The produce Marketing Association (PMA) is partnering with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) and GS1-US to implement a four-month pilot programme among select buyers and sellers to gauge the impact of utilising the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) to improve supply chain efficiency and profitability.

GTIN is a standard managed by GS1 to streamline identification of products in the food industry. GTIN provides a standard number for each level of packaging including item, case and pallet to maximise efficiency and automation throughout the industry’s supply chain.

Participants are PMA members representing both sides of the supply chain, including Wal-Mart, Sysco, Duda Farm Fresh Foods and BJ’s Wholesale from the buyer side and Tanimura & Antle, The Oppenheimer Group, and L&M Companies from the seller side.

The goal of the GTIN Produce Pilot is to identify challenges and advantages of utilising GTIN standards within the produce industry.

At the completion of the pilot programme in July, 2006, RCM Technologies will evaluate the outcome. The documented outcomes will include information about integrating produce into existing and future systems using GS1 standards. It will also include challenges encountered in the pilot programme and possible solutions to those challenges, an assessment of what education and training is required and recommended strategies for effective implementation.

In September, 2005, PMA conducted a survey of more than 100 produce suppliers and 43 buyers. Results of this survey revealed that only 30 per cent of the produce companies surveyed are using GS1 standards at the item level, six percent at the case level and a mere four per cent at the pallet level. No other industry standards have been identified.

While the North American produce industry has not yet fully embraced these standards, they are widely accepted within the food industry in more than 103 countries and are used by more than 1.3 million companies internationally.

FLOWER POWER FOR PMA

PMA has joined the Floral Logistics Coalition organised by the Wholesale Florist and Florist Suppliers of America.

The coalition was formed to facilitate improvements in the floral distribution channel through the identification of value-added best practices, including ways to drive costs and inefficiencies from the distribution channel.

PMA was invited to join other major floral industry associations on the Floral Marketing Funding Initiative Coalition. The coalition is discussing ways to generate funds for a national floral industry marketing initiative. PMA Floral Council chair, Cindy Rapshus, and PMA vice president, Terry Humfeld, will represent the supermarket floral industry at the next meeting in July.

Other coalition members include the American Floral Endowment, Asocolflores, Association of Floral Importers of Florida, and Teleflora.

PMA president Bryan Silbermann said: “PMA understands the growing need for floral promotion and representation in the supermarket floral industry and will provide additional value to PMA floral members by participating in these important industry-advancing initiatives and acknowledging excellence among our members.”

Each year PMA recognises one individual’s contributions to floral retailing through its annual Floral Marketer of the Year award. Nominations for the 2006 Floral Marketer of the Year are being accepted. The honoree will be recognised during PMA’s 2006 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition in October.

“Recognising outstanding leaders not only rewards the recipient but also inspires others to continue working toward enhancements in floral marketing tactics,” said Rapshus.