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CONNECTING TRUSTED PRODUCT DATA EVERYWHERE 1

Implementation Services 1WorldSync enables customers for success

Introduction

With more than 16,000 customers across

54 countries, 1WorldSync is the leading

global product information network and

data pool solutions provider certified for

the Global Data Synchronization Network™

(GDSN®). The GDSN provides retailers and

their trading partners with a framework to

collaborate for quality data. Based on GS1

standards, the GDSN provides all players

with a way to electronically share and

synchronize product data.

As the world’s largest GDSN certified

data pool, 1WorldSync’s Implementation

Services team has supported more

customer implementations than any

other data pool service provider. With

over a decade of experience, 1WorldSync

has developed an implementation

methodology that is proven and reliable

in supporting customers throughout a

successful GDSN implementation. Once

fully implemented, 1WorldSync’s solution

offerings drive efficiency, profitability, and

competitive edge by giving businesses the

ability to share trusted product information

with each other and with consumers.

Background

1WorldSync Implementation Services

team has refined the methodology for

implementing data synchronization to

include practical guidance on business

process design, data mapping, and

technical assistance for sharing standard

product information.

For each customer implementation the

methodology framework is utilized, and

the project plan is tailored to meet each

individual customer’s needs.

TM


Challenge

As the supplier embarks on a journey to

leverage GDSN, a common pitfall is that

they consider this to be an IT led initiative

which manages and maps to attributes

using XML. Our experience with working

with thousands of suppliers has shown

that the GDSN journey is more than just

the technology implementation. The key

to a successful implementation is a sound

business process to support the right data

to the right recipient at the right time.

Solution

To address the challenges above and

to make our customers’ journey easier,


team leads customers through the

1WorldSync five phase implementation

methodology to achieve success at every

phase. This best practices framework

includes education on GDSN concepts,

attribute and hierarchy requirements,

message choreography, and business

process best practices. The 1WorldSync

methodology takes into account not only

the technical components but the business

process changes that must be identified

for a truly scalable and successful GDSN

implementation. Throughout each

phase a dedicated 1WorldSync expert

Implementation Manager will manage key

activities and milestones, including regular

status meetings, issue identification, and

resolution tracking.

Phase 1: Discovery

The implementation methodology

framework begins by understanding

the objectives of the supplier and

their adoption of GS1 Standards. The

1WorldSync team evaluates questions

such as:

• How many items does the

company supply?

• Who do they need to share product

information with and what are

their timelines?

• Do they understand and follow

Global Trade Item Number™ (GTIN)

allocation rules and do they use

Global Location Numbers (GLN)?

This information gives the Implementation

Manager the direction for the supplier’s

education. Education consists of GDSN

concepts on GTIN and GLN, product

hierarchies best practices, and attribute

requirements for which recipients they

need to share their product information.

The next step is to have the business

process discussion. The team evaluates

questions such as:

• What is the process for creating an

item and the attributes contained by

that item?

• How can the attributes be sourced

and mapped?

• What is the on-going process for

managing changes to the item data

over time?

“1WorldSync’s Implementation

Service is the perfect comprehensive

solution to guide a new customer

through a phased approach into

the world of GDSN. With the best

data pool provider in the world,

and a wonderful team of dedicated

professionals, we’ve engaged with

many of our customers to receive

a customized roadmap that’s led

to better, faster, more efficient

exchange of product information.”

CARLISA WASHINGTON

E-BUSINESS CONTENT SPECIALIST,

COCA-COLA COMPANY

“In 2010, we migrated our data to

1Worldsync. As a supplier, we have

been continually impressed by the

professionalism that 1Worldsync’s

Implementation Team provides. They

have dedicated resources that helped

us from the ‘Discovery’ phase to our

‘Go Live’ date. I recommend working

with their Implementation Services

team, as they are highly seasoned

technicians who understand the

timeline, resources, and methodology

necessary to ensure a successful

project implementation.”

SUSAN HALLAHAN,

DATA SYNC CONSULTANT,

PFIZER CONSUMER HEALTHCARE


Understanding the current process

allows the supplier to start building the

future processes, inclusive of GDSN data

synchronization. In this phase it becomes

clear if there are data governance practices

in place to assure the quality of product

information and if there is a true single

source of the product data. If not, data

cleansing becomes essential to

the project.

Phase 2: Design & Develop

As the project moves from Discovery

to Design & Develop, the focus is on

the future business process. This phase

includes the flow of data, data ownership,

data maintenance, data governance, and

data mapping. The technologies to support

these areas are also reviewed. The most

frequently asked question by suppliers

during this phase is “How

does everyone else build processes to

support GDSN?”.

This phase of the project varies for every

company, but there are key aspects for

each supplier to consider as they begin

developing the future business process.

Suppliers are advised to think about

details around the data attributes, data

governance, business process, and XML

messages.

