© EAN Australia Limited

RFID News:The Future

www.ean.com.au

CROSS INDUSTRY APPROACHIN E-MESSAGEDEVELOPMENT

TRAINING FOR TODAY’SSUPPLY CHAINPROFESSIONAL

FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRYGETS ITS TEETH INTOEAN•UCC SYSTEM

EAN AUSTRALIA TO EXPORT EXPERTISE

ISSUE NO. 2 • MARCH 2004 Now circulated to over 15,000 people!

LINKT H E S U P P L Y C H A I N

BROUGHT TO YOUBY EAN AUSTRALIA

02 Chairman’s message

03 CEO insights

04 RFID news: TheFuture

05 Cross industryapproach for e-messagedevelopment

EAN InternationalChief to head UCC

World leadingKnowledge Centreaccessible to allmembers

06 Training for today’sSupply ChainProfessional

07 New organisationsjoin the EANAlliance Partnerprogramme

SSA Global claimsERP leadership

08 GXS providesEANnet platform

Mid-Comp winsexport award

09 AS2 EDI-INT growsin the US with Wal-Mart adoption

insignia receivesEAN companyaccreditation

Axway: EDI volumesmay rise, costs neednot follow

10 Intermec andDexion join forces

Imation cuts orderprocessing time by athird

11 Transport andlogistics EAN•UCCdrive

When to change aGTIN

12 Food Serviceindustry gets itsteeth intoEAN•UCC system

14 EANnet: Listening tomembers

15 Case Study: PZCussons cleansmore than just thedishesOn the ball: EAN’sProfessional Servicesteam

16 Big beef producersjoin EAN

17 Save time with theright packagingsupplier

EAN Australiapeople: Spotlight onJustin Middleton

18 EAN Australia toexport expertise

19 EAN Event Diary

New-tiered feestructure benefitsmembers

CONTENTS

LINK MARCH 2004

K

Tell us what you thinkWe are interested in your feedback.The newsletter’s primary role is to keep EAN Australia members informed and updated on the latest developments in supply chainmanagement and e-commerce. If you have any ideas, comments, points-of-view or criticisms, please forward to eanaust@ean.com.au

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

SPEAK UP!

Bad organisations are deafto their members; goodones listen, but the bestinclude and involvemembers at the highestlevels.

Unfortunately, it is alsotrue that as organisationsgrow, their decisionmakers often lose touchwith the people whoreally count - theircustomers and/ormembers.As EANAustralia gets bigger, itbecomes even moreimportant that you arewell represented on theEAN Australia Board.

Industry representation isessential for two reasons:firstly, it ensures yourindustry body is involvedin making the decisionsthat will ultimately affectyou, and secondly, itensures that EANmaintains a strongrelationship amongstindustry and governmentso that user needs areunderstood and met.

Because supply chainmanagement successhinges on co-operationtowards common goals,EAN Australia must havean egalitarian heart andcannot risk being

controlled by a dominantfew.The EAN AustraliaBoard is there torepresent all membersequally, no matter howlarge or small and acrossall industries.

As Chair, it is myresponsibility to ensureevery decision we make isfor the benefit of you, ourmembers.

Equally as important is tohave a successful EANorganisation which isresponsive to industryneeds and innovative in itsoffering of standards andservices.An organisationthat works with itsmembers in anenvironment of trust andsupport.

And to help us betterunderstand you, I ask foryour help. Each of youare valuable members ofthis organisation and yourviews are important.Assuch we have included inthis newsletter a quicksurvey which I hope youwill fill out and return.

Russell Stucki:Chairman,

EAN Australia

The EANAustralia Board

is there torepresent all

members equally

CEO INSIGHTS

03

A BIG YEARAHEAD

At EAN Australia there’s asense of excitement. Overthe last two years, ourcommunity has grownbeyond expectation andin 2004, we expect somereal breakthroughs.

This growth has beenboth significant anddiverse, which has led to ademand for EAN Australiato offer new services,including Education andTraining Programmes,expansion of EANnet®

and AccreditationServices, Professional andIndustry Services.

The value of each newservice, however, can onlybe judged by its popularitywith you, our members.By this measure, 2003 wasa very successful yearsince more members thanever took advantage ofwhat EAN Australia hadon offer.

