Appetite for information

On one hand, we have retail chains, and on the other, suppliers. The latter supply goods to the former. It seems simple, but the product itself is not everything. Every product must be accompanied by flawless and complete information about it. Both parties are interested in ensuring that the goods reach the store shelf as quickly as possible, to eliminate out-of-stock situations, reduce manual labor, and decrease the number of incorrect orders and subsequent corrections…

However, the entire product distribution process can be automated. There is only one condition – high-quality data. Research conducted by AT Kearney has shown that companies lose 3.5% of their profit solely due to inconsistent product data.

Electronic product catalogs can be the solution. These are internet-accessible IT systems that enable the storage of product data, as well as its management and sharing with trading partners.

The SINFOS catalog, which is the largest catalog in Europe, is beginning its operations in Poland. The company was established in November 2006 as a Joint Venture between SINFOS GmbH, based in Cologne, and the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing in Poznań.

Operating on the Polish market under the name EANIC-SINFOS, the catalog will contain over 200 attributes describing a product, which allows for satisfying the “appetite for information” of all retail chains. Product data is located in one place, which ensures its quick and simple update, automatic distribution of data to recipients, and full synchronization between supplier and recipient systems. This leads to the elimination of errors on documents, minimization of the number of product returns, and elimination of manual data updates, while recipients receive automatic notifications about product changes, promotions, availability dates… And these are just a few of the most important benefits offered by participating in the EANIC-SINFOS catalog.

Let us now look at this issue on a global scale. Today, product data synchronization is becoming increasingly important: EPC (Electronic Product Code) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) require the highest quality data. Through the GDSN (Global Data Synchronisation Network), companies participating in the supply chain have the ability to synchronize current product data on a global scale. The EANIC-SINFOS catalog, which is GDSN certified, ensures global reach and effective data exchange based on global standards.

Currently, over 2,500 users in 13 countries are registered in the SINFOS catalog. You can find 2 million products there, and over 5 thousand products are entered and processed every day in Germany alone.

It is worth noting that SINFOS Polska is not starting from scratch. Commenting on the creation of the joint venture, Grzegorz Szyszka, Director of the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing and President of GS1 Poland, said: – For our current clients, it is particularly important that data from the EANIC catalog already operating at the Institute can be integrated with the EANIC-SINFOS catalog. This is a great saving of time and money.

 

On the other hand, we have an excellent product, built on over 10 years of experience of our German partner.

 

– SINFOS has many years of experience in data management and is constantly expanding its influence in Europe – adds Director Szyszka.

The list of client references, which includes companies such as Metro Group, OBI, Lidl, Billa, Bonduelle, Danone, Ferrero, Gillette, L’Oreal, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Wrigley, Bahlsen, Colgate Palmolive, GlaxoSmithKline, Hochland, Kraft, Tchibo, Zott…, can testify to the successes of SINFOS so far.

– Having a great product and an offer tailored to the expectations of our Clients, we set ourselves very ambitious goals to quickly gain a leading position in this very interesting and dynamically developing market. I am convinced that our Clients will derive very tangible and significant benefits from working with SINFOS Polska. It is not just about improving data quality and the resulting cost reduction. Something else is at stake – from the suppliers’ point of view, EANIC-SINFOS can be a gateway to entering new markets and quickly increasing revenues, while retail chains gain a rich database of potential new suppliers. All this without large outlays – joining the EANIC-SINFOS catalog automatically opens up a whole spectrum of possibilities offered by the system to every company. For each of our Clients, we want to be not just another service provider, but above all a trustworthy partner and advisor. We have a very competent team that cannot wait for the end of the organizational phase and the first implementations – says Marek Tokarewicz, President of SINFOS Polska