Earlier this year, the supermarket invited around 60 suppliers to publish their back catalogue to its systems through the GDS network. This involves the use of a single channel of product data that is shared right across the supply chain to enhance data accuracy and reduce errors. Around 60% of the suppliers invited accepted, according to David Whiffen, trading support manager at Sainsbury.
"In the main, it has been a very positive move," Whiffen said. "We are now working through all the information that has been sent to us and our aim is to invite more suppliers on board very shortly."
"Receiving product information via GDS is our goal," he added.
Interest in the use of GDS is also on the rise elsewhere among food manufacturers, producers and retailers, according to UK standards body GS1.
The GDS system has already been rolled out by some big firms in the foodservice sector, such as Brake Brothers, and a number of retailers are continuing to trial it, pointed out GS1 retail sector manager, David Lyon.
Asda parent Walmart is already heavily involved in the technology in the US while Tesco has also been trialling GDS in the UK in recent months and has publicly committed to making it part of its data management strategy, he said.
GS1 itself has recently launched a new, free interface to the GDS network called TrueSource. So far, around 2,000 firms are using it, with some 40,000 product lines involved.
It's impossible to say just how soon the concept will gain critical mass, but momentum is building fast, suggested Lyon. "The market will move at its own rate," he said. "But the rationale of the business case is now becoming part of very large organisations' plans. It's coming ..."