At GS1 Connect 2024, trading partners were able to do business face-to-face to ensure accurate data sharing and effective collaboration—no endless emails or phone tag required.
Interested in becoming a host for GS1 Connect 2025? Contact us at GS1ConnectRoundtables@gs1us.org.
There are a lot of changes coming to Ben E. Keith. We met in person to summarize what we expect to change as well as answer any questions about how to provide product information via GS1®.
Key business topics: Changes to how you review your product information at Ben E. Keith; data quality; scorecards; images; allergen response expectations; etc.
Company participants: Steve Reiling, Corporate Director Master Data & Procurement Systems; Kari Miller, Master Data Coordinator
U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204) compliance by January 2026 will require additional capabilities. What are/will be the most efficient and accurate ways to comply to accomplish this goal? We met with our trading partners to discuss the value of trading partner data, their current and future GS1-128 barcode traceability capabilities, plus recent advances in traceability technologies.
Key business topics: Traceability technologies; implementation; data systems and capabilities; Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS)
Company participant: Ann Kistler, Senior Quality Assurance Manager
We discussed ways to collaborate around radio frequency identification (RFID) and 2D barcodes, shared Dillard’s initiatives, and discussed any compliance issues and image and attribute opportunities.
Key business topics: RFID; 2D barcodes; sharing of Electronic Product Code (EPC®) data; partnership opportunities
Company participants: Anita Spence, Director, Vendor Relations; Chuck Lasley, Director, Application Development; Rachel Angell, Vendor Relations, Supply Chain Analyst
We met with our trading partners to discuss current challenges and initiatives we are focused on for 2024. The attendees connected with the Dot Master Data Team and got their questions answered.
Key business topics: Data quality and the Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®); U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204); item setups; images; scorecards
Company participants: Matt Wand, Senior Data Accuracy Analyst; Julie Heinecke, Senior Master Data Analyst; Bailey Keech, Master Data Analyst
We met with our trading partners to understand their data needs and how we can partner with them to be best in class.
Key business topics: New-item setup; images; scorecards
Company participant: Tara De Jong, Senior D&T Analyst – Product Information Capabilities
We met with our trading partners to share Georgia-Pacific’s best practices and capabilities and hear what may or may not work for our customers. We’d like to meet you anywhere you are on your organization’s GS1®, Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®), and content syndication journey.
Key business topics: GS1®; GDSN®; electronic data interchange (EDI); marketing content for use in transforming industry through digital enablement for a seamless omni-channel presence; GS1 Sunrise 2027–2D barcode test/learn opportunities.
Company participants: Ardetha Bradley, Senior Manager, Digital Operations & Enablement; Lindsay Savage, Senior Director, Business Platforms & Data Governance
We’re always at your table! We discussed ways to improve publications and our updated Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®) implementation guideline.
Key business topics: How to improve publications; GDSN scorecards; the updated Gordon Food Service GDSN implementation guide
Company participants: Sorangel Salcedo, Senior Administrator, GDSN and Supplier Portal; Chad Metz, Senior Analyst, Master Data
We discussed the business end of “Revising the National Drug Code (NDC) Format and Drug Label Barcode Requirements,” a rule proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) to amend our regulations governing the format of the NDC. This action, if finalized, will standardize the format of all NDCs.
Key business topics: NDC and the barcode rule change
Company participant: Tim Stearns, Senior Director, Industry Relations
Attendees talked to leading healthcare providers at our roundtable sessions.
Key business topics: In-depth follow-up and Q&A (Tuesday sessions); HTG’s role in the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) (Thursday sessions)
Company participant: Scott Hatakeyama, Director, Inventory Management and Optimization; Robert Badzinski, Procure-to-Pay Manager
Blockchain is a game changer, a transformative technology. We’re at the very beginning, but blockchain is poised to have a significant impact on the healthcare industry and patients. In this session, we dicussed the PharmaLedger Association and the pilot of electronic Product Information (ePI) on their blockchain-based solution—the world’s first blockchain-based connected healthcare ecosystem.
Key business topics: PharmaLedger Association, the pilot, and future use cases; the future of blockchain in healthcare
Company participant: Blair Korman, Senior Director, Digital Identification & Traceability; James Gannon, PharmaLedger Association
Innovation fuels the Johnson & Johnson GS1 Asset Management Platform, an innovative, leverageable platform with numerous benefits. It’s an automated solution that increases the ability to communicate transparent real-time data across the supply chain and unites the digital thread with the physical product. A consistent, uniform approach enhances GS1® data visibility and the customer experience and delivers cost savings. In this session, we discussed how we created a connected platform of online portals and the purpose they serve, and reviewed how the platform was built in phases to address multiple needs.
Key business topics: Review the GS1 assets—GS1 Company Prefixes (GCPs), Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs), Global Location Numbers (GLNs)—that enable Johnson & Johnson to effectively create identifying information, supporting oversight of products throughout the supply chain; provide lessons learned to encourage other industry members to properly manage GS1 assets; explain how to advance the Asset Management Platform
Company participants: Matthew Andra, Lead Analyst, GS1 Standards; Allison Fregans, Lead Analyst, GDS
Sharing the wins and hurdles of interoperability enables all of us to advance the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), the biggest and most impactful regulation introduced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA).
