2011

Year In Review
GS1 Australia

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GS1 Australia Limited (ABN 67 005 529 920) 2011. All rights reserved.

The content and layout of this report are protected by copyright in Australia and, under international treaty,
other countries in the world. Neither the whole nor any part of this report (nor any adaptation of them)
may be reproduced, published, performed, communicated to the public or adapted without the prior
written consent of GS1 Australia Limited.

OUR VISION
To have the GS1 System implemented by Australian industry for the
benefit of all users

OUR MISSION
To enable Australian industry to implement the GS1 System by building a quality
organisation that provides relevant global standards, solutions and services

05 Chairmans Message

26 Global Partnerships

07 CEOs Message

28 Partnerships for the Future

09 GS1 Global Chairmans Message

30 Our Membership

10 2011 Highlights

32 Our Technology Partners

13 GS1 Australias Board

34 For Our Members

15 The Team

36 Progress Through Action

16 Forward...Together

OUR MEMBERSHIP
VALUE PROPOSITION
We enable organisations to improve their operational quality and efficiency
by providing effective GS1 System solutions

Over the last three years, GS1 Australia has been working
in partnership with major retailers, leading international
food companies, the Australian Food and Grocery
Council, Australian universities and national health
organisations to gather extended labelling information to
assist consumers and satisfy government labelling laws.

Chairmans Message

Trusted
Information from
Trusted Sources

The fruits of this collaboration will be released onto the public stage in late 2012 when
GS1 GoScan, the first industry-endorsed iPhone application, starts to deliver detailed
extended labelling product data to consumers, accurately and in real time.
GS1 GoScan is about providing consumers with access to trusted, validated product
data. This data is provided and authorised by brand owners, and it undergoes thorough
data validation checks before it is accepted onto the GS1 GoScan databases.
To date, GS1 GoScan is the only application providing extended product information that
has brand owners authority. Often, application developers access their data from unknown
sources, which can confuse consumers.
Data accuracy and completeness are paramount to the success of GS1 GoScan, and
so is the participation of all parties in the food supply chain. Without it, consumers
are left with a bewildering array of choices, not knowing which way to turn.
With it, consumers will be empowered to make informed choices, and suppliers and
retailers will build trust and gain engagement, interest, and return customers.

04

05

Looking back over the past year, we see that GS1 Australia
has forged many close and successful collaborative
partnerships with industry bodies, government and
commercial organisations and academic institutions.

CEOs Message

2011 The year of

collaborative
partnerships
The partnerships we have forged are already bearing fruit and will continue to do so into the
coming years. The fruits of our collaborations are making life and work easier, safer and more
productive for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers.
GS1 Recallnet was launched in August, a result of deep collaboration with leading organisations
in the food and FMCG sectors. The portal has met with universal enthusiasm and organisations
of all shapes and sizes are planning to use it for managing their product recalls and withdrawals.
GS1 GoScan, the first industry-endorsed iPhone application that will deliver detailed extended
labelling product data to consumers, accurately and in real time, is another product of GS1
Australia working in partnership with major retailers, leading international food companies, the
Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australian universities and national health organisations.
This work included trials that highlighted the potential of extended labelling to influence
consumer behaviour and product selection, with potentially important positive benefits in
conditions such as diabetes, obesity and allergic sensitivities.
Underpinning GS1 Recallnet, GS1 GoScan and indeed just about all eCommerce initiatives is
clean, accurate, reliable data. This is where GS1 Australias Data Quality Audit Service has an
important role to play.
GS1 Australia and our partners have developed a comprehensive best practice guide for the
improvement of global data quality, the Data Quality Framework. The DQF is the roadmap
for achieving clean, consistent, reliable data, and GS1 Australias Data Quality Audit Service
is the key to identifying strategies to help you manage and sustain your GS1net catalogue
in the long term.
Twenty twelve promises to be the year when many of our progressive initiatives, conceived
and developed in consultation with our industry, government and academic partners, will be
launched onto the stage. From training and education programs, through platform
development to more collaborative partnerships, the New Year will bring strengthening ties
and fulfilled opportunities, helping make Australias supply chains reach new heights of
efficiency for the benefit of all.

06

07

For the past several years, GS1 has made great progress
in moving from vision to action. Our growth is easy to
explain: we have both the global reach and the crosssector legitimacy needed to create and implement
standards that really work in todays increasingly
borderless economies, and we have a proven track
record of moving complex sectors and multinational
organisations from using fragmented multiple
standards to using a single, global, neutral standard.

GS1 Global

Chairmans Message
However, user companies are not only impressed by what
GS1 has achieved in the past, but in the compelling vision
that GS1 has for the future.

A clear vision
At GS1, our vision is a world where things and related
information move efficiently and securely for the benefit
of businesses and improvement of peoples lives, every day,
everywhere.

A plan to make our vision a reality

Our priority actions for the year ahead will bring us closer to
that vision. We will continue strengthening the GS1 System
of standards, our core activity, so that we can keep providing
excellent service to our users. We will strive to become a
key player in the internet world by successfully entering the
business-to-consumer (B2C) landscape and by rechartering
our EPCglobal activity to drive innovation in the digital
eCommerce world and in high-priority business processes
such as visibility. We will engage with new sectors, such as
automotive and financial services. We will enhance awareness
and build equity in the GS1 brand with a new brand
architecture and communication program. And of course, we
will continue to develop our interdependent organisation.

08

The strength of our people

It is the people of GS1 who work to make our vision a reality.
Their dedication and their commitment are untiring and
rarely matched. I thank each and every one of them for the
many success stories that have resulted from their hard work.

A partner you can trust

Of course, GS1 does not work alone in fact, quite the
contrary. Our focus on collaboration has led us to further
strengthen our strategic alliances, such as those we have
with The Consumer Goods Forum, the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation, the World Customs Organisation, the European
Central Bank and a wide range of major international
healthcare organisations. Additionally, GS1 has been granted
special consultative status by the United Nations as a
Non-Government Organisation (NGO). This gives GS1 the
opportunity to be directly represented in United Nations
events, conferences and activities related to standards.
The key theme I take away from looking at the past year is
this: GS1 is a partner that you can trust. It has been an honour
to chair this organisation. I look forward to the year ahead.

