GS1 STANDARDS SET GLOBAL MEDIUM FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

 

The GS1 Global Forum plenary sessions are under way in Brussels today when discussions center on electronic commerce and electronic invoicing, mobile commerce, application of radio frequency technology (RFID) and other advanced practices presented by the national organizations.

Data evaluation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was presented during a session dedicated to combat against counterfeits, reporting that in 2008 the European economy suffered losses of € 250 billion. Damages sustained by Germany alone amount to 6.4 billion and a loss of 40 000 jobs. In this respect, Germany has developed a form Original 1, which allows verifying the authenticity of the goods using the GS1 identifiers and means of communication. Such platforms will be implemented in the future aiming to unify their accessibility and the possibility for a large scale inspection by consumers as well. In this sense, GS1 Logger for staff project was implemented within the "GS1 Europe - mobile commerce destination", which allows verification of the identification numbers marked with barcodes by using mobile phones. This application will soon be available to the public and everyone will be able to verify the authenticity of the product by scanning the barcode. Inspections carried out by GS1 Bulgaria so far have already found counterfeit products on the market. Applications that are being developed in the field of mobile commerce will allow consumers to receive, on the one hand, more comprehensive information about the products they buy, and on the other hand, data for their authenticity with the help of only a mobile phone.

GS1 initiatives, solutions and standards are the foundation of the business network EcomGrid- the first online network for business contacts and e-trade in Bulgaria, set up with the participation of BCCI. It considerably helps to improve and facilitate the relations between suppliers and customers, regardless of the size and scope of the company. GS1 standards are applied to the data for the products and the services in EcomGrid with a view to effect common standardization throughout the chain of demand and supply.

In December 2012, GS1 Bulgaria will host a regular meeting of the Regional Board of GS1 in Europe when executives of the national organizations in Europe will attend. During the Sofia meeting participants will identify the next steps to achieve harmonization in the implementation of the GS1 standards in Europe in order to meet the needs of companies from different sectors and to increase the effectiveness through the chains of demand and supply.

15.02.2012