[Design and Technology] Has anyone heard of GS1 Standards?

Tue Sep 9 20:26:31 EST 2008

Hi Lorraine,

Before I took up teaching I worked in the Telecommunications industry for
about 27 years.  In my last 10 of those I was involved as a consultant in
Ecommerce software.

GS1 is simply an extension or offshoot from the existing EANCOM standards
that the retail industry currently uses --- 

A little background.

EDI or Electronic Data Interchange is a means of exchanging industry
standard documents such as purchase orders, invoices, etc by converting the
paper format document to an internationally recognised electronic format
using standards such as ANSI X12 or UN/EDIFACT.  The ANSI/EDIFACT document
is posted over a private/secure communications network using a protocol
called X400 and then housed in a mailbox waiting for retrieval and
conversion back to a recognisable in house document.  EDI can also be used
with web applications using XML coding and secure web systems/hosting.  It
was initially meant to be used as an application to application system,
paperless trading. EDI has been in Australia for some 20-30 years but has
never really reached it's full potential.

Back in the late 80's, there were several industry groups using EDI -
Automotive industry, Hardware, retail, pharmaceutical, agribusiness...from
these groups various industry specific standards arose, in retail this ended
up as a standard called EANCOM which was based around the UN/EDIFACT
standard - United Nations/EDI for Administration Commerce and Trade.  

Back around 1985 APNA - The Australian product Numbering Association was
involved with the supply chain management processes and was asked to come up
with a standard that could be used Globally - barcodes using the EAN
(European Article Number) standard became commonplace.  Many companies now
started using bar code scanning systems.  In the early 1990's APNA became
EAN Australia with the aim of managing Australia's supply chain standards.
EANCOM standards for the retail documents were developed and Woolworths,
Coles, etc took to using these standards with EDI.

>From past history, the Retail supply chain has never been totally happy with
the way the processes have been managed in an end-end system.  They have
been looking at cost cutting processes, better management processes,
warehousing systems, communications, etc.  

Over the years, there have been several EDI networks and vendors in
Australia pushing their own products.  Some of these were Telstra, GEIS and
NEIS.  Each EDI vendor had a market share of differing industries and GEIS
had most of the retail industry so the retail traders ended up using GEIS
products and network.   The various EDI products each had their own
characteristics and some products offered better facilities than others.   

Different standards groups came and went, each imposing it's ideas on
industry.  EAN was one of those.  From what I remember, the retail industry
was after more secure data transfers and easier means of tracking the
documents exchanged with their trading partners.  They looked at web based
solutions as alternatives but these were more a one to one trading
relationship than a one to many system. 

Having a quick look through their (GS1) web site, a lot of the terminology
they use has been around for some time.  To me not much has altered only the
Name from EAN to GS1 and I suppose a new push to get industry using their
specific supply management standards for EDI.  

Regards

Malcolm Carson

============================================================================
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Malcolm Carson

email: mjarb at iname.com

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From: destech-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:destech-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Tran, Lorraine I
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 9:52 AM
To: destech at edulists.com.au; syseng at edulists.com.au; aghort at edulists.com.au;
foodtech at edulists.com.au
Subject: [Design and Technology] Has anyone heard of GS1 Standards?

>From www.industrysearch.com.au <http://www.industrysearch.com.au/>  9/9/08:

Hardware retailers ask suppliers to use GS1 Standards

Australia's hardware retailers and buying group are calling on their
suppliers to join in a push for Supply Chain and eCommerce implementations
based on GS1 standards.

Chair of the newly formed Hardware GS1 Action Group (HGAG), Mitre 10
Information
Services Manager Andrew Price, said the Australasian hardware industry had
an opportunity to reap the benefits of the GS1 System already proven by the
grocery and other industries.

The GS1 Standards website is http://www.gs1au.org/products/gs1_system/

GS1 Standards can be used in any sector of industry at all levels of
manufacturing and distribution. In Australia, major system adopters include
the Health <http://www.gs1au.org/industry/healthcare/index.asp> , Steel,
Hardware <http://www.gs1au.org/industry/hardware.asp> , Electrical
Appliances <http://www.gs1au.org/industry/electrical_apps.asp> , Furniture,
Meat <http://www.gs1au.org/industry/meat.asp>  and Telecommunications
industries. The system is even used for fire brigades and electricity
generators. 

Lorraine Tran

Curriculum Manager, P - 12 Design and Technology

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)

41 St Andrews Place

East Melbourne 3002

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au

Email: tran.lorraine.i at edumail.vic.gov.au

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