In 2004, EAN Australia’sprimary role asadministrator of theEAN•UCC system will bein the spotlight. New

supply chain technology inthe form of EPC(Electronic Product Code)and Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) willbe widely adopted thisyear.The good news isthat EAN Australia isequipped and ready torespond.

Our first task is to let ourmembers and theirtrading partnersunderstand how the EPCnetwork works; EAN’sheavy investment ineducation is about to reapreal dividends in thisregard. Members canlearn about the newtechnology or brush upon broader supply chainmanagement in a varietyof settings to suit all.Thereis everything from anintroduction at our state-of-the-art EAN SupplyChain Knowledge Centreto on-site technicaltraining at workplaces ormore formal educationwith EAN Australiasponsored universityscholarships.

Of course, the SupplyChain Link newsletter is aquick and easy way tosample the latest in supplychain managementdevelopments.Take a fewminutes to browsethrough this edition – youmay be surprised by justhow much we can lookforward to in 2004.

KMaria Palazzolo:

CEO, EANAustralia

EAN Australia is equipped and ready to

respond

04 LINK MARCH 2004

RFID NEWS:THE FUTURE

Advice and information aboutRadio Frequency Identification(RFID) technology and theElectronic Product Code (EPC)is now available from EANAustralia.Just as EAN International administers theEAN•UCC numbering system standardsbehind printed bar codes, EPC Global Incis responsible for the EPC networkstandard associated with RFID technology.EPC Global Inc is jointly owned by EANand UCC. EAN Australia is the localadministrator of the EPC network andhas established EPCglobal AustraliaTM.

While RFID is not new, its application inproduct identification is expected torevolutionise the way the world tradesand shops over the next five years.

Already, large international retailers aremandating the use of RFID chips bysuppliers.Wal-Mart, for example, expectsits top 100 suppliers to incorporate chipsby 2005 and all others by 2006.Germany’s largest retailer, Metro AG, isrequiring all suppliers to include RFIDdevices as early as November this year.

Similarly, the US Department of Defencehas set its suppliers a 2005 deadline forthe inclusion of RFID tags on all itemssupplied to them.

EAN Australia RFID expert, Fiona Wilson,said while Australian retailers were yet toannounce target dates, the internationaltrend would soon become a local reality.

“Everyone’s stopped wondering ‘if ’ theEPC/RFID network will happen and aretalking about ‘when’ it will happen,”Fiona said.

“Exporters will need to adopt thetechnology very quickly and there arealready some private pilots underwayhere.”

Fiona predicts, however, that Australia’sfirst priority will be the use of RFID onlogistics assets like pallets, crates andreturnable assets such as kegs rather thanconsumer items.

“In Australia, the EPC network is at EANAustralia and we are ready with theinformation members need to preparefor the new technology,” Fiona said.

She advises EAN Australia members tostay abreast of developments by readingextensively, looking out for news fromEPC Global on the EAN Australiawebsite, or calling EAN Australia formore information.

…its application inproduct identification is

expected to revolutionisethe way the world

trades….

US Dept of Defence will require RFID compliance by suppliers

05

EANINTERNATIONAL CHIEF TO HEAD UCC

First there were common

e-messaging guidelines

developed within industries

to allow trouble-free

communications; now,

common e-messaging

guidelines can be shared

across multiple industries.

With the growth of e-messaging, the

crossover between industries has

become more important. Many

companies now have trading partners

across multiple industries; for the whole

supply chain to become efficient, a

common approach to e-messaging

development will need to be adopted.

EAN Australia proposes a new approach

for e-message development based on

business processes (such as planning,

data alignment, ordering, delivery and

payment) rather than industry types.

An internationally accepted

methodology will be employed to map

out these common processes across

multiple industries.To manage the

distinctive needs of different industries,

working group members will be selected

from a wide range of industries.While a

wider array of e-messaging guidelines will

be accessible, each industry will select

only those relevant to its operations.

For more information, contact Steven

Pereira at EAN Australia on 1300 366 033.

In a move to leverage synergiesbetween the world’s largestproduct numbering standardsorganisations, the CEO of EANInternational accepted a secondrole as CEO of the Uniform CodeCouncil (UCC) in January 2004.

Miguel Angel Lopera’s appointment tothe dual role will help to promote theunification of EAN and UCC, accordingto EAN Australia CEO, Maria Palazzolo.

“Under the guidance of Mr Lopera, wecan expect better trading efficiencies forindustries, nationally and internationally,and progress towards making the visionof a single global standards organisationbecome a reality,” she said.

