The Nourish to Flourish Initiative Brings GDSN® to a Broken K-12 Supply Chain

What is GDSN? 

The Global Data Synchronization Network® (GDSN®) is the standard framework that manufacturers use to communicate product information across the supply chain to their customers with unique product identifiers such as UPCs and Global Trade Item Numbers® (GTINs).

Why GDSN in K-12? 

With GDSN as its organizing principle, an industrywide initiative was launched at the Nourish to Flourish Industry Summit in 2017. The resulting work group included multiple school nutrition stakeholders who were frustrated by redundant work and the difficulty of sharing data across systems. The “common language” of GDSN standards enables electronic transactions that simplify collaborative functions like forecasting, menu planning, procurement and many more.

The Last Mile

Regular Data Exchanges with leading “Back of the House” software brands carry updates for the “last mile” with an electronic synchronization process supported by those brands. The net result is more efficient and accurate daily operations for forecasting, menu planning, production, ordering, inventory control and financial reporting. If a district’s software is not shown here, inTEAM will work with that software provider to get them setup with GDSN updates.

New Tools for Stakeholders

inTEAM supplements basic data published by suppliers to GDSN by tapping into secondary sources to provide the most comprehensive product specifications available. GDSN Connect ensures that this data is maintained and current by running data matching algorithms and quality control checks with twice weekly updates from primary sources.

Critical Data Points

K-12 Operators require comprehensive, timely and accurate data to comply with complex federal and state regulations.  GTIN product attributes of specific interest include nutrients, allergens, meal pattern credit, scaling ratios of portion sizes to recipes to inventory and  purchase units, Buy American, storage and preparation instructions, and full disclosure of ingredients and additives. New reporting requirements for added sugars and sesame allergens are likely to drive many update cycles across tens of thousands of records.

Data From Many Sources – One Standardized Format 

The Nourish to Flourish Database combines data from multiple official sources to build and maintain digital records in the standardized GDSN format. The core of the Nourish to Flourish Database is made of standardized, branded product data published by manufacturers. Other sources of product data include locally procured foods, private label foods, and non-branded “generic” products where USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and/or FDA defined “Standards of Identity” may apply. Adoption of GDSN Standards can also help identify and isolate products subject to recall.