09

2011

Highlights

10

T he Training Services team has launched a new graduated

delivery format for numbering and barcoding classroom
training sessions, LEARN and KNOWLEDGE modules, as well
as offering the more advanced MASTERCLASS sessions.
The Training Services team has developed a new training
program for GS1 Alliance partners, the Industry Standards
Training program.
The GS1works tour within the Melbourne Supply Chain
Knowledge Centre was a successful new initiative aimed
at extending education activities.
In addition, the Training Services team has launched
the online GS1works tool for Industry Engagement
staff to use offsite to assist members.
The Testing Services team has implemented a range of
internal system enhancements to automate the inclusion
of required comments and warnings on bar code
verification reports.
Turnaround times in Melbourne and Sydney for bar code
testing and verification services have been maintained at
generally two days or less.
The Testing Services team welcomed and trained four new
team members in Melbourne and Sydney in the last 12 months.
In 2011, the GS1net Services team has delivered a range
of GS1net platform functional enhancements to GS1net,
including releases 8.2 and 8.3.
We were thrilled to have achieved record levels of
attendance at GS1net user group sessions in May
and November, in both Melbourne and Sydney.
Another highlight of the year was the deployment of
GS1net by Woolworths, as well as its initial supplier
achievements of GS1net Ready and GS1net Live statuses.
The adoption of GS1net by the office supplies sector and
the completion of the Consumer Electronics GS1net Pilot
gave GS1net further impetus in 2011.
The re-engagement of the liquor sector and the launch
of the consolidated liquor industry data model will bring
rewards for years to come.
We introduced Extended Labelling fields to support GS1
GoScan and delivered Project Doublenet, the GDSN
field alignment for Net Contents and Net Weight.
A range of new and enhanced Validator rules were
launched to meet industry requirements, and the
GS1net Validator was enhanced to provide managementreporting capabilities for the Services Support team.
In 2011, we reached a significant milestone: half a million
GTINs loaded by suppliers on the GS1net platform, with
significant growth in NPC content loaded by suppliers.
After careful piloting, the GS1net Measurement Comparison
Service, part of our Data Quality solutions, was launched
for testing.
GS1 Recallnet registered over 100 new users in less than
100 days in a remarkable take-up of the new service.

A
s part of the service, GS1s Recallnet team implemented
help desk support and training programs to support
new users.
Now there is a fully trained Services Support team at the
ready to support users in their adoption of the GS1
Recallnet solution.
GS1s Professional Services team has been actively engaged
within many industries and with a number of organisations
throughout the year.
2011 saw the launch of Data Quality Services, a unique
service to assist manufacturers and distributors in
maintaining optimum supply chain efficiency through
quality data.
We also launched the B2B eCommerce Health Check service.
Examples of recent projects included being engaged by a
large-scale hospital to support an important eCommerce/
B2B project and by a large hardware manufacturer to deliver
a thorough Bar Code Quality Audit.
The team has delivered strategic advice to a large-scale
retailer on its Data Synchronisation initiative and
commenced implementation of the eCommerce testing
tool (CMT) with a large retailer.
Professional Services also delivered a range of Data
Synchronisation implementations for various healthcare
and grocery sector clients.
30 June 2011 saw the renewal of 16,000+ members,
enabling GS1 Australia to continue expanding its service
delivery to members of the Australian business community.
The GS1 portal recorded increased traffic, particularly to the
Barcode Express website.
The Communications team has been spreading the word
through a range of eNewsletters: industry-specific events
newsletters, SME eNewsletter and much more.
Education materials for members in the form of educational
videos, online training tutorials and member guidelines
have enhanced membership value.
There have been over 30 events throughout the year, and
the online events calendar, event eSatchel, and new formats
in some of our member user group meetings (online and
hardcopy) make engagement with GS1 Australia more
rewarding than ever for our members.
Our training program for GS1 staff, through the GS1 FM
program, continues to pay dividends.
Media coverage continues to increase with more online
coverage for GS1 activities, and improved presence in
industry directories also has us reaching more members
to communicate with us.
LiNK magazine continues to grow in circulation and readership.
Key case studies produced throughout the year are helping
members understand how the GS1 System works.

11

PENNY DAVISON
Council Officer
Director Service &
Supply, ANZ
Baxter Healthcare
Pty Ltd
Representing:
Medicines Australia

SANDRA PRZIBILLA
Director
CEO, Liquor
Merchants Association of Australia
Representing: Liquor
Merchants Association of Australia
MICHAEL
KILGARIFF
Council Officer
CEO, Australian
Logistics Council
Representing:
Australian Logistics
Council

IAN DUNN
Special Director
Senior Business
Manager,
Woolworths Limited
Representing:
Australian National
Retailers Association

MARIA PALAZZOLO
CEO GS1 Australia

RUSSELL ZIMMERMAN
Council Officer
Executive Director,
Australian Retailers Association
Representing: Australian
Retailers Association

IAN KING
Council Officer
CEO, Aus-Meat Ltd
Representing:
Australian Meat &
Livestock Industry
JEFF MAGUIRE
Director
General Manager of
Operations,
Coca-Cola Amatil
(Aust) Pty Ltd
Representing:
Australian Food &
Grocery Council

GS1 Australias Board & Council

BRUCE
VAN TWEST
Director
Director Operations
AU/NZ, Kraft Foods
Representing:
Australian
Industry Group
GAVIN WILLIAMS
Council Officer
CEO, Packaging
Council of Australia Inc
Representing:
Packaging Council
of Australia Inc

LEN AUGUSTINE
Council Officer
Senior Director, Premier Customer
Network Marketing, Asia Pacific Japan,
SAP Australia Pty Ltd
Representing: Australian
Information Industry Association
KATE CARNELL
Director
CEO, Australian Food
& Grocery Council
Representing:
Australian Food &
Grocery Council

RUSSELL STUCKI
GS1 Australia
Chairman/Director

MATT SWINDELLS
Director
General Manager of
Replenishment,
Coles
Representing:
Australian National
Retailers Association
TIM PIPER
Director
Victorian Director,
Australian Industry
Group
Representing:
Australian
Industry Group

12

DAVID HIX
Special Director
Oceania Supply Chain
Director, Nestl Aust Ltd
Representing:
Australian Industry
Group

DAVID ROGERS
Council Officer
National Chairman,
Supply Chain & Logistics
Association of Australia Ltd
Representing:
The Supply Chain and
Logistics Association
of Australia Ltd

JOHN LAVACCA
Council Officer
Asia Pacific Strategy
Marketing & Sales Operations Leader,
IBM Global Business Services
Representing: Australian
Information Industry Association

MICHAEL HAIRE
Director
General Manager E Data
Administration, Metcash Trading Ltd
Representing: National Association
Retail Grocers Australia

13

We are
MARIA Palazzolo
Chief Executive
Officer

MARK FULLER
Chief Operating
Officer & Deputy
Chief Executive Officer

STEVEN PEREIRA
Chief Information
Officer

The Team

Behind the Numbers

and we deliver value chain standards and services to more than
16,400 members. Together, we can make your business thrive.

MARCEL SIEIRA
General Manager
Sales & Business
Development

SUE SCHMID
General Manager
Standards
Development

COLIN BARNES
Chief Financial Officer
& Company Secretary

We work together with businesses of all sizes from small to large, from those that require a single bar code
number to global companies with thousands of products. Together with industry, the team at GS1 Australia
works to develop global, open, user-driven, multi-sector standards and assists industry to implement the GS1
standards. With our help, your business can become more efficient and you can drive costs out of its value
chain. We listen to our members, find out about their requirements, and develop value-added services.
From humble beginnings over 40 years ago, the bar code has achieved ubiquitous status as the most
commonly used and easily recognised identification system in the world. The bar code is our core business,
and it and GS1 identification numbers have now developed as the GS1 System to be used in many other
ways to uniquely identify individual products, shipments, assets, services, locations, documents and more.