“I also believe that Miguel’s position willcontinue to strengthen the relationshipbetween the UCC and EAN Australia.”

CROSS INDUSTRYAPPROACH FOR E-MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT

WORLD LEADING KNOWLEDGE CENTREACCESSIBLE TO ALL MEMBERS

In November 2003, EAN Australiacelebrated the launch of the newEAN Supply Chain KnowledgeCentre.

More than 187 guests enjoyed a sneakpreview of the Centre’s excitinginteractive simulator and trainingexperiences.The portable sister centre,due to make its first national tour thismonth, was also warmly received.

With the two facilities in operation this

year, EAN Australia CEO, Maria Palazzolo,said a wider range of Australianbusinesses would be able to leverage theEAN•UCC system to their advantage.

“Sophisticated knowledge of supply chainmanagement has traditionally beenavailable exclusively to those that couldafford to pay big dollars for consultants,”she said.

“The EAN Supply Chain KnowledgeCentre now makes that knowledgeaccessible to businesses of any size.”

To check session availability and make abooking, contact Patricia Slattery on1300 366 033 or visitwww.ean.com.au/kc

Participant numbers for each session arelimited to 15, so book early toexperience the EAN Supply ChainKnowledge Centre for yourself!

Guests sit back and enjoy the experience

Knowledge Centre participants at work

06 LINK MARCH 2004

Now is the time to book youand your team in for the firstEAN Australia Education &Training Series.Because member access is paramount,the road show is touring each statecapital, from Brisbane to Hobart, and thefirst round of Education & Training Seriessessions are scheduled from February to June.

The programme is divided into three (3)sessions:

1. EAN•UCC System – The Essentials Session

2. RFID/EPC Technology –Global Expansion Seminar

3.The Portable EAN Supply ChainKnowledge Centre Experience

Each session is tailored to equipparticipants with a fast-trackunderstanding of best supply chainpractices, strategy and implementation.While rich in information, the sessions areanything but dry and theoretical.Interesting, interactive and memorable,each presents real-life case studies andinvites your participation.

The EAN Australia Education & TrainingSeries is the ideal way to brief new staff,refresh training, explore new technologiesand introduce trading partners to a newway of communication.Almost everybusiness can discover a new way to buildthe bottom line by speeding new

products to market, reducing distributioncosts or enhancing data flow.

Members are encouraged to book aFREE Portable EAN Supply ChainKnowledge Centre session and to invitetrading partners and non-members toshare the experience. It’s a great way tobuild more profitable partnerships.

Don’t forget that members can redeemtheir FREE Education & Training Voucherentitling one (1) person per EANAustralia membership to access one (1)complimentary EAN•UCC System - TheEssentials Session or alternately use thevoucher to redeem $99.00 off our newRFID/EPC Technology seminar. Thechoice is yours!

Visit www.ean.com.au/education

TRAINING FOR TODAY’S SUPPLY CHAIN PROFESSIONAL

Almost every businesscan discover a new wayto build the bottom line

Training helps your organisation to grow

Bar code scanning problemsare often solved with surprisingease – by simply enlargingthem.

The smaller the bar code, the moreaccurately it must be printed.Whenink spreads a little, for example, thespaces between the bars can becompromised, making scanningdifficult.

Remember, the dimensions in EANAustralia’s guidelines are minimummeasurements and in the case ofbar codes, bigger is always better.

BIG BAR CODES ARE BEAUTIFUL

07

Since the last edition of the Supply ChainLink newsletter, a number of membershave joined the highly beneficial AlliancePartner programme.We are proud towelcome the following organisations tothe programme:

> Intermec Foundation Alliance Partner

> Mid-Comp International Business Alliance Partner

> Unique Micro Design Associate Alliance Partner

> MoveIT Associate Alliance Partner

> Pacific Commerce Associate Alliance Partner

> Innovit Associate Alliance Partner

The Alliance Partner programme hasachieved huge success in facilitatingmember access to professional advice,supply chain enabling tools and the latestinformation on products and servicesfrom leading industry suppliers.TheAlliance Partner community is there tohelp members implement or improve on-time delivery - no matter whatindustry they work in!

