GS1 has called on retailers to adopt a harmonised approach to the goods delivery and receiving process.
It has been leading an industry group supported by ECR UK in developing an online toolkit to help organisations in the retail supply chain discover how much time and money they might save by adopting a standard approach.
Gary Lynch, chief executive of GS1 UK, said: “Industry standard, automated processes can deliver tangible benefits for all parties. For example, an ECR study showed the typical time it takes to unload a truck of 26 pallets can be reduced from 52 to just four minutes when compared with conventional paper-based orders and delivery notes.
“However, to maximise the benefits, it’s essential that systems are built on globally-accepted identification and communications standards and that they are deployed in a harmonised way.”
Tesco and Coca Cola Enterprises have been working in partnership together to explore the use of standardised processes in their supply chain since 2008.
Jim Dickson, Tesco’s end-to-end supply chain development manager, said: “Our automated partnerships with suppliers such as Coca Cola Enterprises have led to tangible efficiencies on both sides, ranging from faster delivery vehicle turn-around times to no longer having to handle many pages of paper delivery notes.
“We are committed to working together to jointly identify the potential to unlock further efficiency opportunities in the future and would encourage others to do the same.”