JOHN HEARN
General Manager
GS1 Australia
Services Group

Read about the progressive initiatives that have helped our members drive their businesses forward, and
let us introduce you to the many people and organisations, together with whom we have formed our
collaborative partnerships to assist in our drive.

RICHARD JONES
General Manager
Industry Engagement

14

PETER CHAMBERS
General Manager
Operational Initiatives

NEALE AUSTEN
General Manager
Business Solutions

15

Forward...

Together

At GS1 Australia, we work towards helping

industry create a seamless supply chain,
allowing Australian organisations to adopt
worlds best practice supply chain
management techniques.
We do this through the GS1 system of supply
chain standards, an internationally accepted
standards framework for electronically
identifying and communicating business
information.
By working together with industry, we help
organisations successfully implement
eCommerce-based supply chain management
strategies, aiding Australian business
enterprises in becoming more efficient.
Through the Industry Engagement Program,
GS1 Australia leads the development and
execution of the use of the GS1 standards
in a wide range of industries.

16

GS1 Australia has developed key strategic and

practical relationships with many industry
sectors, including Grocery, Meat, Automotive
After Market, Health, Liquor and General
Merchandise. This focus on relationships
ensures that the adoption of the GS1 standards
provides compatibility across industry groups.
Industry leaders are active on the GS1
Australia Board of Directors, as council
members, and as participants in working
groups and steering committees. Participation
in the working groups is open to all
organisations with an interest in the particular
sector; indeed, participation from the widest
possible range of suppliers, distributors and
retailers is vital to the success of the program.
At GS1 Australia, we see collaborative
partnerships as the way to go forward.
Your participation in the Industry
Engagement Program will help drive
compatibility across industry sectors,
optimising supply chain operations and
maximising your return on investment.

Supporting
Australian Businesses
GS1 Australia has actively engaged with many sectors and
continues to have ongoing collaborative partnerships with
a range of Australian industries.

Agribusiness
Apparel
Automotive Aftermarket
Books & Publishing
Building & Construction
Consumer Electronics
Food Service
Fresh Produce
General Merchandise

Grocery
Hardware
Healthcare
Liquor
Meat
Music & Entertainment
Office Supplies
Sport & Leisure
Transport & Logistics

17

Agribusiness
Pooling the knowledge and experiences of the Australian
agribusiness industry participants, the Agribusiness GS1
Standards Group (AGSG) has been set up to help develop,
promote and deliver user guidelines, training courses and
implementation programs relating to the global GS1 standards.
GS1 Australia is working with both key retailers and suppliers
in the agribusiness sector to drive best practice supply chain
principles across the entire sector utilising the GS1 standards.
Adoption of the GS1 standards (Numbering and Bar coding,
eMessaging and Electronic Data Synchronisation) will bring
improved business efficiency and effectiveness for all
companies within the supply chain.
The Agribusiness Numbering and Bar Coding Guidelines
have been published in September 2011 and a Call to
Action issued requesting all suppliers to begin numbering
and bar coding their products on all levels of packaging.
Work on defining the Batch Management and Traceability
Standards for the sector have now commenced. Work
is also continuing on eMessaging and master data
synchronisation as well as GS1 Locatenet, which will enable
trading partners to communicate location master data
using GS1 global standards for party synchronisation.

Building & Construction

A new initiative from GS1 Australia, organisations in the
building and construction sector will be invited in 2012
to join GS1 Australias Industry Engagement Program to
examine ways the GS1 system of supply chain standards
can assist firms in the industry successfully implement
eCommerce-based supply chain management strategies.
The construction industry is the fourth largest contributor
to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Australian economy
and plays a major role in determining economic growth.
It accounts for close to 7% of GDP and employs around
9% of the Australian workforce, making it Australias fourth
largest industry. (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)
With sales of goods and services exceeding $260 billion and
handling a range of products that are difficult to adequately
track and measure, supply chain inefficiencies have the
potential to inflict large costs on suppliers and customers alike.
GS1 Australia is analysing the sector to investigate how the
adoption of the GS1 standards can help prevent these losses
and improve efficiencies.

18

Collaboration and participation are

the key to the continued success of the
AGSG and its initiatives.
We have seen a growth in participating
organisations over the past 12 months
ensuring we are capturing current
issues and challenges from all parts of
the Agribusiness sector, from Animal
Protection, Animal Management to
Crop Protection and Feedstock to
name a few.
GREG BOZKEWYCZ
AGSG Steering
Committee Chair
Subject Matter Expert
- Supply Chain
Elders

Consumer Electronics
Because of the unique requirements of the consumer
electronics supply chain a need to record serial numbers,
security demands, and others the industry is especially
reliant on eCommerce technologies.
GS1 Australia has been working with retailers, suppliers
and 3PL providers in the consumer electronics industry
sector since 2010 to enable seamless and efficient flow
of information and products along its supply chains.
Adoption of the GS1 standards (Numbering and Bar coding,
eMessaging and Electronic Data Synchronisation and EPC
RFID) is set to bring improved business efficiency and
effectiveness for all companies within the supply chain.
In collaboration with representatives from suppliers and
retailers in the consumer electronics industry, GS1 Australia is
facilitating the Consumer Electronics Working Action Group
(CEWAG), which has sought to ascertain the key supply
chain issues currently faced by the industry, to prioritise
these issues, and explore how these issues could be better
addressed by the implementation of GS1 standards.
A major milestone for CEWAG over the past year has been
the Master Data Synchronisation pilot project, resulting in
an industry-agreed data model for item master data and
pricing attributes. Particularly with the increased focus on
online B2C initiatives across the sector, having accurate item
master data has never been more critical. The data model
has been published and is ready for implementation.
CEWAG members have also worked tirelessly over the past
12 months on updating a complete set of industry
documents for electronic messaging, including Purchase
Order, Order Response, Order Change, Despatch Advice,
Receiving Advice, Remittance Advice and Sales Report.
The CEWAG Steering Committee, which includes industry
representatives from Dick Smith Electronics, Sony, Retravision,
Bing Lee, Energizer Australia, Canon, Sunbeam, Breville,
Betta Electrical, Michaels Camera Stores, Electrolux, Panasonic
and Whirlpool, has approved the release of these EDI
documents for adoption across the sector.