Visit www. ean.com.au/partners

NEW ORGANISATIONS JOINTHE EAN ALLIANCE PARTNERPROGRAMME

SSA GLOBAL CLAIMS ERP LEADERSHIP

Mutually beneficial: EAN Australia’s Alliance Partner programme

Enterprise resource planning (ERP)solutions provider SSA Global hasembarked on an aggressive growthstrategy via acquisition.

The 22-year-old company, known to manyEAN Australia members as SSA GlobalTechnologies, has rebranded itself as SSAGlobal and claimed number one status asthe provider of ERP solutions for themanufacturing and mid-market sector bothin Australia and overseas.The company’s

revenues have grown to US$600 million,with 16,000 customers around the world.

SSA Global has also adopted a new mission,Jeremy Goddard SSA Global Pacific GeneralManager said.

“We help customers move their businessesforward faster by delivering the right solution,implementing it quickly and making it pay,”he said.

“That’s why we are the top provider of ERPsolutions for the manufacturing sector inAustralia and New Zealand, a strong force inthe mid-market sector locally and the fourthlargest extended ERP provider globally.”

For more information, visitwww.ssaglobal.com.au

08 LINK MARCH 2004

Global eXchange Services(GXS), in partnership withEAN Australia, provides thelocal and global platforms forthe EANnet datasynchronisation and productregistry service.EANnet is an essential foundation andcritical first step towards achieving

efficient electronic commerce. For nearly20 years, GXS has been providing acomprehensive end-to-end securemessaging service between tradingpartners in Australia and New Zealand.

GXS Intelligent Supply Chain solutionsare used by businesses of all sizes across arange of industries including retail,manufacturing, trade and transportation,government and financial services.

GXS manages one of the world’s largestbusiness-to-business e-commerce

networks of over 100,000 tradingpartners, handling one billion transactionsannually.Throughout 58 countries, GXSapplies Six Sigma quality processes toprovide e-commerce solutions that cutcosts from the supply chain and allowbusinesses to transact more effectivelyonline.

For more information contact GXS on1800 646 361 or visitwww.ecxpress.com.au

GXS PROVIDES EANnetPLATFORM

Mid-Comp International, an EANAlliance Partner has won theprestigious Age/D&B VictorianBusiness Award for excellence inexport.

The Melbourne software developerexports 60% of its products to 26countries and, in addition to its alreadysuccessful SnapShot400 computerdiagnostic and optimising software, hasreleased a new EAN compliant product,Odyssey.

Odyssey is a fully integrated distributionsupply chain and financials 'e-business'application system which operates overthe internet, Mid-Comp’s Bonnie Ryanexplained.

“Odyssey is far more powerful than thesimple accounting systems widely availableand allows you to trade electronically, butis affordable for a wide range ofbusinesses – it’s not one of those systemsthat costs a fortune and takes a large ITdepartment to run,” she said.

“It’s perfect for EAN members who needto trade with EANnet Ready retailers.”

Beyond the export award, Mid-Comp’saccomplishments have been recognisedby IBM, with a partnership in both thedevelopment and marketing of theOdyssey software.

For more information visitwww.midcomp.com.au

MID-COMP WINS EXPORT AWARD

09

AS2 EDI-INT GROWS INTHE US WITH WAL-MARTADOPTIONThe adoption of EDI-INT AS2 as a method forcommunicating EDI data withtrading partners is growingdramatically.AS2 is a standard by which userstransfer EDI or other data, such asExtensible Marking Language (XML)documents, over the Internet using theHTTP or HTTP/S protocol.AS2 is alsoreferred to as EDI-INT AS2 or EDI overthe Internet AS2. Its advantages overHTTP include enhanced verification andsecurity. Document exchanges are moreefficient too, as transactions andacknowledgements occur in real-time.

CPFR forecasts now move by AS2, theonly communications protocol approvedfor sending XML-based SKU datasynchronisation files to data pools andthe UCCnet Global Data Registry.TheAS2 standard is also superior forcommunicating item, carton and palletdata between trading partners.

LexiCom™ software, which providesmany US trading partners with AS2communication, allowing suppliers toexchange data in near real-time withWal-Mart and others, is beingintroduced into Australia by Leadtec.

For more information visitwww.leadtec.com.au or call (03) 9847 7000.

insignia RECEIVES EANCOMPANYACCREDITATION Prime label house insignia hasbecome an EAN accreditedsupplier, guaranteeing all barcodes will work the first time,every time.

