LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ, July 9, 2003 – UCCnet, a not-for-profit organization that provides item registry and synchronization services, announced today that Publix, the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States, will begin implementing the organization’s item registration service for its more than 750 retail stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee.
According to Jim Lobinsky, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain for Publix, UCCnet’s registration service is expected to eliminate the manual labor needed to key item information into their systems while reducing supply chain errors caused by keying in incorrect item attributes. In addition, Publix expects the service to improve its match rate and shorten the time needed to introduce new items to the market. "The item data registration and synchronization process is just beginning to mature," said Mr. Lobinsky. "It is time to work with our suppliers on this initiative for the benefit of both Publix and our suppliers."
Publix will register location data in the UCCnet GLOBALregistry“, an industry-supported repository for standardized item, location, and trading partner data. Publix suppliers will also register item data in the GLOBALregistry. Once registered, UCCnet checks the data for compliance to industry standards.
"We are pleased to be a partner of Publix and we expect to jointly take significant cost out of the retail supply chain for all participants in the UCCnet community," said Rhonda Horn, Vice President of Business Development for UCCnet.
An industry study conducted by A.T. Kearney estimated that $40 billion, or 3.5 percent, of total sales lost each year are due to supply chain information inefficiencies. Specifically, the study showed that 30 percent of items in retail catalogs have data errors, which cost between $60 and $80 each and consume 25 minutes of manual cleansing per SKU. Other findings revealed that 60 percent of all invoices generated errors and 43 percent of all invoices resulted in deductions. During the fall of 2002, A.T. Kearney conducted another study of three suppliers and three retailers that resulted in the conclusion that financial benefits could be realized in the neighborhood of 10 basis points or 0.1% of sales dropping to EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Tax). The benefits were the result of business process changes adopted by the retailers and separately by the suppliers who have implemented these UCCnet industry utilities.
UCCnet services will enable suppliers and their retail partners to reduce costly administrative errors in invoice pricing, purchase orders, product delivery and scanning accuracy. In addition, the company will be able to increase the speed of getting new products to market and facilitate changes to existing item information. Synchronized data in a standard format also provides a solid foundation for realizing the true cost savings value of more advanced e-commerce tools such as scan-based trading and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR).
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About UCCnet
UCCnet is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt neutral organization that provides item registry and data synchronization based on industry-developed standards. UCCnet provides a foundation for electronic commerce and cost effective transaction of data among partners. Through its support of global EANoUCC standards, UCCnet delivers an open platform for collaborative commerce services, including compliance verification, synchronization of product information, registry and lifecycle management of synchronized products, user locations and user trade capabilities. As a subsidiary of the Uniform Code Council, Inc., the global standards organization, UCCnet leverages its position to enable the rapid, clear development of industry Internet standards and practices. In addition, UCCnet certifies technology solution providers and provides implementation methodology, allowing small, medium and large enterprises to implement item registry and data synchronization services into their business in a swift and efficient manner. For more information, visit www.UCCnet.org.
About Publix
Publix is owned and operated by its 119,500 employees, with 2002 sales of $15.9 billion. Currently Publix has 759 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The company has been named one of Fortune`s
"100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for six consecutive years. In addition, Publix`s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized as tops in the grocery business, most recently by an American Customer Index survey. For more information, visit the company`s Web site, www.publix.com.
Media Contacts:
Mark Silvey
Elias/Savion Public Relations for UCCnet
412.642.7700
mark.silvey@elias-savion.com
Lee M. Brunson, Jr.
Publix
863.680.5339
lee.Brunson@publix.com
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