Food Service
Food safety in todays global environment is an absolute
imperative. Consumers worldwide have an expectation that
companies not only supply safe food but are also able to
identify, trace the origin of, and if necessary, recall and
withdraw the food products they sell.
Through the adoption of the GS1 System, the Australian
food and grocery sector enjoys the benefits of improved
product identification, bar coding, electronic messaging
standards and the GS1net data synchronisation catalogue.
Important recent additions to GS1 Australia services, such
as GS1 Recallnet, have improved the ability of Australian
companies to withdraw and recall food and grocery products
from the Australian market in a safe, timely and cost-efficient
manner.
The same concerns for food safety that exist for consumers
in the Australian food and grocery sector also apply to the
Australian foodservice sector. And GS1 Australia believes
the same advantages can be enjoyed by the Australian
foodservice sector through the adoption of the GS1 System.
For this reason, GS1 Australia has formed a Foodservice Industry
Steering Group to examine ways in which the GS1 System
can be implemented in the Australian foodservice sector.
The inaugural meeting of the Foodservice Industry Steering
Group was held on 9 November 2011, which has resulted in the
forming of working groups focusing on the development and
implementation of numbering and bar coding guidelines for
the sector as well as introducing into the foodservice sector the
Australian Retail Industry Message Implementation Guidelines
(MIG) for various eMessaging purposes (such as Purchase Order,
Purchase Order Response and Despatch Advice messages).
Key industry associations such as the Foodservice Suppliers
Association Australia have lent their support to the initiative
by GS1 Australia and have now joined the Foodservice Industry
Steering Group.

The FSAA fully supports this initiative

by GS1 Australia as a significant
contribution to the ongoing development
of the Australian foodservice sector.
Vince Crawley,
President
FSAA

19

Grocery
The grocery industry has led the way in the adoption of
bar codes, starting first with the consumer unit for expediting
supermarket checkout processes, then moving on to carton
and pallet-level bar coding for improved tracking, receival
and despatch.
Today, major retailers are focusing on implementation of
electronic messaging to replace traditional ordering methods
such as phone/fax and progressively engaging their suppliers
in a rollout program of GS1net.

Fresh Produce
The fresh produce industry can look forward to exciting developments to be rolled out in the coming years. GS1 has introduced
a new family of bar codes called GS1 DataBar to complement existing GS1 Bar codes. The DataBar will revolutionise the way
retailers do business, especially in the case of small items such as fruit and vegetables.
The industry has already adopted the GS1 standards for numbering and bar coding of pre-packaged goods, non-retail trade items
and logistics units. In addition, GS1 Australia manages on behalf of industry the price look-up codes and a catalogue of national
global trade item numbers for non-retail trade units of loose produce.
In collaboration with Horticulture Australia Limited, the Australian Vegetable and Potato Growers Federation, PMA, suppliers and
retailers, GS1 Australia leads a Fresh Produce Industry Working Group that, among its other activities, will be supporting the
rollout of DataBar in the future.

General Merchandise
The General Merchandise sector covers a wide and varied range of goods from furniture and gifts and homewares to toys and
sporting goods. As a result, suppliers in these sectors have to deal with a multitude of retailers, some large and sophisticated
but many of whom are smaller and are in the early stages of eCommerce initiatives.
GS1 Australia is facilitating a working group to assist manufacturers, distributors, and retailers achieve increased supply chain
efficiencies. The aim of the working group will be to develop an up-to-date, truly harmonised set of Message Implementation
Guidelines (MIG), that will provide the industry with a common roadmap for EDI moving forward.
This work will benefit the whole of the general merchandise industry as more and more retailers begin to plan for their
EDI programs. Suppliers adopting the new harmonised MIGs will be assured of reduced implementation effort and cost as they
look to trade electronically with more and more of their customers.
GS1 will provide ongoing industry support for this initiative with a new maintenance process and comprehensive documentation
that will ensure the message guidelines remain up to date as business requirements change and evolve over time.

20

In collaboration with the Australian Food and Grocery Council

(AFGC), Efficient Consumer Response Australasia (ECRA), Food
Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Australian Retailers
Association (ARA), National Association of Retail Grocers of
Australia (NARGA), Packaging Council of Australia (PCA),
Logistics Association of Australia (LAA), manufacturers, suppliers
and retailers, the GS1 Australia grocery industry working group
has under way a number of progressive initiatives designed to
help the industry achieve best practice supply chain
management initiatives.
Ongoing work involves the review of industry guidelines
together with ECRA, and building tutorials in conjunction
with the AFGC.
The grocery industry is a key sector for the adoption of new
industry initiatives including, Recallnet, Data Quality Services
and Extended Labelling.

The AFGC and ECRA continue to work in partnership with GS1 Australia to
provide industry guidelines and standards that enable trading partners to work
together to ensure products can move seamlessly through the supply chain,
resulting in more efficient and cost-effective value chains that deliver real benefit
to the industry.
The focus over the last 12 months has been on delivering improved quality,
synchronisation and harmonisation of data between trading partners. In a market
the size of Australia it makes no sense to have multiple standards agreed common
standards are a vital basic enabler to permit efficient and effective communication
of product, replenishment and business data between trading partners.
SAMANTHA BLAKE
Director - Industry Affairs
AFGC & ECRA

21

Hardware

While great inroads have

been made in the area of bar
coding, the quality of product
information is quite poor,
which in turn has impacted
on the industrys ability to
implement electronic trading
beyond basicpurchase
orders and invoices.

Hardware manufacturers, distributors and retailers have to contend with many items the transport industry calls ugly or difficult
items: extra small or extra large, odd and awkward shapes, and goods that may be cut up and sold as smaller pieces.
Despite this, the level of adoption of the GS1 standards within the hardware industry sector has greatly improved, particularly
in the area of trade item identification. This has been driven by the activities of the Hardware GS1 Action Group (HGAG).
Adoption of the GS1 standards (numbering and bar coding, eMessaging and electronic data synchronisation) has brought
improved business efficiency and effectiveness for all companies within the supply chain.
GS1 Australia, through the Hardware GS1 Action Group, works in collaboration with key retailers and suppliers across Australia
and New Zealand, including Mitre 10 Australia, Bunnings, Masters, BOC, Reece, John Danks, ITM, Mitre 10 NZ, SuperRetail Group,
Placemakers, DuluxGroup, GWA, ITW-Proline, Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Carter Holt Harvey, 3M, Hills Industries, Hyne Timber, Boral
and others.
The HGAG continues to be active in a number of areas including numbering & bar coding, data synchronisation, eCommerce,
with a key focus now in improving the quality of data in the supply chain.