“EAN accreditation means we verify thebar code on the label sample off thepress prior to manufacturing the entirerun.The labels are not produced for thecustomer unless they are correct,” saidinsignia General Manager Jack Winson.

“This cuts down the time our customerswould otherwise spend on verification

reports. EAN accreditation gives us acompetitive advantage.We invest tokeep abreast of customer needs fortoday and for the future.

“Manufacturers can't afford to haveproducts rejected at the checkout andpulled off the shelf until a bar codeproblem is sorted out.”

insignia is widely known for automatedlabelling products, Datamax thermal labelprinters and Prime Labels.

For more information, contact insigniaon 1300 780 048.

AXWAY:EDIVOLUMESMAY RISE,COSTSNEED NOTFOLLOWInternet trading specialist Axwaysays the cost of electronic datainterchange (EDI) can often bereduced while volumes of EDItransactions and messagesincrease.

The Axway solution uses EDI over theInternet (EDI-INT) Applicability Statement2 (AS2) – a set of secure standardsdescribing how EDI can be transmittedsecurely over the internet using theHypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

EDI-INT AS2 permits real-timeconnectivity and near real-time documentdelivery.This is particularly important instrategic supply chain initiatives, such asvendor managed inventory, collaborativeforecasting, outsourced manufacturing, ordirect-to-store delivery.

Forming an interface between internaldata management systems and theoutside world, the EDI-INT-based AxwayInternet Trading controls the logicalprocess flows when dealing with tradingpartners.

At the heart of Axway’s Internet TradingSuite is an easy to use, highly functionaland mature technological base.Progressive, secure and adapting naturallyto the existing infrastructure, the solutionpreserves the usefulness of legacyenterprise and electronic trading systems.

For more information, visitwww.axway.com.au

10 LINK MARCH 2004

INTERMEC ANDDEXION JOIN FORCES

Data storage manufacturer andEAN Australia member, Imation,has slashed lead times with supplychain software from EAN AlliancePartner, Oracle.

Imation dispatches more than 1,500orders every month from its Sydneyoperations.The emphasis is on speed,with Imation offering same-day deliveryto metropolitan Sydney and next daydeliveries elsewhere for orders receivedthat morning.

Oracle applications were linked to athird-party WMS until upgrading to an all-Oracle solution.The main benefit hasbeen greater transparency, explainedImation’s Daniel Sloman.

“Going with Oracle gave us a real-timeview of data throughout theorganisation,” he said.

“Every step of the supply chain is visibleto every employee and the seamlessintegration reduced the time it takes to

process an order by at least an hour.”

Imation has also benefited from the abilityto access the system remotely, plusflexible reporting and pricing structures.Little customisation of the standardsoftware was needed, enablingimplementation in just three months.

For more information visitwww.oracle.com or call 1300 366 386.

IMATION CUTS ORDERPROCESSING TIME BY A THIRD

Intermec Technologies hasformed a partner alliance withDexion Integrated Systemsproviding easierimplementation of ‘start up’and ‘upgrades’ for warehousesystems and operations.The alliance combines Intermec’s reliablehardware and speech recognitionsoftware with Dexion’s innovative

automated warehousing and pickingsystems.

Speech recognition enables workers toperform multiple tasks at the frontline ofthe warehousing and picking operation, asstated by Dexion’s Martyn Isbell.

“Speech technology offers flexibility,operator mobility and error-freefulfilment, and is especially useful whenhands and eyes are best kept free, as infull case picking in a cold store,” he said.

Unlike voice technology, which requiresoperators to select and record a limitedvocabulary for recognition, Intermec’sspeech technology recognisesconversational language. Speechtechnology complements establishedautomated fulfilment methods andextends to other tasks, such as receiptshandling and replenishment.

For more information, contact IntermecTechnologies Australia on 1800 333 120or visit www.intermec.com

11

TRANSPORT ANDLOGISTICSEAN•UCC DRIVEThe National Office for the InformationEconomy (NOIE) recently approvedfunding to launch a pilot this year foradoption of the EAN•UCC system bytransport and logistics providers in thegrocery supply chain. Stay tuned to theSupply Chain Link for more details orcontact Sue Schmid on 1300 366 033.

WHEN TO CHANGE A GTINSignificant product changes requirenew Global Trade Item Numbers(GTINs), but when the need for anew GTIN is less clear-cut, help isavailable.

The online tool atwww.ean.com.au/ean_support/_gtin.aspgives a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to theneed for a new GTIN in variousscenarios, together with an explanation ofthe consequences.

