrufb<b>ASIN</b>tworters:" -> "Bedienung des Anrufb<b>ean</b>tworters:"</div>
<div>
"Akkulad<b>ASIN</b>zeige:" -> "Akkulad<b>ean</b>zeige:"</div>
<div>
"Signalstärk<b>ASIN</b>zeige:" -> "Signalstärk<b>ean</b>zeige:"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Got it?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Somebody has done a kind of global "Search&Replace" and has replaced "ean" by "ASIN". Actually EAN is the former name of the GTIN and ASIN is the name of the Amazon article number. Within Amazon you can convert the GTIN to the ASIN and vice versa.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So what does this example tell us:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Amazon does obviously not do any checks on the provided features. They obviously do not classify feature names as real attributes and they are obviously not trying to standardize those. You have also not product comparison in their shop.<br /></li>
<li>Philips either has a manual process to provide their data to Amazon and in this process somebody manually did the global search&replace or they have an automated interface and a very bad testing process. Because then this has to go wrong in their interface implementation.</li>
</ol>
<div>
How could this situation be avoided?</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Amazon could predefine all feature names and force all suppliers to deliver their data accordingly. I think this is not a feasible approach because Amazon would have to standardize all attributes on all product categories they have plus they would have to force all their suppliers to comply to that standard.<br />Do you think Amazon could do this? I do not think so. Therefore I think Amazon can only rely on their suppliers that it is in their best interest to provide the best data quality they can.</li>
<li>Philips could use a PIM with defined attributes for the features of their products and implement an automated upload process to Amazon.<br />I think this could be easily done and would solve the problem for Philips and Amazon.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Btw. although the data was corrupt I have ordered exactly that phone because I hope that Philips is way better in designing and producing phones than they are in providing product information to Amazon :-)</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-64872510425005084482011-12-28T21:29:00.001+01:002011-12-28T21:29:58.994+01:009 Predictions on GDSN and MDM for 2012<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jn2H_BMs_gs/Tvt8AwuwZ_I/AAAAAAAACpo/M09xVbecBeM/s1600/Bildschirmfoto+2011-12-28+um+21.28.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jn2H_BMs_gs/Tvt8AwuwZ_I/AAAAAAAACpo/M09xVbecBeM/s200/Bildschirmfoto+2011-12-28+um+21.28.26.png" width="193" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
Inspired by the many predictions for 2012 you can find right now in the I thought to write down my own assumptions and predictions for 2012. Maybe it is a little bit unstructured but this is how it came to my mind.</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
I hope you will enjoy them a little bit and maybe enrich them with your own thoughts and comments!</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
Here we go:</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>1. GDSN will overcome the national Data Synchronization standards and become the real global Datasync standard</b></div>
<div class="p3">
Especially in Europe Data Synchronization started long before the rise of the GDSN – and already was successfully implemented before. With the rise of the GDSN and the adoption by the large, global manufacturers the European communities were urged to build bridges from their national, proprietary data synchronization standards into the GDSN. This happened the last couple of years for example in Germany, Sweden, France, Spain and other European countries. By now many of those communities have learned that using one single, global standard is really beneficial and therefore they are in the process of switching from their national, proprietary program to the global GDSN. One good example here is the German community which has decided to switch from their former SINFOS standard to the GDSN. This initiative is led by GS1 Germany and backed by all major players in the German retail marketplace.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>2. Master Data Management also gets implemented by European retailers</b></div>
<div class="p3">
My observation is that MDM as a discipline was for quite some time much more adopted by US retailers than in European retailers. Therefore European retailers had much more difficulties in adopting automated data synchronization and getting rid of paper or email based new item forms and the manual processes attached to it.</div>
<div class="p3">
What I am seeing now is that meanwhile also many European retailers are looking into MDM as a discipline or a business process and that many of them really have already started their MDM program or are at least right now preparing to start one.</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>3. Retailers build their own portals to gather item master data on top of GDSN to have a free solution for suppliers and to collect data beyond the standards – and this will burst the usage of GDSN</b></div>
<div class="p3">
