GS1 Nigeria moves to address distribution deficiencies in manufacturing coys
Through the issuance of barcodes, GS1 Nigeria has moved to check supply and distribution chain deficiencies in the manufacturing sector in order to increase companies’ visibility and efficiency in the global market.
GS1 Nigeria is an offshoot of the Belgium-based GS1. The firm offers barcodes, which are global standards for international identification. Barcodes are important for tracking and tracing products, which sometimes get lost in the course of distribution. GS1 has created the Global Traceability Standard (GTS), which provides the foundation for the creation of more integrated systems that can maximise the efficiency of supply chain, while minimising the production and distribution of unsafe or poor quality goods. Barcodes are important in all sectors, including pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and beverages, retail, among others.
Asiwaju Onafowokan, president, GS1, said the firm’s Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), through Electronic Product Code (EPC), facilitates increased visibility and efficiency throughout the supply chain as well as higher information flow between companies and their trading partners.
“The Global Data Synchronisation Network provides a powerful environment for a secure and continuous synchronisation of accurate data and thus enables companies to do business with each other with correct information data systems,” he said at the GS1 Nigeria Retailers Forum held last Wednesday in Lagos.
Kola Jamodu, outgoing president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), said GS1 barcodes had become so important now that counterfeiting of product was rife, stating that the barcodes could end cloning of products and remained key to the future.
Josephine Ataboh, research and development (R&D) manager, personal care (West Africa), Unilever Nigeria plc, said her firm owned the single largest barcode number bank with GSI Nigeria, adding that the barcodes had enabled Unilever to transact its businesses seamlessly across geographies.
She said the barcodes had helped her firm optimise multinational operations, while providing safe and sustainable products to consumers.
“We often have to trace where raw materials come from, track where products are going, and ensure compliance with legislation and regulatory requirements,” she stated.
Tarryn Daniels, programme and AIDC barcodes manager, GS1 South Africa, said absence of barcodes in organisation often led to inefficiencies, increased risk and lost opportunities, adding that the pharmaceutical and health industry needed global standards to eliminate medication errors and counterfeiting, while enhancing traceability.
Babatunde Odunlami, CEO, GS1 Nigeria, said amid Nigeria’s growing retail sector, only firms which embrace global standards like GS1’s would succeed.
“To satisfy the growing demand in the retail sector, retailers need to be abreast of new shopping trends and ensure they are able to carve a niche for themselves within the sector,” he said.