12 LINK MARCH 2004

FOOD SERVICEINDUSTRY GETS ITSTEETH INTOEAN•UCC SYSTEM

Earning about $100 billion peryear, Australia’s massive foodindustry is one of the country’smost valuable and haslaunched a new supply chainprogramme to protect itscompetitiveness.

The industry’s National Food IndustryStrategy (NFIS) has recognised that theefficiency of individual businesses must becoupled with whole of supply chainefficiencies in order to stay ahead ofglobal competition.The grocery industryhas already embraced the EAN•UCCsystem, but many of the distributors andfood service businesses have not yettaken advantage of the system.

A well integrated supply chain withautomated data flow will provide theindustry with transparency and accuracyin supply chain practices, processes andtransactions for all supply chain members.This will allow partners to shareinformation like seasonal availability anddata for better forecasting and planning.

In addition to enhanced datamanagement and the loweredadministration costs generally enjoyed byindustries using the EAN•UCC system,the food service industry can reapsignificant benefits from traceability, bothin terms of competitiveness and security.

EAN•UCC is the perfect platform for afully traceable system, an emerging

requirement of both international anddomestic customers, providing Australiawith an opportunity to compete moresuccessfully against others from less wellmanaged supply chains.Traceability, andthe ability to identify and isolate productquality failures, also protects the industryin the event of disease outbreaks andother health scares.

EAN Australia is involved in the foodchain Proof of Concept (POC) project todemonstrate the benefits of using theEAN•UCC standards for productidentification, bar coding and e-commercethroughout the supply chain. Over theproject’s expected 18 month duration,development of guidelines and theimplementation project will be followedby a road show to inform industrymembers.

More information is available from theNFIS website at www.nfis.com.au or fromSue Schmid at EAN Australia.

The project team responsible for the initiative comprises of the following organisations:> AFGC > Sunbeam Foods > Henry Jones Foods > Patties Bakery > Countrywide> NAFDA > Combined Food Services > EAN Australia (Project Manager)

The food servicesindustry can reapsignificant benefitsfrom traceability,both in terms ofcompetitiveness

and security

13

14 LINK MARCH 2004

EANnet:LISTENING TO MEMBERS

Four new enhancementsto EANnet are underwayin response to usersuggestions and somefresh industr ydevelopments.

The first, a new range extensionfunction, was released in January.An extra reason code simplifies theprocess of extending productranging by retailers to additionalgeographic regions. If, for example,a flavour already on retail shelvesin Queensland is now to be rangedin Victoria, the new code has been

added to EANnet that allows thesupplier to confirm the rangeextension to the retailer, avoidingthe possibility of error, duplicationand confusion.

Another January release was theprovision for synchronisation of‘factory gate pricing’. The source ofsupply code shows whether a priceis based on an item being suppliedeither direct into store, via crossdock, into the distribution centreor at the supplier’s factory gate.

In November, successful bar codeverification test results will beentered directly into EANnet by

EAN Australia for synchronisingwith trading par tners, shor teningthe time to market. Hard copy andemail versions of the existing barcode verification repor t will still beavailable, but the key indicators ofsatisfactory bar code quality will beautomatically uploaded to EANnet.

Finally, data needed to meet therequirements of the FoodStandards Australia New Zealandlabelling code, including thenutritional information panel, isscheduled for incorporation intoEANnet by November 2004.

15

When it comes to theimplementation of supply chainbest practice, a helping hand froma well travelled guide to theEAN•UCC system can save time,money and frustration.

On-site help from the EAN ProfessionalServices team has assisted EAN Australiamembers, both large and small, fromindustries as diverse as pharmaceutical,grocery, food service, healthcare,automotive aftermarket and heavymanufacturing, to achieve their goalswithin budget and on time, with minimaldistraction from their core business.

The team’s skills include EAN•UCCstandards technical expertise, includingRFID, business process audit and design,item tracking and traceability, EANnet and

e-messaging implementations, usertraining and documentation, data mappingand change management.

The EAN Professional Services team canhelp you achieve a range of businessbenefits including fewer stock outs,improved stock turns, accurate inventoryvisibility, less transactional and stockhandling errors and vital savings from datasynchronisation between trading partners.

So call John Hearn on 1300 366 033 fora no obligation consultation tounderstand how your business canbenefit from EAN•UCC implementation.