GDSN on its own is not sufficient for retailers. The goal for retailers regarding data synchronization is to get the data of ALL their suppliers in a reasonable time frame electronically in an automated process instead of getting only a part of it through data synchronization and sticking with the rest to manual processes. </div>
<div class="p3">
To overcome the chicken and egg problem (“only a ‘small’ amount of suppliers are doing GDSN, therefore retailers are not implementing GDSN” versus “retailers are not implementing GDSN and therefore suppliers are not participating in the GDSN”) retailers are more and more implementing their own web portals where suppliers can maintain their item data manually at no charge additionally to implementing GDSN. By offering a free option to suppliers retailers really can mandate electronic delivery of item data – either via GDSN or via their own portal.</div>
<div class="p3">
Why this will burst the usage of GDSN? Because retailers are implementing GDSN and suppliers are only getting any benefits from electronic delivery of item data if they implement GDSN themselves instead of manually feeding the retailer portals.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>4. E-Commerce in Europe becomes the driver for MDM and GDSN in retailers</b></div>
<div class="p3">
E-Commerce is THE driver for electronic product information par excellence. This is how suppliers can advertise and promote their products and directly impact their sales through the different online channels. </div>
<div class="p3">
Electronic product information is the equivalent to the packaging in the store!</div>
<div class="p3">
To manage the product information on the supplier and the retailer side you absolutely need to implement MDM for product information otherwise you will not be able to control the data.</div>
<div class="p3">
But why will it also drive the adoption of GDSN? GDSN is an established infrastructure between suppliers and retailers to exchange product information and absolutely capable to exchange the more sales oriented product information for E-Commerce also. Why try to establish something else?</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>5. B2C item information will become integral part of GDSN</b></div>
<div class="p3">
As E-Commerce is one of the key drivers sales oriented product information (aka ‘B2C item information’) has to become integral part of GDSN. </div>
<div class="p3">
Do we need ‘Modular Item’ for this? Probably not short term, because we could easily live with some more extensions or even with using the ‘Specifics Technical Characteristics’ Extension.</div>
<div class="p3">
Key is to regard GDSN as the means to receive “trusted data” from suppliers.</div>
<div class="p3">
Btw. what is your understanding of “B2C data”? Mine is all data on a product that comes from the business and the targeted audience is the consumer. This includes all product feature information, every kind of marketing information, manufacturers images and such stuff. It excludes explicitly all kind of consumer generated content (e.g. recommendations) or 3<sup>rd</sup> party content (e.g. test reports etc.). </div>
<div class="p5">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>6. Stationary retailers will learn from Amazon that the electronic supply-chain is key for success</b></div>
<div class="p3">
Working a lot for stationary retailers, my observation is, that those retailers have a lot challenges to adopt electronic processes for their key business processes. Mainly because they have well established (manual) processes and their business is up and running. It is obviously a huge change task (mental wise but also just from the huge amount of employees impacted) for them to switch from the manual processes which are working for decades to automated, electronic processes.</div>
<div class="p3">
But as Amazon meanwhile is very well established globally and is competing more and more with stationary retailers, the latter ones have to really investigate how they can stay competitive. Full adaption of the electronic supply-chain is one of the must haves. </div>
<div class="p5">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>7. The GS1 system demands an integrated solution for supplier data, item master data and transactional data</b></div>
<div class="p3">
You implement GDSN and then you are going to start your first rollout / onboarding program. And you will have your first failure because you learn that your supplier address data is too poor. This can be repaired with a huge manual effort (contact each and every supplier and collect their GLN, the correct contact person and probably some more address information).</div>
<div class="p3">
But why is there no viable GS1 solution which provides supplier address information to retailers?</div>
<div class="p3">
Each and every retailer has the same challenges here. By the way suppliers have similar problems because where can they get all the DC and store addresses from retailers?</div>
<div class="p3">
As a retailer you first need correct supplier information, then you need the item information and based on that you want to do the electronic business processes like orders, invoices, etc.</div>
<div class="p3">
Why is there no integrated solution for this?</div>
<div class="p3">
Will this solution emerge in 2012? Probably not. But the more the GDSN is used the more people will recognize that there are some other puzzle pieces still missing.</div>
<div class="p5">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>8. Gepir will be abandoned</b></div>
<div class="p3">