Data Quality is now the big focus

for the HGAG. Weve seen major
improvements in Numbering and
Bar Coding and have seen the
benefits that this has produced.
However, now we need to fix our
data. Once we do that, additional
benefits to all trading partners
will follow.
ERROL KENNEDY
HGAG Steering Committee Chair
National Procurement and
Inventory Manager
John Danks & Son

Healthcare
Healthcare is a major part of the economy at some 10% of
GDP. It is also a very complex sector, with stringent safety
considerations and track and trace requirements, and is
under constant and significant cost pressures. Application
of the GS1 standards in this sector not only allows for supply
chain reform, but most importantly, helps the healthcare
sector drive initiatives that improve patient safety. The truly
global nature of healthcare has ensured this sector is the
subject of a global working group initiative, GS1 Healthcare.
In Australia, the GS1 Healthcare User Group (HUG) Australasia
is an active local chapter of GS1 Healthcare, which comprises
representatives from all parts of the Australian and New Zealand
healthcare supply chains, and is open to all GS1 Australia and
GS1 New Zealand members operating in the healthcare sector.
GS1 Australia and the HUG Australasia work to implement
a wide variety of activities, spanning data synchronisation,
eMessaging, physical goods identification and bar coding
and also patient and caregiver identification.
GS1 Australia has formed collaborative partnerships with such
organisations as the National E-Health Transition Authority
(NEHTA), IVD Australia, Australia Self-Medication Industry
(ASMI), Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
and Medicines Australia. Our partnership with NEHTA has seen
Australia lead the world in implementation of GS1 standardsbased data synchronisation the National Product Catalogue,
hosted on GS1net. The healthcare industry has also led the
way with implementation of the GS1 Locatenet GLN registry.
In 2011, the healthcare sector began the piloting, with the
aim of subsequent adoption, of two new GS1 services
GS1 Recallnet and GS1 GoScan. The GS1 Recallnet pilot
has the objective of improving patient safety by enabling
fast, secure and efficient notifications for recalls between
sponsors and their trading partners. Initial work with GS1
GoScan focuses on medicines information, with the eventual
implementation outcome to be a framework to deliver
trusted data to consumers for self-selection medicines.

As a member of GS1 Healthcare, I

have enjoyed unprecedented access to
healthcare professionals who gather
regularly to share experiences in
meeting the challenges of healthcare
supply chain. Our meetings are a
relaxed place to have subject matter
experts share learnings, answer
questions and have a healthy debate
about approach and progress of
change within the sector. It is truly a
unique opportunity to gather partners
together in a neutral setting and
provide the reminder that we are
all in this together when it comes
to our common quest to improve
patient safety.
GED HALSTEAD
CIO
Clifford Hallam Healthcare

As a member of GS1 Healthcare

Leadership team, I enjoy meeting
with people from differing spectrums
within the healthcare industry.
We meet regularly in an informal
atmosphere that fosters great
opportunities to share learnings, offer
suggestions and experiences to assist
us with ongoing industry challenges.
Partnering with these healthcare
industry professionals offers us
ways to provide assistance and
highlight experiences that will assist
everyone to enhance and improve
their current processes to move into
the evolving industry where patient
safety is the end goal for us all.
YVONNE BELL
National Business Support Manager
Terumo Corporation, Australian Branch

22

23

Liquor
Along with the grocery industry, the liquor sector has been
a pioneer of bar coding at the consumer unit/retail level,
and is today actively engaged in the development of the key
areas of bar coding of logistic units, electronic messaging
and the use of the GS1net data synchronisation catalogue.
The liquor industry is experiencing a new level of challenges
as the range of products, and number of different retail units
(single, 4-pack, 6-pack, presentation pack, mixed dozen, and
so on), create further barriers to supply chain efficiency.
GS1 Australia, through the GS1 Liquor User Group, is providing
significant support for bar code use and testing and other
initiatives.
GS1 Australia is working in a collaborative partnership with
the Australian Liquor Stores Association, Wine Australia, Liquor
Merchants Association, Winemakers Federation of Australia,
producers, distributors and retailers to enable organisations
to share real-time pricing and product information, from
alcohol content and taxes, through to digital pictures of
products. The collaborative effort will continue to ensure that
the Australian liquor industry is able to maintain its position
as an example of best practice supply chain efficiency.
The GS1net User Group in late 2011 signed off on an updated
whole-of-industry dataset that meets the requirements of all
current liquor industry data recipients.

24

Meat

Office Supplies

Transport & Logistics

The requirement for paddock-to-plate traceability of products

has encouraged participants in the red meat supply chain
to adopt the GS1 standards for numbering, bar coding and
electronic messaging for specific activities such as carton
labelling, carcase ticketing and pallet labelling, as well as
electronic messaging for National Vendor Declarations
(eDEC) and Electronic Meat Transfer Certificates (eMTC).

The Office Supplies GS1 Action Group (OSGAG) was established

in 2009 to focus on improving the merchandising and supply
chain processes across the sector. The recognition that an
improvement in the quality of item master data flowing
through the supply chain would achieve a range of benefits,
OSGAG has committed to endorsing the use of GS1net for
item master data synchronisation between trade partners.

The Transport & Logistics industry is the critical connecting

link between each individual participant in the supply
chain of any industry, and as such its efficiency and
performance have a vital influence on the success of
manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers alike. Without
including the T&L sector in eCommerce initiatives, all the
hard work done by organisations would be minimised.

GS1 Australia has initiated the Red Meat Supply Chain

Committee, which provides coordination and direction for
the development and adoption of supply chain information
standards and guidelines to apply to the Australian domestic
and export meat and livestock supply chain.

Electronic master data synchronisation within the industry

sector, via the GS1net data pool, commenced in early
2011. Several suppliers in the office supplies industry are
already involved with data synchronisation for the grocery
industry and have realised benefits to their organisations.

In addition, the Australian Meat Standards Language

Committee is working to ensure that product and pack
descriptions throughout the industry follow a standardised
nomenclature, assisting suppliers and retailers in speaking
the same language in their trading activities.

Some of the participants in OSGAG include representatives

from Officeworks, OfficeMax Australia, Corporate Express,
Warehouse Stationery NZ, ACCO Australia, Pelikan
Artline, Australian Office, and Avery Dennison.

GS1 Australia is working closely with many of the key

associations, transport providers and government agencies
to provide assistance in a wide range of activities. GS1 has
worked towards facilitating an industry working group
and is also undertaking targeted project work that helps
this sector deliver real value to all trade partners.

Through its collaborative partnership with Meat and Livestock

Australia, AUS-MEAT Limited, the Australian Meat Industry
Council (AMIC), Australian Quarantine Inspection Service,
suppliers and retailers, GS1 Australia is helping to ensure that
the Australian meat industry provides safe and high-quality
produce as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

Retailers and suppliers in the office products sector have

been working in a collaborative partnership with GS1
Australia to drive best practice supply chain practices across
the sector, utilising the GS1 standards. The effort associated
with keeping item master data up to date across the sector
is well recognised as being a costly exercise for all parties.
Therefore, having an industry-agreed and common method
of maintaining and sharing product information using GS1
standards will bring improved business efficiencies and
effectiveness for suppliers, wholesalers and retailers alike.

Having key collaborative partnerships with the Australian

Logistics Council (ALC), Logistics Association Australia
(LAA), Victorian Freight and Logistics Council (VFLC), thirdparty logistics (3PL) providers and transport companies,
GS1 Australia is playing an important role in maintaining
and improving the efficiency of the vital link that the
transport & logistics sector represents in the supply chain.
Transport & logistics is a global focus for GS1 with the Global
Transport & Logistics Industry User Group being facilitated
from GS1 Global Office in Brussels. Many initiatives from
a global perspective will provide opportunities for the
Australian transport and logistics industry to leverage the
work of their counterparts overseas. GS1 Australia is an
active member of this global focus and we look forward
to continuing to work with the domestic T&L sector to
help drive the nations critical productivity agenda.

