Online Tool Improves Data Integrity in Supply Chains

March 25, 2009

A primary purpose of multi-sourcing private-label products is defeated if a retailer and its partners have to spend money and time fixing bad data quality. Trading partners that have struggled to achieve data quality and integrity for their multi-sourced and private-label brands can now look to an online tool for help. The 1SYNC Brand Identity solution allows users at every level of the supply chain to exchange accurate, consistent item information for the same product brands, safely and securely, through the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN).

The online tool, developed by 1SYNC, is for organizations that are part of the multi-source supply chain, including retailers, suppliers, private-label manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, brokers and co-ops in all industry verticals. Historically the members of supply chains with several data sources have found it difficult to take advantage of data synchronization, as multiple sourcing has tended to introduce data inconsistencies. The probability of data errors increase substantially when multiple suppliers are entering the same data for the same product or brand.

Data errors in the supply chain can result in inefficiencies and high costs. Incorrect package-weight data may lead to inefficient loading of trucks, thereby increasing shipping costs, fuel costs and fines at weighing stations for trucks; incorrect package dimensions can lead to insufficient or excessive storage space allotments; and errors of any type increase labor and administrative costs incurred to determine the correct information and initiate corrective actions.

To demonstrate the value of the 1SYNC Brand Identity solution, 1SYNC engaged retailers and suppliers to conduct testing of data for brands with 68 different Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN) coming from multiple suppliers. The 1SYNC Brand Identity solution not only flagged and stopped 123 errors on the 68 items before they went into the GDSN, it also caught and flagged 83 errors on items that already existed in the GDSN. Some of the errors were related to product dimensions, weights and barcodes. The corrections prevented a variety of supply-chain issues that affect logistics, point of sale, purchasing and invoicing processes/systems.