I have to admit – I am not seriously predicting that this service will be shut down. But I still have not got the intention of the Gepir service. You could think that it is a wonderful service where you can find for each and every GLN and GTIN GS1 has ever issued some detail information.</div>
<div class="p3">
But the data quality there is even worse than what I have seen at most retailers databases. And this just does not help.</div>
<div class="p3">
From my perspective one of the key issues is the way how GLN’s and GTIN’s are distributed / sold where it is not mandatory to give a feedback what you are using a GLN or GTIN for.</div>
<div class="p5">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p5">
<b>9. GDSN at the tipping point - Not for profit vs. commercial services</b></div>
<div class="p3">
The two largest GDSN datapools are meanwhile owned by the two largest GS1 organizations (SA2 Worldsync by GS1 Germany and 1sync by GS1 US). Many smaller GS1 organizations are offering also GDSN services to their community either based on 3<sup>rd</sup> party technology (many use either SA2 Worldsync or 1sync) or based on their own developments (e.g. GS1 Sweden or GS1 Hungary).</div>
<div class="p3">
Where are the commercial players in the GDSN area? They are either bought by GS1’s (1sync was formerly Transora which was a commercial company, SA2 Worldsync was majority owned by Pironet NDH, a public company) or they are stepping slowly out of this business like GXS for example. In US there are still some commercial companies engaged in the GDSN market and there are also new players arising like lately FSEnet and others.</div>
<div class="p3">
What does that mean for 2012? It will be very interesting to see how “not for profit” vs. “commercial” performs.</div>
<div class="p3">
Regarding an integrated GS1 platform as described above I would think that commercial vendors are in a better position because GS1 in certain areas has to be sensitive to not make to much competition to their own solution providers. For example GS1 probably will not be willing to enter the field of transactional data (EDI) because there are well established, commercial offerings available.</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<b>So 2012 will become very interesting in the areas of MDM and GDSN!</b></div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Happy New Year!</span></b></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-71494355200381459732011-12-11T21:52:00.001+01:002011-12-12T09:26:15.557+01:00How to implement a Data Quality Management system ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
... for product master data!?<br />
<br />
Did you ever think through it? Did you ever try to implement one? Actually I was happy to be part of a team at a large retailer to implement a Data Quality Management system.<br />
<br />
In principle it is very simple:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryYbp0R23fCjwa5wiHDRcguzOHdNoCCSAZ1EEA5MKGqkB4_17cS_t1NhcRomISRUglXSr-2DMFKD4QYBQq_v2cW2Br2m0WgwrAeHE9JKFdj6TNNAhZx9tXHKp_DxKjBDjXxFU0NxnmmPb/s1600/screen-capture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryYbp0R23fCjwa5wiHDRcguzOHdNoCCSAZ1EEA5MKGqkB4_17cS_t1NhcRomISRUglXSr-2DMFKD4QYBQq_v2cW2Br2m0WgwrAeHE9JKFdj6TNNAhZx9tXHKp_DxKjBDjXxFU0NxnmmPb/s320/screen-capture.png" width="320" /></a></div>
But the problems already start with the very first bubble "Measure the current Data Quality". What is Data Quality? What are the the KPI's (KPI = Key Performance Indicator) to measure Data Quality?<br />
<br />
First of all you really have to define what Data Quality means to you. And this really depends on your business processes which use the product data and the requirements those business processes have.<br />
<br />
In my case I am pretty sure you could very quickly imagine that the core processes are purchasing and logistics which are the main drivers at the retailer I was working on the Data Quality Management system.<br />
<br />
And for gods sake - our team was not the very first one who has to implement a Data Quality Management system for a retailer. We did a little bit research and found very quickly the <a href="http://www.gs1.org/gdsn/dqf">"Data Quality Framework (DQF)" </a>which is compiled by GS1 to support companies to get ready for GDSN.<br />
<br />
The DQF is very helpful to implement a Data Quality Management system for product information if your product information is mainly targeted on supporting business processes in purchasing and logistics. If your requirements go beyond that you have to extend it.<br />
<br />
The DQF consists of KPI's, a guide how to implement a Data Quality Management System, and a Self-Assessment procedure.<br />
<br />
Most interesting to us were the KPI definitions:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Overall item accuracy</b>: Ok, this indicator is not that surprising - it is the percentage of items that have correct attributes values for the attributes in scope.</li>
<li><b>Generic attribute accuracy</b>: That is already more interesting. This is describing the percentage of items that have correct values for some more generic attributes. GS1 defines the following attributes to be in scope for this KPI:</li>
<ol>
<li><i>GTIN</i> - that is the key for identification of an item therefore it is really key ;-)</li>
<li><i>Classification Category Code</i> - As the classsification code is relevant for reporting it is a very important attribute within retail industry</li>