25

Global

Technology Partnerships

Partnerships
Sharing the Know-how
GS1 Australia actively participates in sharing knowledge
with its sister GS1 organisations across the globe,
particularly with the US, the UK, Canada, Germany,
France, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain.
For example, Canada and the UK have used our location
management service, GS1 Locatenet, to launch similar
services in their own countries. Several other countries
are following, including Ireland.

Technology partnerships nurtured by GS1 Australia play

an important role in helping industry put the GS1 System
into productive use.
GS1 Australia is also working with GS1 Spain to develop
a new version of its image-hosting service called AECOC
Media, with the backing of Australian industry. The Australian
service, to be launched late 2012, will host low-resolution
images for shelf-space management, high-resolution
images and bar code verification reports, and in the future,
other digital assets such as material safety data sheets.
GS1 Australia is currently collaborating with several
GS1 member organisations to develop a globally
interoperable network of recall portals, including
our own GS1 Recallnet. Interoperability standards for
national Global Location Network (GLN) registries,
including GS1 Locatenet, are also being developed.

Founding Alliance Partner GXS has been successful in

providing the GS1net data synchronisation platform for
14 years through two major upgrade developments,
including the addition of price information with item data
as a world first in 2002 and becoming a certified Global
Data Synchronisation Network data pool in 2007.
Local IT solutions provider and GS1 Strategic Alliance
Partner Leadtech has co-developed and hosts the GS1
eMessage validation service (CMT) and our GS1net
data validation application.
Since 2009, GS1 Australia has been working with Hewlett
Parkard to develop and host our GS1 Recallnet service for the
food and liquor industry and today is well progressed in the
development of GS1 Recallnet for the healthcare sector.
SA2 Worldsync, an experienced GDSN service provider,
is building GS1net Webforms, an enhancement to the
GS1net platform designed to make the user interface
for suppliers easier to use.

26

The Asia Pacific Family

Australias trade with other nations within our region is expanding
rapidly. For both our imports and exports, trading relationships
with our nearest neighbours are becoming ever stronger and
more important, and so is the need to ensure we speak the
same language when it comes to supply chain standards,
electronic transactions and global services.
With this in mind, GS1 Australia, together with GS1 Japan, has
embarked on a drive to create a networking group within the
Asia Pacific GS1 member organisations. The aim is to help the
group become more engaged in GS1 standards development
as part of the Global Standards Management Process (GSMP).
GSMP was created by GS1 to develop and maintain global
standards for the GS1 System and to ensure that GS1 standards
evolve to meet the changing needs of business. It is an open
and transparent process to improve the GS1 standards and
develop solutions which are able to respond to international
and local business requirements in any industry sector.
At the beginning of the year, eight countries were participating
in the Asia Pacific regional networking group, with Australia and
Japan being joined by Hong Kong, India, Korea, New Zealand,
Singapore and Thailand. Since then, we have continued to
grow from strength to strength with regional participation
of member organisations and with the assistance of the GS1
global office.

27

As a global non-profit organisation with an interest in education and research,

GS1 Australia is one of our most strategic industry partners. Together, we have
been working on a number of research and teaching initiatives for a number of
years, which allows students to enjoy the state-of-the-art knowledge centre that
enables them to excel in their chosen professions.
Professor Caroline Chan
Head of School of Business IT and Logistics
RMIT University

Partnerships

For the Future

Our relationship with GS1 has grown from a research project in 2008 that
investigated the use of smart phones for the delivery of healthy food choices
to consumers. This partnership has expanded to include innovations in the
training of students in our nutrition courses. Visiting the Supply Chain
Knowledge Centre and using the GoScan iPhone application are key elements
that improve the learning experience of our students. By introducing them to
the relevance of nutrition to food manufacturing and the food supply chain
early in their course, the students gain an appreciation for the importance of
the food industry in community nutrition.
Associate Professor Michael Mathai
School of Biomedical and Health Sciences
Victoria University

As well as engaging with industry, GS1 Australia builds and nurtures

collaborative partnerships with educational and training institutions.
The motivation for GS1 Australias engagement with universities, TAFE colleges and teaching institutions, including
secondary schools, over the last 10 years has been to assist in the development of our future leaders in supply chain
management and logistics practitioners. Our drive is supported by the internationally awarded state-of-the-art
Supply Chain Knowledge Centre, which has been visited by over 3,000 students since its inception.
GS1 Australia has an established Memorandum of Understanding with 14 universities and TAFE colleges, and in 2011,
Curtin University in Western Australia, through the School of Information Systems, became the latest partner in
GS1 Australias education mission.
In late 2011, GS1 Australia embarked on another enterprising venture to work with vocational institutions to deliver
practical and supportive education material to students completing their Certificate III in Logistics, Warehousing and
Distribution. During their time at GS1, students are presented with a high-level understanding of the GS1 numbering
and bar coding standards, the standards that they will experience in their workplace. They are also given a practical
lesson is scanning in the knowledge centre and are taught how the data flows from a picking station to the
warehouse management system.

28

GS1 Australias partnerships with universities have also resulted in a number of published research papers, some
of which have contributed to improved human health and wellbeing, the removal of the barrier to the adoption
of UHF RFID (radio frequency identification) in Australia, and the soon-to-be-released GS1 GoScan iPhone application
to assist consumers in making healthy choices.

GS1 and the University of Melbourne have had an MoU in place since 2007. As
a result, both organisations have been working closely together on educational
and research projects, yielding significant benefits for both parties as well as
students and external stakeholders. This relationship is currently evidenced by
a government-funded joint research project looking at patterns of technology
adoption for use in managing supply chains. Working with GS1 is an invaluable
component of our knowledge-transfer activities at the University of Melbourne.
Professor Damien Power
Department of Management and Marketing
University of Melbourne

29

Our

Membership
Membership is close to 17,000,
GS1 Australias members vary
widely in size and industry, but
have one thing in common: they
all strive to be the best and make
their supply chains perform
at their best. Whether it is a
small family business requiring
just one bar code number or a
multinational corporation with
thousands of products, we are
committed to providing each and
every member with the highest
level of customer service and
support in making the best use of
the GS1 System in their business.

