General
Q. I do not need the GDSN, since I only publish data to Wal-Mart and Lowes. Why do I need to join the GDSN?
A. The GDSN was created based on requests from industry to eliminate the need for multiple, regional Data Pools. The global community has made the decision to adopt the GDSN as the data synchronization business model. 1SYNC and its major retailers are fully supporting this vision to help the community more quickly realize the benefits of mass adoption of the GDSN. Your 1SYNC subscription will cover your fees to the GDSN and allow you access to trading partners throughout the world.
Q. How much is the GDSN fee as a part of the overall 1SYNC fee?
A. The GDSN fee is defined at www.gs1.org. For subscribers joining and renewing subscriptions with 1SYNC in 2005 or later, 1SYNC covers the GDSN fee as part of its overall program offering.
Q. Why make GDSN mandatory by including it in my 1SYNC subscription fee? How does that benefit me?
A. The global community has made the decision to adopt the GDSN as the data synchronization business model. 1SYNC and its major retailer subscribers support this vision and are driving the adoption and implementation of the GDSN. As the community grows, so does the value of your investment in the GDSN.
Q. How do I know if I am utilizing the GS1 Global RegistryTM?
A. If you are a Legacy UCCnet customer or new customer in 2006, use Extensible Markup Language Schema Definition (XSD) technology, and have an item registered in the 1SYNC Data Pool with an assigned Global Product Classification (GPC) code, you will be automatically registered by 1SYNC in the GS1 Global Registry.
Single Point of Entry into the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN)
Q. I am a supplier, and I am receiving conflicting directions regarding my company's involvement in data synchronization. One customer is asking us to use a particular Data Pool while another customer is asking us to subscribe to a different Data Pool. What should we do?
A. The GDSN is structured to allow a trading partner to join any single Data Pool they choose. As long as you select a certified GDSN Data Pool you will be able to synchronize data with any trading partner in the GDSN.
Q. Can retailers require manufacturers to join their Data Pool?
A. With the launch of the GDSN, retailers do not need to require their suppliers to join a certain Data Pool. The GDSN requires only one single point of entry into the network. Joining any certified Data Pool will allow trading partners to synchronize data if they subscribe to the GDSN.
Q. As a 1SYNC subscriber, will I be able to publish data to my trading partners who use other GDSN Data Pools?
A. Yes. If you and your trading partner join the GS1 Global Registry, you will be able to publish data to trading partners that use other GDSN Data Pools.
Q. According to another GDSN Data Pool, I must also subscribe to them, even though I use 1SYNC as my Data Pool service. If my trading partner is subscribed to the other Data Pool, can I get my data to them?
A. There is no need to join two Data Pools to get your data to trading partners in other GDSN Data Pools, as long as those trading partners subscribe to the GS1 Global Registry.
Q. We are required to enroll with another Data Pool by our customer. Will we be able to use all of the information that we have already entered into 1SYNC in our customer’s systems?
A. Trading partners should not be required to enroll with any specific Data Pool service in the GDSN. The GDSN model was developed so that trading partners can choose which Data Pool they want to join. Additionally, the trading partner only needs to join one Data Pool service in order to communicate to every trading partner who is subscribed to the GS1 Global Registry.
If your company decides to join another Data Pool, you must:
Q. Another Data Pool is telling me they are the only Data Pool that can communicate our information to any retailer. Is this true?
A. No. Under the GDSN, all certified Data Pools can connect to other GDSN Data Pools and exchange data.
Benefits of GDSN
Q. What are the benefits of the GDSN?
A.
Corporate Management
Administrative Data Handling
Category/Promotion Management
Logistics
Q. If all of my customers reside on the same Data Pool, what is the benefit of joining the GDSN?
A. Business is dynamic, and companies establish new trading partnerships every day. Additionally, trading partners may switch to another Data Pool. Joining the GS1 Global Registry will keep your company connected to all your trading partners (and any new ones) that subscribe to the GS1 Global Registry so you can achieve the benefits of data synchronization.
Fees
Q. If we have a retailer that is with one of the other GDSN certified Data Pools and they request data from us through the GS1 Global Registry, will 1SYNC charge us a fee to send that data to the retailer's Data Pool?
A. The GDSN Roadmap does not allow Data Pools in the GSDN to charge each other fees to synchronize data. Subscribers simply join 1SYNC and pay a flat fee to synchronize data. In order to synchronize data with other Data Pools in the GDSN, the trading partners not subscribed to the 1SYNC Data Pool will need to subscribe to the GDSN.
Q. Is the GS1 Global Registry replacing the 1SYNC Data Pool Service? If so, and we are a member of the 1SYNC Data Pool, will our subscription transfer?