<li><i>TradeItemDescription</i> - to me this is really a difficult attribute in retail. At all retailers I have been so far, the buyers always insisted that item descriptions are a means to differentiate from competitors and therefore have to be handcrafted at the retailer or have at least to comply with the retailers rules how the description has to be build. Just as a sidenote - I think that is wrong and the item descriptions in no way drive revenue, but I might be wrong here.<br />Therefore we decided to leave that attribute out in our reporting.</li>
<li><i>Net Content </i>- is important for shelf tags and therefore one of the really important informations.</li>
</ol>
<li><b>Dimension and weight accuracy</b>: <i>Depth</i>, <i>Width</i>, <i>Height</i> and <i>Gross Weight</i> are the key attributes here. And those attributes are not only key for distribution centers but also for your transport/route planning and therefore have very strong and immediate impact on logistics.</li>
<li><b>Hierarchy accuracy</b>: This is absolutly relevant because in different business processes you are using different units of the same item. E.g. you might order an item on palett level but you stores order it on case level or even each level at your distribution center. If you then do not have the packaging hierarchy correct then you are in serious trouble!</li>
<li><b>Active / Orderable</b>: You should not order item units which are not active at your supplier or just not orderable units. This immediately disrupts every automatic, electronic process and therefore has to be avoided.</li>
</ol>
<div>
So with those KPI's you are covering very much all the requirements from business processes in purchasing and logistics.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But the question now is: <b>How to measure accuracy for those attributes?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A retailer has two approaches he can take:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Compare the data to the data provided by the supplier.</li>
<li>Do a self-assessment and go to your DC and really measure the physical products to gain that information.</li>
</ol>
<div>
In our project we are doing both. We have implemented a system where we are comparing the supplier data to our data according to the above KPI's on an ongoing basis. As the supplier data provided through the data pool does not cover 100% of the business we are also calculating how much of the business is covered by this report.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On top of this we are doing a self assessment. The reason for this is mainly to figure out what quality the supplier data has.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From our experience a Data Quality Management system based on the GS1 Data Quality Framework is a solid basis manage your MDM program. It gives you the means to document and communicate the progress your MDM program achieves.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<b>Update 12.12.2011:</b><br />
<br />
You made it till the end of this post? ;-)<br />
Ok, then I have some more fun stuff for you. I just stumbled over this quite old video from GS1 Netherlands on data quality. But I think it is still to the point and at least it is fun watching and listening:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ozjczRGFl4g" width="420"></iframe>
</div>bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-29469954001848072412011-12-03T08:08:00.001+01:002011-12-05T19:03:05.723+01:00Why GEPIR sucks ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2heHqzNMZXOBGT50Hq9G6-IvDqSH-6G216dLwfWEewWGuP5XjR_kElMMNtNTmWImfDc9GYrYs6Gydi0kYQsJhnT_OR-4sxXc3WqLtvkEVYUvqzJmkvwoAcTZwzKsaD3X6y-N9OajMsvP/s1600/sometimes_life_sucks_1039265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2heHqzNMZXOBGT50Hq9G6-IvDqSH-6G216dLwfWEewWGuP5XjR_kElMMNtNTmWImfDc9GYrYs6Gydi0kYQsJhnT_OR-4sxXc3WqLtvkEVYUvqzJmkvwoAcTZwzKsaD3X6y-N9OajMsvP/s320/sometimes_life_sucks_1039265.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
Have you ever tried to use GEPIR?<br />
<br />
Lately I needed the address of a Distribution Center of one of the major german retailers. As usual I first tried google but there was no address to be found. I found a lot of information on the DC - press releases mentioning it and stuff like that - but no address.<br />
<br />
Then I happily remembered GEPIR. GEPIR is a global service from GS1 and GS1 promotes it as "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #d5dbe0; font-family: Arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">a unique, internet-based service that gives access to <b>basic contact information for companies</b> that are members of GS1. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #d5dbe0; font-family: Arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">These member companies use <b>GS1's globally unique numbering</b> system <b>to identify </b>their products, <b>physical locations</b>, or shipments."</span> .<br />
<br />
And as you know each and every retailers uses GLN's (Global Location Numbers - the GS1 numbering system to identify physical locations) to also identify their Distribution Centers (DC's).<br />
<br />
Ok - I quickly went to<a href="http://www.gepir.de/"> http://www.gepir.de</a> (you can also use the more international version <a href="http://www.gepir.org/">http://www.gepir.org</a> or any of the other nationally provided URL's, they all access the same data), typed in the name of the retailer - and was first very surprised and then quite disappointed.<br />