Members & Customers

Customer Group
A

Members by Industry Sector

Count

Associate Alliance Partner

34

0.204%
0.126%

Count

Grocery

4006

24.077%

Business Alliance Partner

21

General Merchandise

3298

19.822%

Strategic Alliance Partner

12

0.072%

Liquor

1836

11.035%

Book Member

261

1.569%

Hardware

1770

10.638%

GLN Only

150

0.902%

Miscellaneous

1202

7.224%

Non Renewable Single Number

203

1.220%

Healthcare

1123

6.750%

Individual Bar code Number

1,310

7.874%

Fresh Produce

726

4.364%

PNG

62

0.373%

Books

437

2.627%

201

1.094%

Meat

392

2.356%

Charity and Not For Profit

Member < $1M

6,570

39.488%

Electrical Appliances

334

2.007%

Member $1M $5M

3,478

20.904%

Music

330

1.983%

Member $5M $10M

1,152

6.924%

Rural

319

1.917%

Member $10M $50M

2,224

13.367%

Auto Aftermarket

307

1.845%

Member $50M $100M

303

1.821%

Office Products

162

0.974%

Member $100M $500M

383

2.302%

Metal / Steel

132

0.793%

Member $500M $1B

114

0.685%

Furniture

102

0.613%

Member $1B $10B

147

0.884%

Printing & Packaging

99

0.595%

Member $10B+

13

0.078%

T&L

16,638

100.00%

TOTAL

TOTAL

63

0.379%

16,638

100.00%

C
B

L
N O P Q

All Members by Location

L
G

E F
D
C
B
A

O
P
Q
R

J
K

Count

98

0.589%

5372

32.288%

52

0.313%

ACT

New South Wales

NT

Queensland

2335

14.034%

South Australia

1523

9.154%

Tasmania

277

1.665%

Victoria

5290

31.795%

Western Australia

1598

9.605%

International PNG

62

0.373%

International Other

31

0.186%

16,638

100.00%

TOTAL

30

C
E

J
H

31

Associate
Alliance Partners

Strategic
Alliance Partners

Datanet
GXS
IBM
insignia
IPT
Leadtec
Matthews
Peacock Bros
SAP
Telstra

Business
Alliance Partners

Our

Technology Partners
GS1 Australias selected technology partners are leaders in their
field and supply information, communication and technology (ICT)
solutions and supply chain services. These more than 80 international
and Australian businesses support the GS1 standards, and through
the GS1 Australia Alliances and Partnership Program offer our
members access to the worlds best supply chain solution providers.

32

ABML
Avery Dennison
Bar Code Data Systems (BCDS)
Bizcaps
Dy-Mark
IBS
Innovit
Intermec
Mincom
Neller Connect
Nortech
Pacific Commerce
Pronto Software
PULSE Logistics Systems
SATO
Sterling Commerce
Supply-Linq
TIBCO

Barcodes4u
Bas-X Business Management Services
B2BE
B&DCS (Barcoding & Data
Collections Systems)
Business Driven Systems
Cobra Systems
Datalogic
Datamax-ONeil
Denso
Dexion
Eclipse Computing
Electro-com
eVision
Existco
Gamma Solutions
GBD Technology Solutions
Goodson Imports
HTRAK
Ingram Micro
Intermax
iSOFT
Label Power
Magellan Technology
Motorola
MYOB Australia
NICHOL Industries
Peercore IT Pty. Ltd.
PSION Teklogix
Secura Shield
Stratix Australia Pty. Ltd.
TechnoSource Australia
Toshiba
Transacta
Unique Micro Design
Uniware
Zebra Technologies

33

We All Work Together

For Our Members

GS1 Australia works together with many industry bodies, associations
and government departments to understand the needs of different
industry sectors and to help them implement solutions to create an
efficient value chain.

34

ACT Health
Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Australian Electrical and Electronics
Manufacturing Association
Australian Food and Grocery Council
Australian Industry Group
Australian Information Industry Association
Australian Logistics Council
AUS-MEAT Ltd
Australian Meat Industry Council
Australian Pork Ltd
Australian National Retailers Association
Australian Retailers Association
Australian Self Medication Industry Association
Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation
Consumer Electronics Service Association
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
Department of Health (South Australia)
Department of Health and Human Services (Tasmania)
Department of Health (Victoria)
Efficient Consumer Response Australasia
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Health Corporate Network (Western Australia)

HL7
Health Support Services (NSW)
Horticulture Australia Ltd
Liquor Merchants Association of Australia
Logistics Association of Australia
Meat and Livestock Australia
Medical Technology Association of Australia
Medicines Australia
National Association of Retail Grocers of Australia
National Blood Authority
National eHealth Transition Authority (NEHTA)
Northern Territory Government
Packaging Council of Australia
Queensland Health
RFID Action Australia Ltd
Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia
Therapeutic Goods Administration
Tradegate ECA
Victorian Government Department of Innovation,
Industry and Regional Development
Victorian Freight and Logistics Council
Victorian Transport Association
Winemakers Federation of Australia

35

Quality Data: The Essential Ingredient

GS1, along with AIM (Australian Institute of Management), CIES (International Committee of Food Retail Chains), ECR
(Efficient Consumer Response) Europe, FMI (Food Marketing Institute), GCI (Global Commerce Initiative) and GMA
(Grocery Manufacturers Association), has developed a comprehensive best practice guide for the improvement of
data quality for global data called the GS1 Data Quality Framework (DQF).
GS1 Australia launched its Data Quality Audit Service, based on the DQF, to provide direct assistance in identifying processes
that lead to poor data quality. A sample audit pinpoints areas of weakness and identifies strategies to help you manage and
sustain your Item Master Data in the long term.
The audit clarifies roles across the business and establishes who is accountable for data quality within the business. With the
proper data quality systems in place, the business will be able to reduce the amount of time spent in managing bad data
across multiple areas.
Once the audit has determined the reasons for data quality concerns, the GS1 Data Quality Implementation Service provides
a more detailed review of processes, should you require assistance with implementation.

Trusted Data Helps Speed & Accuracy

Smart phone application developers are putting a host of innovative tools in consumers hands to make their daily lives
more convenient. These applications range from smart shopping lists to sophisticated diet management programs.
Consumers can add products directly to these applications by scanning the bar code on the product labels and create
and save multiple shopping lists, share with friends and family and even plan their shopping trip based on the aisle
order at their local store.

Progress

Through Action
GS1 Australia aims to help Australian business enterprises become more efficient.
Every year, we instigate and work through a number of progressive initiatives
that address the needs and concerns of industry and governments. Through these
initiatives, GS1 Australia provides practical technical and regulatory support in
areas such as healthcare and retail supply chain management and consumer
information services.
Year 2011 saw the launch of GS1 initiatives that help address public health issues
and put essential information at shoppers fingertips. We launched programs that
help organisations ensure the right information is in the public domain, and the
quality of that data is the best it can be. We helped online retailers get their goods
to market, and we provided brand owners and distributors with a tool to manage
recalls with the greatest efficiency.
Heres how we helped Australian business enterprises become more efficient
in 2011.
36

Accurate product information, linked to the products bar code number (GTIN), is key to the accuracy and effectiveness
of these applications. Application developers can avoid the painful process of building a database from scratch and then
having to maintain it on an ongoing basis, based on a new service by GS1 Australia. GS1 Trusted Data Services allows
subscribers to receive instant data files containing the product records in which they are interested, as well as automatic
updates when product details change.
As its key data source, GS1 Trusted Data Services calls on GS1net, Australia and New Zealands data synchronisation service
that is used by over 1,500 companies. Over 500,000 product records have been loaded onto GS1net by suppliers. Every time
new products are introduced, updated or deleted from the marketplace, suppliers will update this product information
to ensure their trading partners have up-to-the-minute, accurate product master data.

