Directed by industry, GS1 Canada solves non-competitive business process issues through the delivery of Industry Managed Solutions. Designed for optimal efficiency through a one-to-many sharing process, our non-proprietary global standards-based solutions meet the needs of businesses of all sizes across multiple sectors.
Whether looking to launch new products, access perpetually cleansed and updated product content, or increase safety and operational efficiencies, our solutions contain flexible tools and services, value-added elements and premium features to meet the evolving needs of industry, and the demand for increased visibility and data quality.
Our one-to-many approach ensures product data is loaded once, then efficiently shared with all trading partners from one place, at the same time. As part of our standards role, we create implementation guides and educational resources to provide support and guidance for all subscribers.
As a neutral, not-for-profit association, our non-proprietary solutions are developed on a cost-recovery basis, enabling subscribers to meet Canadian trading partner and regulatory requirements at the lowest possible cost to industry.
Across all sectors, there is an increasing need for data and more pressure than ever before on business process efficiency. As industry continues to evolve towards full integration across the whole supply chain, standards-based industry solutions become more valuable, resulting in greater demand for new capabilities that capitalize on existing protocols and industry investments.
Five Stage-Gate Process
GS1 Canada’s Industry Managed Solutions are developed through a Five Stage-Gate Process. This is achieved through the direction and collaboration of our boards, advisory councils and Community Groups, which are comprised of business leaders and subject matter experts representing trading partners of all sizes across the whole value chain.
1. DISCOVERY
Board members collaborate to identify common, non-competitive business process issues.
If a non-competitive business process issue has been identified as potentially requiring global standards or an industry solution, boards direct GS1 Canada to invest in an analysis of the business issue and an environmental scan.
2. STANDARDS
GS1 Canada leads workshops with subject matter experts and business leaders from companies of all sizes across the value chain to establish standards and attributes that meet Canadian trading partner and regulatory requirements.
When specifically directed, the standards phase will establish the industry requirements and business model for a centralized standards-based non-proprietary solution.
3. PROTOCOL
When the board approves the plan and investment for a standards-based industry solution, a protocol is signed by board members and industry associations confirming agreement on a centralized industry solution, a key component to driving critical mass adoption.
Signed industry protocols ensure adoption of one centralized, non-proprietary industry solution across the sector and triggers GS1 Canada to start building the solution.
When one standardized way of working is adopted across the entire supply chain, all trading partners experience simplified business processes, increased efficiency, decreased costs, increased quality and greater ease of doing business.
4. ADOPTION
Once developed, the solution is launched to industry in partnership with board members and industry associations.
Within industry identified timelines, data providers supply required content and data recipients use the content in their business process on a one-to-many basis.
All trading partners commit to perpetually cleanse and update their content.
The solution evolves at a fast pace, with continuous improvements and ongoing enhancements based on industry development and learnings, including the development and implementation of tools that enable subscribers of all sizes to participate.
5. OPERATIONAL
Critical mass adoption has been achieved when:
- A solution has achieved critical mass adoption amongst small, medium, large and multi-national data providers
- Each data recipient receives 80% of their required content for a specific business process from one centralized industry solution
- All trading partners experience business process improvements as a result of standardized content shared on a one-to-many basis and GS1 Canada’s data excellence
- Subscribers experience the full realized value of the solution
- The solution is mature and evolves at pace of best practice business process changes
Data Excellence: Our proven commitment to data excellence ensures that product data is perpetually cleansed and updated, helping to build trust along the value chain and establish Canada’s role as global leader in data excellence. Processes such as brand-owner certification, system validations, real-time updates and GTIN discrepancy reporting enable business leaders to rely on accurate data to fuel their business processes.
One-to-Many: Our industry solutions enable data providers to maximize operational efficiency as content is shared with multiple trading partners at the same time from a single source of truth.
Neutral Third Party: Our solutions deliver non-proprietary industry solutions for non-competitive business process issues. GS1 Canada does not develop proprietary solutions.
Critical Mass Adoption: Signed industry protocols ensure adoption of non-proprietary industry solutions and compliance within the categories determined by industry. When one standardized, non-proprietary way of working is adopted across the entire supply chain, all trading partners experience simplified business processes, decreased costs, increased quality and efficiency, and greater ease of doing business.
Trusted Canadian Industry Expertise: Have confidence in GS1 Canada’s industry knowledge and expertise, gained over 40 years of delivering global standards-based solutions. We collaborate with boards, advisory councils and Community Groups, composed of business leaders and subject matter experts across the value chain. This expertise helps us help businesses of all sizes provide the business process content needed to meet industry, regulatory and major trading partner requirements in Canada.
Standardized Content: Global standards level the playing field and facilitate business across borders for businesses of all sizes. Our standards-based solutions ensure brand consistency and interoperability across systems, as well as visibility and traceability throughout the entire supply chain.
Operational Efficiency: Our standards-based solutions enable businesses to improve speed-to-market, save significant resources and increase consistency by replacing manual, repetitive processes and paperwork with one centralized, non-proprietary industry solution to common non-competitive business process issues. All trading partners across the entire supply chain experience simplified business processes, increased efficiency, decreased costs, increased quality and greater ease of doing business.
Cost-recovery Pricing: As a not-for-profit association, we operate on a cost-recovery basis and our solutions are priced exclusively on the cost to develop and deliver to industry.