A. The GS1 Global Registry Service is not replacing the 1SYNC Data Pool Service. Prior to the GS1 Global Registry, 1SYNC had a data registry that acted as the single global item registry. The industries served by GS1 decided that they needed a global registry that could connect Data Pools and catalogs around the world. Under the new GDSN structure, companies must belong to a Data Pool service, such as the 1SYNC Data Pool, before subscribing to the GDSN.
Global Product Classification (GPC) Code and UDEX
Q. Will 1SYNC provide UDEX to GPC conversion capabilities?
A. 1SYNC provides its subscribers with a UDEX to GPC conversion mapping in the customer-only website. Not all UDEX categories map directly to GPC categories so we suggest that subscribers validate the appropriateness of the classification to their products. When there is a gap in the code, a temporary classification of 99999999 is given until a new code is developed for a certain product class.
Q. Is the Catalog Item Classification based on GPC? If so, is that different than the UDEX codes in 1SYNC?
A. The product classification code used in the GDSN is based on only the GPC code. The UDEX codes, used in 1SYNC, are not the same as GPC codes and there is not a 100% match between these two classification systems. UDEX classification codes will be supported in the 1SYNC production environment until the GPC code is completely built out by GS1.
Q. Where can we find information on the GPC?
A. Detailed spreadsheets of the GPC codes are located on the customer-only website.
Certified Data Pools
Q. Will all Data Pools provide both recipient and source capabilities?
A. All GDSN certified Data Pools have been interoperability tested for both source and recipient capability, but not all Data Pools choose to operate as both a source and recipient Data Pool like 1SYNC.
Q. Who is certifying the GDSN Data Pools?
A. The Drummond Group Inc. administered the latest Data Pool interoperability testing and determined which companies passed Data Pool interoperability certification. The GS1 GDSN Inc. Board of Directors has final approval for all Data Pool certifications.
Q. Which organization has the "detailed" requirements for certification as a Data Pool?
A. The Drummond Group Inc. acts as the certification body for the GDSN and can be contacted at http://www.drummondgroup.com/
Interoperability
Q. Having to join various Data Pools to communicate new items defeats the purpose of interoperability. Are the Data Pools working together to try to resolve this problem and have the necessary item attributes been populated in the standards?
A. 1SYNC and other Data Pools are working with the Global Standards Management Process (GSMP) to develop standard “new lines forms" for the GDSN.
Q. Does 1SYNC interoperate with other Data Pools?
A. Yes, 1SYNC is currently operating as a certified source and recipient Data Pool in the GDSN.
Q. If a retailer is not in the GDSN, can a supplier subscribed to 1SYNC interoperate with that retailer in another Data Pool?
A. If a retailer does not subscribe to the GDSN, no suppliers in Data Pools other than the one the retailer has joined can synchronize data using the GDSN. Suppliers should petition the retailer to support the GDSN so that the single point of entry can be used to synchronize data and reduce overall supply chain costs.
GS1 and GS1 US™
Q. What is the business relationship between GS1, GS1 US, and 1SYNC?
A. GS1 is the new name of EAN International. GS1 US is the new name of the Uniform Code Council, Inc® (UCC®), the GS1 Member Organization for the U.S. 1SYNC is a not-for-profit subsidiary of GS1 US and is a GDSN certified Data Pool.
Q. What is the difference between the GS1 Global Registry and the GDSN?
A. The Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) has a component called the GS1 Global Registry that acts as the locator and routing mechanism for finding source data and sending subscription requests within the network.
ECCnet and Canadian Companies
Q. Must an organization that sells to U.S. and Canadian companies join both organizations and synchronize data to two different places?
A. Yes, at the current time. Once ECCnet begins to operate as a certified Data Pool within the GDSN, and relevant Canadian trading partners join the GDSN, the "one point of entry" model will take effect. Any company that subscribes to the GDSN can connect to and communicate with any other trading partner, within the GDSN, anywhere in the world, by joining only ONE certified Data Pool.
Q. Since 1SYNC will be our "point of entry" Data Pool, will we be required to publish our item catalog to ECCnet in Canada (we have Canadian vendors also) or is this an automatic function of our one source Data Pool (1SYNC)?
A. Currently, there is only one way to publish item information for Canadian retailers, and that is directly through ECCnet. Once ECCnet begins to operate as a recipient Data Pool under GDSN, then the one point of entry through 1SYNC, will apply, as long as the Canadian retailer is subscribed to the GDSN.
Distributors
Q. In the case of a distributor, who owns the information about the product?
A. The GDSN model supports Direct Store Delivery or DSD. The GTIN owner owns the product information but the GDSN will allow either a manufacturer or a third party distributor to enter location and routing commands for the data. The manufacturer owns the GTIN but distributors can send the data on behalf of the GTIN owner.