In two months, home care andpersonal care productsmarketer PZ Cussons madequick work of becomingEANnet Ready™ with thehelp of EAN ProfessionalServices.

The PZ Cussons team learned about the

EANnet data and processes; structured

the EANnet catalogue; assigned vendor

identification and trading partner access;

and cleansed and built the initial catalogue

of 400 products, including all partner list

and invoice prices.

To maintain data integrity, PZ Cussons

embedded EANnet data content and

validation requirements into existing

workflows and chose the GXS Product

Catalogue Manager (PCM) as the in-

house front end to EANnet.

PZ Cussons was keen to move quickly

towards EANnet Ready status to

enhance relationships with trading

partners, and to reap the benefits of

fewer errors, reduced administration

time and lower invoice claims.

For further information on the range of

EANnet implementation services, contact

Marcel Sieira on 1300 366 033.

CASE STUDY:PZ CUSSONS CLEANSMORE THAN JUST THE DISHES

ON THE BALL: EAN’SPROFESSIONAL SERVICES TEAM

The EAN ProfessionalServices team can helpyou achieve a range of

business benefits

16 LINK MARCH 2004

BIG BEEF PRODUCERS JOIN EAN

Two of Australia’s largest beefproducers became EANAustralia members inNovember, strengthening thered meat industry’s progresstowards full paddock to platetraceability. Stockyard andStanbroke Pastoral Companyjoin 16 of the top 25 red meatprocessors who representaround 55% of the industryand are already EAN members.

Mobile: 0408 431 023 Tel: 61 3 5943 1022 Fax: 61 3 5943 1023aec@aecommerce.com.auwww.aecommerce.com.au

EAN AUSTRALIAPEOPLE:SPOTLIGHT ON JUSTINMIDDLETON

17

Because success whenscanning a bar code ultimatelydepends on the quality of thefinished pack, choosing theright packaging supplier iscritical. Selecting an EANAustralia accredited packagingsupplier can also speed yourproduct to market a littlemore easily.

Members can be confident that

accredited packaging suppliers

understand the requirements of the

EAN•UCC standards. A new feature

of the EAN Australia accreditation

programme will be launched in

March 2004.

Accredited packaging suppliers can

produce their own bar code verification

report, which is then sent to EAN

Australia for confirmation. Since the

process is simplified, EAN Australia can

guarantee results within 48 hours. In fact,

EAN Australia’s General Manager

Quality Services, Richard Jones, expects

most will be available in half that time.

At the time Supply Chain Link

newsletter went to press, there was

already a network of 14 accredited

packaging suppliers around Australia.

Details can be found on the EAN

web site at

www.ean.com.au/accredited_companies

Whilst new to Australia and to EANAustralia, Justin Middleton is nostranger to the world of electronictrade.

As EANnet Client Services Manager, Justinliaises with vendors and retailers as theyimplement data synchronisation.Whilst thefirst to admit to a steep learning curve sincejoining EAN in September last year, Justin’sbackground is perfect for the highlytechnical job.

A native of the British port city ofSouthampton, Justin’s impressive resumeincludes the position of Supply ChainManager with grocery e-commerceprovider, Unipower Solutions, and five yearswith Pepsi UK, culminating as OperationsManager at the National DistributionCentre.

Everything changed when Justin followed hisheart to Australia. Ironically, Justin hadthought his brother would be the family’sfirst Australian – having decided to emigrateafter the pair made a millennium visit to oursunny shores. Instead, romance with Helen,an Australian doctor working in London,prompted Justin to make the first move.

“I arrived in Melbourne in time for Easter2003, beating my brother by nine months,”Justin laughed.

“I spent the next five months lamenting thevery ‘un-Australian’ weather that Melbournecontends with over winter, but since joiningEAN Australia in September I haven’tlooked back. Everyone at EAN tells me thebest is yet to come!”

