Published: November 16, 2010
Global Businesses Align on Providing Accurate Product Data to Consumers
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - More than a dozen corporations representing hundreds of billions of
dollars in global commerce are working together to address a growing
need for accurate product information accessed via mobile devices and
the Internet. The Business to Consumer (B2C) Alliance was announced
today by its facilitators, GS1 US and GS1 Canada, not-for-profit
organizations that are part of the global GS1 standards body.
The alliance is composed of representatives from leading product brands,
technology providers, and retailers. The current list of participants
includes: AT&T; Cisco; The Coca-Cola Company; IBM; The J.M. Smucker
Company; Johnson & Johnson Consumer Group of Companies; Kraft Foods; The
Kroger Co.; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Auto-ID Lab;
Microsoft Corp.; NeoMedia Technologies; PepsiCo, Inc.; Premier
healthcare alliance; Procter & Gamble; and Scanbuy, Inc. Companies
interested in joining the alliance can visit www.GS1US.org/B2CAlliance.
The National Retail Federation (NRF)
is also participating, contributing its knowledge of retail operations,
including global retail-specific standards, to the group.
In research done by the Auto-ID Lab on behalf of the B2C Alliance, more
than 10 percent of searches for information about allergens, nutritional
characteristics or other data returned incorrect or incomplete results.
"The number of people searching and shopping with smartphones is growing
in the triple digits with no signs of slowing," said Sanjay Sarma,
professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and co-founder of the Auto-ID
Lab. "At the same time, sources are proliferating. It's essential that
any shortcomings in this area are addressed today."
Search results for product data may be inaccurate due to several
factors. One is the large number of possible data sources, including
unauthorized "crowd-sourcing."
"Providing accurate information about our products is a critical part of
building trust with our consumers," said Werner Geissler, Vice Chairman,
Global Operations, Procter & Gamble (NYSE:
PG). "Leveraging GS1 standards, like the bar code, will allow this
information to be delivered to consumers via internet and smartphone
applications when and how they want it. Brand owners are the best source
for this information, and we support the B2C Alliance in this important
initiative to improve the shopping experience."
Alliance participants first convened in March 2010 to discuss the state
of publicly available product data, and decided to form the alliance and
work together to improve it.
"Kroger supports the work of the alliance because we believe it is good
for our customers, associates and business," said Chris Hjelm, chief
information officer, The Kroger Co. (NYSE:
KR).
"Today's consumers are demanding more detail about products, and the B2C
Alliance participants recognize the importance of providing trustworthy
information to promote consumer confidence," said Bob Carpenter,
president and CEO, GS1
US.
Alliance participants have split into working groups to develop the most
significant scenarios, or "use cases," in order to define the logistical
requirements, with GS1 standards as a foundational element.
The scenarios include a parent searching for allergen information; a
do-it-yourself remodeler who needs precise dimensions of an appliance; a
shopper checking on whether a product has been recalled; a buyer who
needs further instructions on product usage; and an eco-conscious person
checking on a product's origins.
Work done by NRF's Mobile Retail Initiative will be factored into
additional scenarios related to mobile shopping and payments. These rely
on NRF retail standards, which complement GS1 standards and can be
integrated into systems that coordinate inventory, financial, and
customer-relationship data.
The alliance is also developing a product data framework that technology
providers could use as a pre-approved route to help ensure the source of
data is trustworthy. Technology and service providers are working
closely with brand owners and retailers on the framework to develop an
operational proof-of-concept model that will demonstrate how the
framework would serve consumers.
"This Alliance is a great step forward in giving the consumer, verified
content for the products they are interested in" , said Mike Wehrs,
president of Scanbuy.
"We see scans from virtually every product category, so clearly the
consumer is interested in getting easy access to valuable information
right from their mobile device."
The alliance is actively pursuing additional participants. Interested
parties can visit www.GS1US.org/B2CAlliance.
TRADEMARKS: All companies listed are trademarks or registered
trademarks.
About GS1 US
GS1 US, a member of GS1, is a not-for-profit organization that brings
industry communities together to solve supply-chain problems through the
adoption and implementation of GS1 standards. More than 200,000
businesses in 25 industries rely on GS1 US for trading-partner
collaboration and for maximizing the cost effectiveness, speed,
visibility, security and sustainability of their business processes.
They achieve these benefits through GS1 US solutions based on GS1 global
unique numbering and identification systems, barcodes, Electronic
Product Code-based RFID, data synchronization, and electronic
information exchange. GS1 US also manages the United Nations Standard
Products and Services Code (UNSPSC). www.GS1US.org
About GS1 Canada
GS1 Canada is a member of GS1, the world's leading supply-chain
standards organization. As a neutral, not-for-profit organization, GS1
Canada enables its more than 10,000 members - trading partners of all
sizes from over 20 sectors across Canada - to enhance their efficiency
and cost effectiveness by adopting electronic supply-chain best
practices.
About GS1
GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the design
and implementation of global standards and solutions to improve the
efficiency and visibility in supply chains. GS1 is driven by more than a
million companies, who execute more than 6 billion transactions a day
with the GS1 System of Standards. GS1 is global, with local Member
Organisations in over 100 countries and a Global Office in Belgium. More
info at www.gs1.org.
Media Contacts
GS1 US
Jon Mellor, 609-620-4656
jmellor@gs1us.org
or
GS1
US
Lisa Sandberg, 609-620-4534
lsandberg@gs1us.org
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