GS1 GoScan
Consumers now want more information about the products they purchase and the companies who produce them. They are
seeking information from online shopping sites, product rating services and through social networks accessed via mobile
devices to make informed choices and purchase decisions. These decisions are increasingly influenced by information
beyond what is on the label.
Built on GS1 Australias Extended Labelling Initiative, the GS1 GoScan iPhone application enables consumers to rapidly
and easily access the trusted product information that they want, delivered efficiently and conveniently via their mobile
phone. The integrity and reliability of the GS1 GoScan data are unsurpassed, as the data is authorised and supplied
directly to GS1 Australia by the brand owners of the vast range of food and liquor products sold in Australia.
The Extended Labelling Initiative is the culmination of three years work by GS1 Australia in partnership with major retailers,
leading international food companies, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australian universities and national health
organisations. The aim of the initiative is to gather information to assist consumers and satisfy government labelling laws.
GS1 GoScan empowers consumers by providing detailed, personally tailored and trusted product information about
a products ingredients, dietary values, sources and inputs, allergen declarations and safe-handling instructions, through
an efficient and convenient iPhone application.

37

A Simple Success Strategy

for Online Retailers
Without the ability to resolve problems face to face as in the
traditional retail environment, online retailers rely on effective
fulfilment strategies to provide good service and build
customer loyalty. Yet many online retailers consider fulfilment
a lesser priority than site design, online marketing and product
selection. The reality is that a customers one true physical
experience with your retail brand is the delivery of their purchases.
Fulfilment plays a critical role in the value chain and the
customer experience, and bringing in GS1 Australia can
improve your bottom line fast.
Responding to the exponential growth of online retail,
GS1 Australia has initiated a simple success strategy that
helps connected retailers get the basics right:
I dentify your stock with globally unique numbers
Automate and increase the accuracy of fulfilment
processes through automatic data capture
Identify gaps and quality issues with data needed
to support key fulfilment processes
Ensure end-to-end traceability and efficient product
recall process
Leverage global standards needed for a global online
business
By identifying the pain spots within your supply chain and
tackling these first, you can develop an effective
implementation plan with a clear value proposition.
GS1 Australia can help your business to better understand the
value of eCommerce and global standards at an operation and
financial level and assist you in your implementation programs.

38

Painless Product Recall

A product recall is an expensive and complicated procedure
at the best of times, but GS1 Australias Recallnet initiative
can ease the pain and decrease the costs.
GS1 Recallnet is an online portal that enables companies to
create, approve and issue recall and withdrawal notifications
to their customers and government agencies, efficiently and
securely. The service is based on GS1 standards and global
best practices, and is designed to increase the speed and
accuracy of the removal of unsafe or unsuitable products from
the supply chain.
GS1 Australia has worked with the Australian Food and Grocery
Council (AFGC), Efficient Consumer Response Australia (ECRA),
the Liquor Merchants Association of Australia (LMAA) and Food
Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the Food Service
Association of Australia (FSAA) and leading Australian retailers
and manufacturers to establish GS1 Recallnet for foods and
related products.
The program is also being expanded to include healthcare
products through the collaboration of pharmaceutical
and medical device manufacturers, peak industry bodies,
NEHTA and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Industry quickly realised the benefits of the GS1 Recallnet
portal, with the 100th user completing its GS1 Recallnet
registration on 28 October, just 77 days from the GS1
Recallnet launch on 11 August.
Among the organisations recognising the advantages
of Recallnet was Woolworths, which also completed
end-to-end integration with GS1 Recallnet and its own
internal recall management system for its supermarket
and liquor businesses within the 100 days.

Help with Healthy Eating

The Food and Health Dialogue was established by the
Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), with the aim of
addressing poor dietary habits and making healthier food
choices easier and more accessible for all Australians. The
dialogue provides a non-regulatory platform for collaborative
action between the Australian Government, the food industry
and public health groups to improve dietary intakes.
One of the key work areas of the Food and Health Dialogue
is a reformulation program aimed at reducing sodium
initially across bread and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals,
and later expanding into other food categories.
To measure progress on reformulation and its overall
impact on the diets of Australians, there is a need to
capture detailed and accurate nutrition information
across all products targeted for reformulation.
GS1 Australia, together with the Department of Health and
Ageing, Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
and RMIT University, is undertaking an industry pilot for
the creation of a Food Composition Database (FCDB).
The FCDB will capture nutrient and serving size information
on products from organisations currently participating in
the Food and Health Dialogue, and will allow the accurate
monitoring and assessment of the reformulation program.

Sharing the
Power of Knowledge
GS1 Australia recognises the value of knowledge that exists
within our organisation: our people, our culture, our structures
and innovation capability, and our customers and networks.
This recognition has seen us embark on a journey to better
understand, utilise and manage this precious asset.
Today, GS1 Australia actively encourages the sharing of
knowledge through a range of innovative programs contained
within our Knowledge Management Strategy, under the broad
categories of people, process, technology and leadership.
Our radio station GS1 FM broadcasts a regular learning
session for our people on GS1 Australia products and services.
GS1 FM has been expanded to cover all functional areas
of the business, not just the application of standards. GS1
FM has become a core tool for inducting new employees
and keeping employees business knowledge up to date.
And its more than just business knowledge. GS1 FMs
educational program has assisted staff members to
build presentation writing and public-speaking skills.
In the process, they are also getting to know what
other people do, breaking down knowledge silos and
improving knowledge sharing across the organisation.
GS1 Australias Knowledge Management Champions
Group provides direction and oversees knowledge-based
projects, as well as communicating the importance of these
activities to the business. It will develop the Knowledge
Management Road Map, articulate GS1 Australias vision
for knowledge management, and identify and prioritise
knowledge-mobilising activities and projects.

39

GS1 GoScan
eTailing

GS1 Recallnet

2012, the Year of

Working with Members to

Create Opportunities
for Businesses and Consumers

Data Quality
GS1net

GS1 Locatenet

GS1 Trusted Data

40

41

Head Office
Axxess Corporate Park
Unit 100/45 Gilby Rd
Mt Waverley VIC 3149
Locked Bag 2
Mt Waverley VIC 3149
T +61 3 9558 9559
F +61 3 9558 9551

42

Sydney Office
Lakes Business Park
Building 4B, 2-4 Lord St
Botany NSW 2019
Locked Bag 7002
Botany NSW 1455rs
T +61 2 9700 0933
F +61 2 9700 0820

National Number: 1300 BARCODE

ABN: 67 005 529 920
www.gs1au.org