EFR : North American News: What's Happening South of the Border

What's Happening South of the Border

EFR Projects

Leadership Forum

Activities:

EFR Leadership Forum was held in October and had separate sessions for manufacturers and distributors.
Key recommendations included:
- Focus on U.P.C. and case bar coding implementation.
- Develop an effective communications plan.
- Clarify EFR position on Profile, EDI vs. EC and inner pack bar codes.
- Create leadership forum model and involve operators.

What's Next:

Develop materials to promote key recommendations from Forum.
Develop and organize annual EFR Leadership Forum.

Opportunities for EFR Canada:

Current Canadian EFR focus is in-line with EFR Leadership Forum recommendations.
Monitor U.S. EFR findings and position on EDI vs. EC and inner pack bar codes.
Consider holding similar Forum to re-focus Canadian initiative.

Communications Strategy

Activities:

Contracted a communications professional to develop and implement an EFR communications strategy.
Identified a two-pronged approach of direct marketing and media exposure as best course of action.

What's Next:

Develop distinct standardized key messages for distributors, manufacturers and operators.
Develop/identify resources to deliver messages:
- establish cross-industry bar code committee;
- establish operator sub-committee;
- enhance Web site;
- develop a speakers' bureau;
- tailor information and media kits for different audiences;
- implement a recognition awards program; and
- identify consumer and trade publications.

Opportunities for EFR Canada:

Monitor success of U.S. communications strategy and "borrow" successful components of strategy.

Bar code Committee/Bar code Audit

Activities:

Bar code audit results were presented to the Steering Committee after being re-worked.
Problems with data integrity and the methodology of the audit.
Results indicated 54% of cases were marked with an appropriate bar code and over 50% failed to meet the appropriate ANSI grade.

What's Next:

Reconvene Bar code Committee to redesign bar code audit methodology and measures.
Re-do audit in Q1, 2000 & conduct survey to determine why small to mid-sized enterprises are not bar coding.

Opportunities for EFR Canada:

Monitor U.S. findings and compare Canadian and U.S. audit results.
Canadian audit results to be available January 2000.

Foodservice 2010 Publication

Activities:

New publication, entitled Foodservice 2010, will re-evaluate all points in the Foodservice 2005 document.
Focus to include manufacturer/distributor of the future and will cover issues such as biotechnology, food safety, irradiation, etc.
All participants in the study have been confirmed.

What's Next:

First meeting to take place late February.
Document to be available in September.

Opportunities for EFR Canada:

Distribute report to Canadian EFR Steering Committee.
Link to key issues being addressed in Canada.
Identify potential speakers.

Pallet Sub-Committee

Activities:

Presented findings of pallet study.
The 112 companies surveyed spent a total of $75M annually on shipping platforms.
Determined the 48" x 40" wooden platform to be the most commonly used in the foodservice sector.
Some use of the 40" X 32" platform.
Biggest concerns expressed included:
- pallet quality; and
- inventory control of pallet stocks.

What's Next:

A proposed $100,000 study to identify and recommend second standard pallet size was rejected.
Initial Pallet Committee to be revitalized to develop recommendation on small wood size, and develop ABC costing of projected savings.
Committee to involve CHEP, other pallet experts, and to review work done by ECR in this area.

Opportunities for EFR Canada:

Distribute pallet report to Canadian EFR Steering Committee.
Monitor future activity.

E-Commerce Committee

Activities:

Committee has been re-populated.
Examined changing EC technologies and business landscape, and compared EDI vs. other EC technologies.
Will be examining, piloting and recommending EC technologies and strategies.

Conclusions:

Internet will play an increasing role in business-to -business e-commerce.
Complexity and cost remain barriers to EDI implementation.
EDI is stable and presently feasible to implement.
Other EC technologies are not yet sufficiently developed to be used.
U.P.C. codes and an electronic product catalogue are crucial for the success of any e-commerce solution.
XML shows promise as a complementary, simple-to- implement technology to EDI.

What's Next:

Develop e-commerce pilots and recommendations.
Examine existing packaged solutions for small to mid-sized enterprises.

Opportunities for EFR Canada:

Canadian focus on EDI presently consistent with available technology and U.S. findings.
Compare Canadian and U.S. pilots once the U.S. initiative confirms pilot approach.
Monitor U.S. activities and findings.
Ensure consistency in EC recommendations.

Profile Database

Activities:

Committee goal is to build sufficient industry participation.
Developing communications and marketing plan, and best practices recommendations.

What's Next:

Conduct surveys and focus groups with operators.
Develop media kit and marketing materials.
Develop documentation of features and benefits.

Supply Chain Demand Forecasting (SCDF)

Activities:

Findings to date indicate that bar codes, standard product ID, and an industry databank will facilitate SCDF.

What's Next:

Develop economic/technology/business model.
Develop industry standards specifications for SCDF.

Opportunities for EFR Canada:

Monitor SCDF findings and distribute results to Canadian EFR Steering Committee.
Consider reconvening Canadian SCDF Committee once case coding has reached critical mass, and e-com pilots are complete.