<br />
There were only 17 hits and none of them was a Distribution Center!?<br />
<br />
I quickly checked multiple of the major german retailers, EDEKA, Metro, REWE - none of their Distribution Centers gets listed by GEPIR.<br />
<br />
And all of them have more then one thousand GLN's to identify their DC and store locations!<br />
<br />
GS1 is selling each and every GLN and they are not able to provide the correct master data to their GLN's!???<br />
<br />
<b>How come?</b><br />
<br />
Did I get their vision wrong for GEPIR? Is GEPIR not meant to provide all the master data to the GS1 numbers? If that is not the vision of GEPIR what shall be the value otherwise??<br />
<br />
I think the vision of GEPIR is to provide all the master data identified by the GS1 identifiers. Regarding the GLN I expect GEPIR to have all valid GLN's and the physical addresses they refer too. And I would also expect GEPIR to show what type of location that is. Is it a DC? Is it a store? Is it a location used for ordering? Or is it a location used for invoicing? But that is a second issue with GEPIR.<br />
<br />
I think GS1 has a simple master data management issue as many companies do have. I think there is a vision what GEPIR should be (see above), there might be even a strategy how to achieve that vision (implement a globally shared database) but they did the typical mistakes you can see in many companies regarding master data management.<br />
<br />
<b>They did not establish any metrics</b>. For example they should measure what the coverage of the GLN's within GEPIR compared to the sold GLN's is. Then they would know that the coverage in the best case is only 50-60% and that they would have to take some measures to improve the situation.<br />
<br />
<b>They did not establish any sustainable organisation and processes</b>. Who is responsible to get new GLN's into GEPIR? How about updates of addresses?<br />
<br />
And finally their <b>IT infrastructure does not seem to be really tailored to best support their vision</b>. I even heard that couple times GLN's from a single, local GS1 organisation was sold two times. What a mess. And what type of IT infrastructure is not able to ensure the uniqueness of such a simple number like the GLN?<br />
<br />
So finally GEPIR currently ends up as many MDM and PIM projects. There is a great tool. Even with an iPhone app. But it really sucks because the master data is either not available or the quality is so poor that you do not want to rely on it.<br />
<br />
Care for the content! Care for your master data! Care for your master data quality!<br />
<br />
Ok GS1, I really would recommend that you start a Master Data Management Program as you are expecting from your members to do data synchronisation. A possible point to start with you can find here: <a href="http://themdmblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-is-mdm-program.html">What is a MDM program?</a><br />
<br />
<b>GEPIR is really out of sync right now!</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>----</b><br />
<b>Update 03.12.2011:</b><br />
There are some really interesting comments to this post on linkedin, which you can find <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=1449937&type=member&item=83330267&commentID=60417256&goback=%2Eamf_1449937_41697282&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_60417256">here</a>.<br />
<br />bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-24536650885681104212011-10-04T09:33:00.000+02:002011-10-04T09:33:47.717+02:00Why is GDSN ignored by PIM vendors?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDawTRPc7KbR3OdnxSgZsXT71gjODipcUlgtauxV57f6gXpZyQPWuMSv-9KwbUMqChvwD5BtGGHM4-krzSe9i7FHFKwiuTibUaeq-pnOneUwIK602vHVlgpPQwaDITSoqjSAvJpPk5xxBM/s1600/ignore.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDawTRPc7KbR3OdnxSgZsXT71gjODipcUlgtauxV57f6gXpZyQPWuMSv-9KwbUMqChvwD5BtGGHM4-krzSe9i7FHFKwiuTibUaeq-pnOneUwIK602vHVlgpPQwaDITSoqjSAvJpPk5xxBM/s320/ignore.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Lately I had a very intensive discussion on GDSN with one of the major PIM software producer. They were really interested to see whether GDSN could bring them any additional business and if there were relevant customers being in the need of GDSN support in a PIM solution.<br />
<br />
They got very detailed presentations on GS1 activities in the Retail & CPG and in the Healthcare space. And they were also presented the actual GDSN growth figures and actually it was tried everything to sell them the relevance of GDSN for their PIM business. They even talked to major retailers using GDSN on their experience and advice and also to some data pools.<br />
<br />
Finally they took some time to evaluate what was presented to them and draw some conclusions for their business. Actually I was quite surprised with their key conclusions:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><i><b>Datapools only have relevance in Europe and in US. </b></i>This really puzzled me because at least Australia is one of the most advanced GDSN communities with the highest adoption rates. But looking at most of the other countries - even within Europe - GDSN is not that much adopted and still manual data exchange (even on paper) is the most spread way of data synchronisation. Although the adoption rate is continuously growing as you can see from the <a href="http://www.gs1.org/sites/default/files/docs/gdsn/stats/gdsn_adoption.pdf">Global Registry Statistics</a>.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li><i><b>The data is not maintained sufficiently and the data quality is considered to be very low.</b></i><br />