EAN Australia’s Justin Middleton

SAVE TIME WITH THERIGHT PACKAGINGSUPPLIER

CALLAPPLIED ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

The Vital LinkTO GET YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN

WORKING FOR YOU

18 LINK MARCH 2004

EAN AUSTRALIA TO EXPORTEXPERTISE

A lot of our overseascounterparts look to

us for guidance

Of all the EAN•UCC membernations,Australia is one of themost advanced. So it shouldbe no surprise that ourexpertise is sought as far afieldas Hong Kong.Recently, a call for assistance came fromfellow EAN•UCC member organisation,the Hong Kong Article NumberingAssociation (HKANA).The Hong KongHospital Authority (HA) is planning theadoption and use of EAN•UCCstandards as part of implementingimproved supply chain work practicesand a new enterprise resource planning(ERP) system within its 45 publichospitals.To help ensure a successfulimplementation, the HA was keen tobenefit from the lessons of others’ real-lifeexperiences, and as such is examining arange of case studies to assist in theirplanning.

Seeking truly impartial advice, bothHKANA and HA chose a joint offering

from the Professional Services team atEAN Australia and Alliance Partner, RightOnline. As both organisations havebetween them the combined supplychain expertise, hands-on experiencewith the health sector and ERPimplementation projects - the partneringfit was perfect. While the Australianhealth system is state-based and operatesquite differently across the country, bothEAN and Right Online have beeninvolved as advisors in various state healthprojects.

Each will be leveraging contacts in theAustralian healthcare industry and otherinternational affiliations, along with inputfrom HA, to examine supply chain bestpractices within hospitals and the criticalsuccess factors for implementing processand technology changes, based on realexperiences from around the globe.

The team will develop and deliver a threehour seminar for hospital staff and

management and a two-day detailedworkshop for key managers andexecutives within the HA, includingvaluable case studies on key topics ofinterest.

EAN Australia Professional ServicesManager, John Hearn, said the Hong Kongproject demonstrates the power of theEAN•UCC global organisation.

“EAN Australia, in conjunction withindustry, has been a world leader in manyinitiatives in Health and other industries,including;

> EANnet

> Implementation support throughProfessional Services

> Alliance Partner programme

> EAN Supply Chain Knowledge Centre,

so lots of our overseas counterparts lookto us for guidance,” he said.

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EAN EVENT DIARYAt EAN Australia it is our intentionto provide members with the mostup-to-date information on bothEAN specific and industry wideevents.The following list outlinesthe upcoming events leading up toAugust 2004. Keep an eye out forfurther event listings in the nextedition of the Supply Chain Link newsletter.

EAN Australia Education & Training Series road show> Melbourne 2nd & 3rd* March 2004 > Adelaide 16th & 17th* March 2004 > Brisbane 31st March 2004

and 1st* April 2004 > Sydney 20th & 21st* April 2004 > Perth 29th & 30th* April 2004 > Melbourne 4th & 5th* May 2004 > Hobart 25th May 2004 > Sydney 22nd & 23rd* June 2004 * (Denotes Portable EAN Supply Chain

Knowledge Centre training only).

EAN Supply Chain Knowledge Centre Open Day> Melbourne 6th April 2004

ISO Verification SessionsSpecial International Guest Speaker> Brisbane 27th April 2004> Sydney 28th, 29th & 30th April 2004> Melbourne 3rd & 4th May 2004> Adelaide 5th May 2004> Perth 6th May 2004

RFID WorldEAN Australia – Industry Sponsor> Sydney 5th & 6th August 2004www.terrapinn.com/2004/RFID_AU

National Manufacturing Week> Sydney 1st – 4th June 2004www.nmw.reedexhabitions.com.au

Australasian Production & InventoryControl Society (apics) InternationalConference > Gold Coast 2nd – 5th May 2004www.apicsconference.com.au

CeBIT Expo> Sydney 4th – 6th May 2004www.cebit.com.au

For more information please visitwww.ean.com.au/events or contactEAN Australia on 1300 366 033.

NEW-TIERED FEE STRUCTURE BENEFITS MEMBERSEAN Australia will be launching a new-tiered fee structure on 1 July2004, aimed at delivering benefits toall members.Approved by the EANAustralia Board in November 2003,the tiered fee structure will eliminatethe current flat fee structure acrosslarge corporations and small

businesses ensuring a fairermembership fee. More informationwill be available towards the middleof the year. In the meantime,members can discuss the new feestructure with Colin Barnes on 1300 366 033.

LINKT H E S U P P L Y C H A I N

Head Office:Axxess Corporate ParkUnit 100/45 Gilby RoadMt Waverley VIC 3149

Sydney Office:Lakes Business ParkBuilding 4B, 2-4 Lord StreetBotany NSW 2019

National number: 1300 366 033Email: eanaust@ean.com.auWebsite: www.ean.com.au