A Common Language for the Global Supply Chain.

Global Data Synchronization (GDS) facilitates collaboration between retailers and manufacturers through the adoption of global trading standards. Complying with global standards can generate supply chain savings and productivity improvements of 1% to 3% for retailers and consumer products manufacturers, impacting the bottom line by 10% to 15%.

Capgemini worked with a leading consumer products company to help it become GDS compliant and publish product data to the UCCnet for several retail customers. In addition, a rollout strategy for additional customers was put in place. Most importantly, the company began to develop a culture that recognized the value of process, data and system commonality.

Capgemini is a leader in GDS working closely with the Global Commerce Initiative (GCI), the standards group spearheading this initiative. We have developed business cases for several GCI-endorsed standards. 

Measuring the Business Benefits of GDS

Our joint study with GCI titled Global Data Synchronisation at Work in the Real World: Illustrating the Business Benefits  includes case studies highlighting how manufacturers and retailers have reduced costs, increased sales and improved productivity through item data synchronization. Other Capgemini/GCI thought leadership on GDS includes:

  • The Case for Global Standards: Creating the Global Business Case for Global Data Synchronisation in Your Company
  • Internal Data Alignment: Learning From Best Practices
  • Data Accuracy in the Consumer Goods and Retail Industry (video)

Developing a GDS Roadmap

Capgemini offers clients a GDS roadmap providing an implementation framework of activities, milestones and critical success factors:

  • Awareness Discovery Day - Addresses implications of global standards and Global Data Synchronization to companies.
  • Business Case - Identifies company-specific benefits of adoption and implementation and assesses the implementation effort needed to achieve these benefits.
  • Roadmap - Defines the plan and scope of company-specific GDS-enabled business transformation.
  • Implementation - Defines the adoption and implementation growth path based on the critical success factors for implementation.