Key business topics: Share common interoperable challenges and review interoperable statistics, including customer inquiries and the Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) dashboard; examine tools used to ready internal collaborative teams, including internal audits and tabletop exercises; discuss how to ensure alignment across the industry
Company participant: Annette Santiago, Manager, Digital Identification & Traceability
Kroger Technology leaders and attendees discussed how to drive their business with improved item data and traceability.
Key business topics: U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204); item setup and maintenance; data accountability and quality; the Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®)
Company participants: Chris Fladung, Vice President, Merchandising; Rean Young, Senior Product Manager; Sophany Kien, Senior Product Manager
We met with our customers and other industry experts to share best practices, hear what is and isn't working for our customers, build a larger peer group of experts, and help others strengthen the use of GS1 Standards within their organizations.
Key business topics: Data synchronization; data quality and first-time-right data; product audits; driving business value; "Love Your Data"
Company participant: Joyce Ann Rosenfield, Master Data Value Creation Lead & Senior Item Compliance Manager; Maureen Farese, GS1 Item Compliance Manager
We met with our trading partners to discuss any of the topics noted below.
Key business topics: Data synchronization; data quality; item setup; electronic data interchange (EDI); barcodes
Company participant: Beckey James, Enterprise Content Manager; Tammy Fields, Supply Chain Services Manager
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204) enforcement gets closer, most foodservice distributors have to manage competing priorities among internal and external stakeholders. We discussed best practices for the implementation of enhanced food traceability.
Key business topics: Aligning internal and external priorities; managing supplier questions; designing for data capture at point-of-delivery labeling strategy and warehouse process considerations
Company participant: Brian Carmel, Director, Supply Chain Operations
PDG is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) public-private partnership dedicated to developing, advancing, and sustaining Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) interoperability. Attendees learned more about PDG's blueprint for interoperability and how industry and the U.S. FDA are all collaborating to achieve the goals of the DSCSA together.
Key business topics: DSCSA compliance preparedness; tools to support interoperability; understanding FDA's approach to interoperability; functional design requirements for DSCSA interoperability
Company participant: Eric Marshall, Executive Director
We heard about attendees' content ingestion journeys and discussed opportunities for automation.
Key business topics: Critical content such as nutritional and marketing content; start and end dates for digital assets and which ones to ingest; limitations or challenges with marketing copy; sourcing, managing, and sharing digital product content
Company participants: Gina Tomassi, Director, Digital Product Commercialization
Performance Food Group discussed new data services, image quality and quantity, and compliance guidance for our U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204) solution.
Key business topics: Image acquisition; FSMA Rule 204; electronic data interchange (EDI) data compliance using the Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®); improved vendor data insight solutions
Company participants: Brett Streeter, Director, Master Data Management – Corporate; April Moots, Manager, Product Content
There are over 450 distributor organizations that are members of UniPro Foodservice. We met with attendees to review how to maximize sales and minimize expenses within our membership by publishing complete and accurate product content to UniPro.
Key business topics: Processes for providing published product data to our member distributors; product data requirements and recommended best practices; varied ways that UniPro member companies utilize the Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®) data published to UniPro; ideas for improving two-way communication between UniPro and our supplier partners
Company participants: Dave Devlin, Department Vice President of Global Data Standards; Sandy Bartz, Data Steward
Education and outreach is an important component for compliance with any regulation. The U.S. FDA discussed the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204) and the implementation challenges and strategies.
Key business topic: FSMA Rule 204—Food Traceability Rule implementation
Company participant: Angela Fields, Consumer Safety Officer
Access, validate, and enhance product content. Our goal is to help you have a quicker, more consistent setup process via education about our requirements and through the use of GS1 Standards. We had a “How to Do Business With US Foods” session in the Foodservice track and continued the conversation at our roundtable.
Key business topics: Product information management (PIM) system; Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®) publications; image processing; MOXē; vendor management program (VMP) scorecards
Company participants: Jocelyn Cahall, Manager, Enterprise Data Governance; Yassine Irrou, Senior Manager, Product Data
We met with our vendor partners to discuss data quality and other current initiatives. Vendor partnerships are key at Wegmans—we discussed foundational systems such as the Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®) and electronic data interchange (EDI), as well as modern ways of working together on traceability, e-commerce, efficient item introduction, and overall supply chain efficiency.
Key business topics: New-item introduction; GDSN data synchronization; data quality and supplier scorecards; EDI; traceability and Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204)
Company participants: Brian Becker, Master Data Manager; Terri Mason, EDI Manager; Michael Lookup, FSMA Rule 204 Lead
We met with our trading partners to share best practices and potential solutions in order to comply with the final U.S. FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Traceability Rule (FSMA Rule 204), learn more about tech-enabled traceability, network with trading partners and experts, and attend GS1® education courses and workshops.
Key business topics: GS1-128 barcoding and application identifiers; technologies for record-keeping; effective methods for sharing traceability information; data synchronization; data accuracy
Company participant: Heather Boggs, Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager
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