In this case this is really a two-sided issue. First I think bad data quality in GDSN data pools is really one of the badest myths at all. In all cases where I did comparisons between retailer product data and the data in a data pool the retailer data was much worse then the data in the data pool. The data in the data pool actually always was in quite a good shape. This is also supported by all recent studies like the <a href="http://www.gs1uk.org/resources/help_support/Pages/White-Papers.aspx">GS1 UK datacrunch report </a>or the <a href="http://www.gs1belu.org/files/Folder_datacrunch_2011.pdf">report from GS1 Belgium</a>.<br />
The second side of the issue in this case is that their customers are mainly also in the ecommerce space and what you need there is the marketing and sales information on products and this is today really not available in the GDSN.<br />
It really seems to be a challenge within the GSMP process to get a standard developed for marketing and sales relevant (or let's use the new hype term "B2C") data. If you look for example at Consumer Electronics. The first hints on additional attributes and an additional standard I have found in <a href="http://blog.sa2worldsync.com/blogs/index.php/2008/10/31/gsmp-community-announcements-15">2008</a>. And now in <a href="http://blog.sa2worldsync.com/blogs/index.php/2011/06/16/gsmp-call-to-action-5">2011</a> we are getting calls to action to work on the requirements for Consumer Electronics ... For me that does not look convincing too ...<br />
<br />
</li>
<li><i><b>Data enrichment is not covered within the GDSN</b></i><b><i><br />
</i></b>What they meant by "data enrichement" is to add B2C data to the data if that is not available directly from any internal source at the supplier.<br />
I think here they are going wrong. In my perception the PIM of a retailer should offer a supplier portal where suppliers can enrich their data manually. Also data pools like SA2 Worldsync are starting to offer such functionalities based on their data pools.<br />
As GDSN is "only" a protocol between data pools (and in some respect between a data source and a data recipient and its corresponding data pool) it does not deal with "manual" data enrichment processes by concept.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li><i><b>They consider GDSN only as a infrastructure side topic</b></i><br />
Here I think they are really making a big mistake. GDSN is not only about publishing the data to a data recipient (retailer) but it is also about communication with the retailer (think of the CIC messages which allow retailers to send feedback back to suppliers).<br />
In my point of view every serious PIM system has to support the full GDSN choreography. And this also means to have specific UI's for the corresponding user roles and being aware that there is a new type of user role which has also to be established in the customers organisation.<br />
<br />
</li>
<li><i><b>As they consider retail as one of their major markets, they also consider supplier data onboarding for retailers as one of their key tasks - but they do not consider GDSN to be one of their main means to do so</b></i><br />
As their customers are very much in the ecommerce space and they are dealing a lot with sales and marketing oriented product information this decisions seems to be very much linked to the above topic 2 and 3 and that this type of data is just not available in the GDSN.<br />
Although I think that onboarding of supplier data is always following the same principle. It is independant whether I need supplier logistics data or some feature information. Only the content differs.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>What is my take away?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
GDSN seems to be struggeling from my point of view with two challenges:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Market perception</b>: The market does not perceive GDSN as a major, global and successful way to synchronize product information. And this despite the huge community behind GS1 Standards and GDSN.<br />
I think that is really a misperception mainly because of the huge GS1 community. I am not aware of any comparable standardization organisation which is so user driven and has such a huge supporting community. But here also the second challenge comes into the game.<br />
</li>
<li><b>GDSN adoption and perception by the implementing companies</b>: Although there is such a huge supporting community the real success stories where the implementing companies really have achieved the promised savings are still rare. And this is not mainly because GDSN is the wrong approach but because companies either have not implemented it at all or have not implemented it properly as part of a MDM program.</li>
</ol>
<div>
In one of my next postings I will discuss some alternatives to GDSN and how a combined approach of GDSN with some alternatives might help user companies to achieve their goals and thereby also help GDSN to improve its market perception.</div>
</div>
bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-35042836836748543962011-09-30T23:17:00.000+02:002011-09-30T23:17:29.914+02:00Have you ever thought through how MDM differs in a multinational company from MDM in a only nationally focused company?
