A plan to create a centrally accessible data pool for the industry to streamline product supply and logistics operations has received backing from a number of leading travel retailers.

Initiated by Gebr. Heinemann, the Travel Retail Data Innovation Group (TRDIG) assembles suppliers, retailers and service provider 1WorldSync to establish a a standard for the automated exchange of product master data between retailers, suppliers, manufacturers and distributors through one global interface.

DFS, Dufry, Lagardère, ARI, Kappé and thirty five suppliers including Coty, Mars ITR, Brown-Forman, Imperial Brands and Bacardi are supporting a project that has gathered further momentum following an inaugural strategy meeting held in Hamburg in mid-June.

“We analysed that we all have one problem in the industry and no one has a solution,” a Gebr. Heinemann spokesperson told TRBusiness. “We can only realise the vision when everyone works together on one solution – so we took the lead.”

Kay Spanger, Executive Director Purchasing, Fulfillment and Logistics, Gebr. Heinemann said the collective show of support for an initiative was not something he had experienced in 40 years.

TRAILBLAZING APPROACH

IT heads, master data experts and CEOs were also present at the event in Hamburg, which provided a platform for companies working on the initiative to exchange ideas and insight.

“The global approach and top management involvement is what’s trailblazing about this project,” said Kay Spanger, Executive Director Purchasing, Fulfillment and Logistics at Gebr. Heinemann.

“For me, it’s fascinating that so many industry representatives have come together with the same goal at the TRDIG Strategy Meeting. I’ve never experienced that in my 39 years in the travel retail industry.”

Gebr. Heinemann began the TRDIG project last February, initially with 13 suppliers and data pool partner 1WorldSync.

Since then, standardised templates have been established and the first tranche of supplier master data has been transferred into the system.

Suppliers simply feed master data on their products into the cloud, which can then be retrieved only by confirmed retailers.

FULL ACCESS ‘FROM 2019’

Participating brands will be displayed on a dedicated TRDIG homepage.

“The aim for 2018 is to complete the technical groundwork for connecting to the data pool, both at Gebr. Heinemann and its industry partners and the onboarding of other retailers for completion of travel retail standards,” added the Heinemann spokesperson.

“We will finalise the data pool by next year so that everyone can and has to access the standardised master data from 2019 on.”