Leading Foodservice companies call on suppliers to speak the same trading language

The Foodservice Directors' Group (FSDG), facilitated by GS1 UK, has sent a letter to all its trading partners explain how the adoption of global supply chain standards could create potential savings of £100m in the foodservice sector over the next five years.

The FSDG is calling on suppliers and wholesalers to adopt global supply chain standards, which enable the efficient movement of goods and sharing of information from farm to fork.

In a letter sent on the 24 May, the FSDG outlined its intention to roll-out a common supply chain data management approach to all trading partners by the end of 2015.

The simple GS1 system being proposed by the FSDG provides a way for trading partners to identify, capture and share information more effectively.

Gary Lynch, CEO at GS1 UK, explained: "Demand for information on product characteristics is set to double over the next five years. This is a result of consumers wishing to eat more healthily, legislative changes on labelling, a greater focus on corporate responsibility, and the rise of the savvy shopper, who increasingly has the desire and capability to research everything before making a purchasing decision.

"To keep pace with industry expectations and to manage information efficiently and economically, food manufacturers, operators and suppliers need to work together and with GS1 UK to take action. If a common system isn't implemented, not only will companies lose money through unnecessary additional work and wastage, but there are also significant risks to consumers caused by poor data practices."

GS1 UK's on-boarding team is available to provide systems implementation support and will be contacting all trading partners of FSDG members shortly with details of timelines and next steps. For more information visit www.gs1uk.org