Data Attributes:

• What data attributes will you

provide?

• Where are they stored?

• Is there one version of each

attribute?

• Are there any attributes not stored

in a system? What is the gap?

• How will you handle attributes that

are not stored?

• How will you represent an item

hierarchy? Do you have GTINs

assigned at every level?

Data Governance:

• Who is the owner of the attributes?

• Is there attribute clean up that is

needed in multiple source systems

for the same attribute?

Business Process & Technical Messages:

• What can be automated?

• What must remain manual?

• Who is responsible for the process

and ultimately publishing to your

trading partners?

• How are items triggered to transmit

to 1WorldSync?

• How will responses from your

recipients be handled?

• Item maintenance errors

• Item hierarchy errors

• Publication errors

• Item Sync Response errors

The implementation team at 1WorldSync

helps a supplier ask these questions

and guides them to design the business

process that best fits the supplier’s specific

GDSN implementation.

Phase 3: Testing

As the supplier designs and develops

their process to support the XML

message choreography for their

GDSN implementation, it is critical to

complete an end-to-end test of the

process and technology. The 1WorldSync

Implementation Manager is well versed in

a series of scenarios to test the complete

product information life cycle. The

1WorldSync Implementation Manager

also helps the supplier build test cases for

specific industry scenarios, data recipients,

and volume testing.

Phase 4: Go Live

The objective of this phase is to ensure

that the supplier is operational and

is confident in the new product data

exchange processes as they begin

leveraging their GDSN connection to meet

their trading partner demands.

When the supplier completes their data

cleansing, and the business process is

designed, built and fully tested, it is time to

load production-ready product information

and begin publishing this out to their

trading partner recipients.

“It has been extremely helpful

having a dedicated Implementation

Team to help throughout the entire

GDSN Process. As a manufacturer

with several recipients of our

data, 1WorldSync’s support and

knowledge of the requirements was

critical to building our expertise and

successfully implementing our data.”

BRANDI DAUER,

SR. MANAGER,

MASTER DATA GOVERNANCE,

MCCAIN FOODS USA, INC.

“Having an informed and

knowledgeable implementation

professional to work with throughout

the various implementation projects,

was what we appreciated most about

1WorldSync. Whether we needed to

communicate with a trading partner

on another data pool or one outside

the United States with different

attribute requirements, 1WorldSync

enabled us to connect successfully.”

NADA SAVATIC,

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER,

ABBOTT

1WorldSync recommends a rollout strategy

that will work best for the supplier. The

approach may vary from loading a handful

of items to a category of items; or it may

be based on recipient-specific demands.

1WorldSync continues to support the

supplier during this process by ensuring

that they understand how to troubleshoot

and are able to address any concerns

that arise. 1WorldSync Implementation

managers want to ensure that the supplier

has all the knowledge and confidence to

manage this new data

exchange process.

Phase 5: Support

Once the supplier is successfully

“live” in production and has an

operational understanding of their

GDSN implementation, the 1WorldSync

Implementation Manager does a formal

transition to the 1WorldSync Customer

Support organization.

The supplier has ongoing access to the

1WorldSync Technical and Customer

Support Teams.

• Technical Support can be contacted

via phone and email. Support is

available 7AM-7PM EST

• 24x7 support for technical problems

that prevents a company from being

able to use a 1SYNC service and

for which there is no work around

available. After hours support is

handled by on-call personnel.

• 1WorldSync Systems have a

consistent Up Time = typically

>99.99%

The supplier is on their way to a better,

more efficient product information

exchange with their trading partners.

Conclusion


leverages their unique blend of GS1

Standards knowledge with their years of

GDSN implementation expertise to provide

the highest caliber of implementation

experience for the 1WorldSync customer

community. A successful implementation

ensures a supplier exchanges the right

product information to the right recipient

at the right time.

About 1WorldSync

With more than 16,000 customers across

54 countries, 1WorldSync is the leading

product information network and data pool

solutions provider, certified within GS1 Global

Data Synchronization NetworkTM (GDSN®).

1WorldSync solutions and services enable

businesses to exchange product information

across their buy and sell side trading partner

communities, via a single cloud based platform

– with solutions including Supply Chain

Enablement, Product Risk & Compliance, and

Omni-Channel Commerce. 1WorldSync is jointly

owned by the member organizations of GS1

Germany and GS1 US. GS1 is the preeminent

organization for the development of global

standards, for identifying, capturing, and

sharing product information.

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Connect With Us:CONNECTING TRUSTED PRODUCT DATA EVERYWHERE

1WorldSync1009 Lenox drive, Suite 202, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 USA

T +1 866 280 4013 F +1 609 620 1200 E [email protected]

1worldsync.com

For more information, contact:

Tammy O’Donnell

Vice President, Implementation Services

1WorldSync

E [email protected]

TM