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-EjKWL0Yg-OuOFNVx7OJo60S4RS-xQxU_NhMQS_nLnu_YdZv8dC36U-zYu1VqoShWm3MFnP3FZOFhfJC9oXuQX1V6J3wfqLjCU0e99TZQvHDJ7tEXyKblHXM6Ha57YP8nDJ1GOuTux1Z/s1600/flags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-EjKWL0Yg-OuOFNVx7OJo60S4RS-xQxU_NhMQS_nLnu_YdZv8dC36U-zYu1VqoShWm3MFnP3FZOFhfJC9oXuQX1V6J3wfqLjCU0e99TZQvHDJ7tEXyKblHXM6Ha57YP8nDJ1GOuTux1Z/s200/flags.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
Do you remember my blog post <a href="http://themdmblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-organise-for-mdm.html">how to organize for MDM</a>? There I described how you should organize your MDM activities in principle. If you are working for a big multinational company you might have thought that this is by far to simple to solve your challenges. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
And you are right!</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
In a multinational company you have on top of the generic MDM specific tasks additional challenges which you have to address within your organization, your processes and your IT infrastructure (esp. in your metadata model).</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Even if you start looking in the data of multinational products you can find very serious challenges for MDM.</div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Global, regional and local products</b>: In an multinational environment you typically find global products which are sold and relevant to all regions or countries. But you also find products which are region specific (eg. only for the European or Asian market) and also very local products which might be available and target only on one country. Typically you want your local organizations to be able to list and sell the local products while the global products are more or less defined by a central business unit.</div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Global, regional and local elements in global products</b>: If you have global products which are available in different regional or even local markets you typically have some product information which is really only targeted on local requirements. One good example for those types of requirements is the requirement for the “green dot” information in germany (which by the way became obsolete again due to changed legislations). This information was only relevant if you wanted to sell a product to germany. But even if it was the same product globally, for germany you specifically had to add the information whether the product had the “green dot” certificate or not.</div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>Multi-branded products</b>: Multiple brandings can occure for the same product already from the industry side, but it is even more common in retail where you have two retail brands owned by one company and therefore sharing a big part of their assortment. But when presenting to the market they want to describe the same product typically in different ways to the market to clearly differentiate their products from each other.</div>
<div class="p1">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>How does all of this impact your organization and processes?</b></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
If you are a multinational company you will have a strategy which will also cover the parameters “need for integration” and “need for local responsibility”. These two parameters define quite well your internationalization strategy. The same you have to apply to your master data management.</div>
<div class="p1">
In the end you have to setup a distributed organization for your MDM. A quick shot might look like this:</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ7RU13GmumNkb8qKPBE2frQ_LrhF-93EBOVaE3cmJMQItyd-uoDlAFfzBFroFwB72lcKXuya7xOvMT_lzaeMdVdiAe8FO958kzb__v6s0-AIiI5sQhAHin__zpKw-MvgIYkiWNjvCYlE/s1600/screen-capture-10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ7RU13GmumNkb8qKPBE2frQ_LrhF-93EBOVaE3cmJMQItyd-uoDlAFfzBFroFwB72lcKXuya7xOvMT_lzaeMdVdiAe8FO958kzb__v6s0-AIiI5sQhAHin__zpKw-MvgIYkiWNjvCYlE/s320/screen-capture-10.png" width="320" /></a></div>
bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-37430984775381083222011-08-31T20:30:00.000+02:002011-08-31T20:30:45.546+02:00Leaving SA2 Worldsync … <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk8RbGkYLcM3khj91AnTe9FvZDfQ8KWQjXg0lYYOam0nkJGwj7o8883Y-y97CSmsfOtXWFTKmhXR8kXAll7TLGEtwvBG_iRPi_4rc0zvkQ3QNg9kpXN_ayqNi3ttlHY-HHzd7VEN-nDMJ/s1600/byebye.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAk8RbGkYLcM3khj91AnTe9FvZDfQ8KWQjXg0lYYOam0nkJGwj7o8883Y-y97CSmsfOtXWFTKmhXR8kXAll7TLGEtwvBG_iRPi_4rc0zvkQ3QNg9kpXN_ayqNi3ttlHY-HHzd7VEN-nDMJ/s200/byebye.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="p1">I am leaving SA2 Worldsync. I have worked now for over 6 years in the area of master data management and global data synchronization with SA2 Worldsync and its predecessors.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">And I think it was a great time and esp. a great team to work with. And I think we achieved a lot. SA2 Worldsync has become one of the globally dominant data pool players and also one of the leading PIM vendors at least in the retail market.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Thinking back I started all this master data management stuff right back in 1997 when founding Cataloom AG. There we developed successfully one of the first PIM (Product Information Management) / MDM (Master Data Management) Systems. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">And I still remember very vividly myself coding the first database schemas and graphical user interfaces (still very awkwardly looking) for cataloom 0.1.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">We were very quickly successfully fulfilling the requirements of our customers like AXA, BASF, Deutsche Bahn, Emaro (the famous eprocurement marketplace joint venture of SAP and Deutsche Bank), Siemens Medical and many others. It was a real fun time, working with a small but enthusiastic team, having all this great ideas and concepts which are still in the product and which are still the base for its success.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">In 2005 PIRONET NDH has taken over Cataloom. My personal journey into the world of GS1 and data synchronization started when PIRONET NDH also took over a majority stake in SINFOS the predecessor of SA2 Worldsync. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Replacing the proprietary SINFOS technology with my previous Cataloom technology and building this great Webforms with online validations was one of my first responsibilities during that time.