2019-11-05 Product Package Identifier Meet-up

 Participants

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Terms:

MSA = Moved, Seconded & Approved

 Meeting Information

Date
2019-11-05
Time

  1:00 pm CDT

Web
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Phone

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Access Code
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Purpose of meeting:  The Crop Protection Council has heard that there is a need to move to GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) identifiers within the messaging of their products.  However, at their council meetings, there hasn’t been anyone to articulate the “why” this is an important “need” to the industry.  This meet-up is to discuss and articulate the “What”, the “Why” and share the “hurdles to implement” within the CP segment the desire for package and/or formulation level identification that seems to be needed throughout the supply & food chain (Traceability).  If this is something that interests you, please join us for this discussion!

Documents:

 Agenda/Minute


Topic (Leader)

Desired Outcome

Pre-Meeting Notes and Links to Supporting Resources

Meeting Minutes

1Welcome (Josh Wall (Unlicensed))Welcome the group
2Minutes Taker (Brent Kemp)A meeting taker has been selected.
3Recap of the reason for the meet up (Josh Wall (Unlicensed))Group understands what the issues are with brand-level product identification Josh introduced the topic, provided background on previous conversations, and set the stage for discussion scope. 
4

Pain Point Discussion Around Product Identification (Josh Wall (Unlicensed))


Josh opened discussion. 

David Surber (Unlicensed) reviewed work done to date. 

Scott Nieman commented that tomorrow will have a session on proof of concept product catalog, with running code. It can provide a product definition with package information. Some other attributes include:

  • Active ingredient
  • Product density (needed for mixes)

Suggested there is value for bringing this in to AGIIS (the catalog routing or at a minimum support for the message and some subset of data elements). 

Jeremy W Wilson commented on issues with co-packs, identification of custom blends when co-pack is in play - what happens when product is custom blended? Who assigns the identifiers and how does that trace back to the supply chain information? Hit a road block with this piece.

Can we use mix information - actives and percentages - as the identifier? Don't know if we can do this by moving it to the grower. Mix Ticket is an analog but an imperfect one. 

Josh Wall (Unlicensed) notes the challenges with data availability. Noted that most manufacturers don't store formulation information in their system of record to share - regardless of how we want it to be used downstream. David Surber (Unlicensed) reminds the team that manufacturers were several years away from standing up yet another identification scheme.

Jeremy W Wilson suggests there may be some solutions available via a linked data discussion to be headed by Joe Tevis this week at conference. Linked Data is intended to roll up separate identifiers and tie them together through a transactional chain of some chain. 

Josh Wall (Unlicensed) observed this conversation is exactly why we are moving to the meet up structure.

5Supply Chain Use Case - CP being asked to move to GTIN in supply chain messaging. (Marilyn Hunter (Unlicensed))

Room asked to provide input on GTIN interest in CP messaging.

  • Who is asking for this? Retail primarily
  • What is being used? Reporting ID today; barcode applied to the product is often GS1 spec based. 
  • Manufacturer feedback:
    • Customer reporting complexity
    • Syngenta observed that the product catalog POC showed some concerns about data quality; uncertain if the barcoding is in play
    • Noted that the change between packages can result in change to GTIN which may not be reflected in a Product ID change 

Discussion on uniqueness of reporting ID versus GTIN

From the retailer's inventory management system a GTIN is valuable for packaging 

Observed that message  version is a potential issue, though not an insurmountable one

What is being used on product catalog? GTIN and manufacturer's identifier. Is this the reporting ID? Maybe, but not always. 

What about insights from Channel Integrity? That initiative is more transactional and considering use of serialized GTIN. Level of complexity even higher there, but agreement that there will still be a need to link the transactional to the reference level for inventory alignment, customer service, reporting requirements, etc. Still breaks down at the field operational level. 

Is there an industry appetite to move to a common identifier? Referenced experience with AEC, SCII, observing that there were expectations set. Why couldn't we use GTIN in AEC? Manufacturers were not integral within the mfr's business system. Assigned codes all the time but had no way to transact back into their internal processes. 

6

Future meet up interest? (Josh Wall (Unlicensed))


David Surber (Unlicensed) noted that there are some other tracks that may be tackling product identifier from a different perspective that could inform how we proceed? 

Is this based on reality? If you can't transact business omg the GTIN why are we building this in to the processes? If there's a valid enough business case then manufacturers will implement the changes to their systems.

Does the product catalog help drive the value discussion? Suggests that the value realized from implementing a retail facing eCommerce catalog may drive participants to solve the integration to the supply chain order to invoice process between supplier, distributor and retailer. 

7 Discuss next steps (Josh Wall (Unlicensed))

Document next steps

Is there a need to implement a working group now? Not seen as yet. 
8Other itemsDiscuss any additional items that came up during meeting that need to be addressed in another meet-up

Rob Bullock will have some internal conversations to see about interest in a research project re: user story documentation. Noted that global scope would be valuable.

Matt Garcia will review documentation available from prior teams and provide that for comment.

Following conference a new Meet Ups section will appear on the wiki homepage and notes, supporting documents from this and other discussions will post there.

9Next MeetingIs there a need for another Meet-UpYes, but exact timing and agenda TBD
10AdjournmentAdjourn1:54 PM CT

Tasks/Action Items

WhoWhen AssignedWhatDeadline Status
Rob Bullock Hold internal conversations to determine support for a research project re: product identification user story documentation with global scope 
Matt Garcia Review documentation available from prior teams and make available for group to review and comment 
Brent Kemp Set up Meet-Up page for notes, provide space for linked documents in wiki. Work with Member Services and others as needed In Process - Meet-Up space created; advising stakeholders