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Merging with the Agentrics data pool business unit was the next milestone. And this merger was mainly driven by our superior technology. Esp. I think the usability of our Webforms is still leading edge technology and the team keeps developing and improving it.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">After that merger I became responsible for looking into our retail customers understanding their master data management processes and to help them to get those processes organized to be able to also leverage the SA2 Worldsync services better.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I think in the last two to three years I worked with most of the leading retailers globally (from Europe over Japan to the US) to understand their challenges in master data management and to work with them on improving those processes, their organization and sometimes also their IT infrastructure.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Right now SA2 Worldsync is not only supporting world’s largest retailers and brand manufacturers but also some of the most advanced GS1 and GDSN communities like GS1 UK and GS1 Australia by providing our technology to them. And not to forget to mention that the SA2 Worldsync WS|PIM product today is run by some of the largest retailers – and right now there are more to come.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I think SA2 Worldsync has been settled right now and achieved a really leading position in the master data management and global data synchronization business.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">That is the time to leave for me.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Why?</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I am the more entrepreneurial kind of guy. I have to start up something new. Change the world :-) </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I think Cataloom and SA2 Worldsync had some impact. At least the world changed a little bit. Product Information and data synchronization processes became a little bit more electronically. But I think there is still a long way to go to have all business transactions electronically.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">That is where I still see a huge potential! So be prepared to see something new coming up which hopefully will really have some impact!</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">And in the meantime – if you have some requirements regarding master data management consulting, just let me know. <b>I am helping companies globally to put in organisation and processes and IT infrastructure to manage their master data more efficiently.</b></div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">PS: Stay tuned - this blog will be continued and now I might even have more time to share my thoughts on MDM and GDSN!</div>bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615668107808043097.post-75538156647970353762011-08-25T12:20:00.000+02:002011-08-25T12:20:43.231+02:00How to organise for MDM?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-TmmrIQeFUN2KZBNCRYEbLbfTOKaqbWPS-T-spb4XhtGGWZCKXuMWz6IB7jtWwwbhrKI40H_-AQzkHNs0Tnfu7UM8-tcPxI-a7V_QqWqw6Pn9DTvX8U_6SLh-2gP3dAywqas1NvHYX5w/s1600/organisation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-TmmrIQeFUN2KZBNCRYEbLbfTOKaqbWPS-T-spb4XhtGGWZCKXuMWz6IB7jtWwwbhrKI40H_-AQzkHNs0Tnfu7UM8-tcPxI-a7V_QqWqw6Pn9DTvX8U_6SLh-2gP3dAywqas1NvHYX5w/s200/organisation.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Have you ever thought through how to build an organisation for master data management?<br />
<br />
One of the key issues I always find at customers who are struggeling with their quality of master data is that their organisation is not really prepared to deal with master data in a sustainable manner.<br />
<br />
In my view Gartner has done quite a good job in proposing a generic organisation for master data management. Actually this organisation implies that you are introducing a new business process - Master Data Management.<br />
<br />
Please look at the following orgchart - this is how I remember the generic organisation Gartner is proposing:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1884143555"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJbNzRIC-9CjOQiw4h-zEFJVBTrURxejwyUw7iUTXGXm10q2yTB6pWMUyS2KT8L2Cbv9HLF4-hOJbmEnyQnrvmAsQfrPg1R2EqVJiy7Vs0o2tZQv8S1OpvDJuvbotJgcsywu3ovgO_opf/s400/mdm-organisation.png" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The generic MDM organisation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One of the key ideas is that business has to lead the MDM organisation. A quick description of the different roles & responsibilities:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>The<b> Information Governance Board</b> should consist of executive level sponsors. They should set and enforce information management policies. In this board you should have representatives from the business - that is key - but you also should have a representation from your IT executives in here.</li>
<li>The <b>MDM Team</b> is responsible to manage the MDM program and who authors and maintains the master data. If you are also implementing GDSN or any other means to collect item data from your suppliers the supplier onboarding and communication is also a key task for this team.</li>
<li><b>Data Stewards</b> sit in the business unit and they are responsible for data quality monitoring, improvement and issue resolution. They are NOT maintaining the data themselves but work closely with the MDM Team to get the master data quality on to the level the business needs it.</li>
<li>The <b>MDM Infrastructure Team </b>is a kind of virtual team responsible for all aspects of the IT implementation needed for the MDM business process.</li>
<li>In the <b>GDSN </b>context I only want to highlight the importance of the<b> Data Modeling </b>and <b>Information Architecture</b> role. If participating in the GDSN this role is key because it is the link to the GSMP process and defining change requests and also anticipating and adopting the changes coming through the GSMP / GDSN.</li>
</ol><div>Please take this organisation template as what it is - only a template. In real life you have to look at your current organisation and see how you can adopt the different roles and responsibilities within your organisation.</div><div><br />
</div><div>But also be aware - you want to introduce a new business process which you did not have in the past.</div><div><br />
</div><div>And if your organisation is multinational or even global I will discuss in one of my next posts what impact that has on the MDM organisation.</div>bbayardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09663214417472471909noreply@blogger.com0