HOW GS1 Y CREATED THE E S FASHION BASE D

PORTAL FOR A U DUTCH SUPPLIERS C T S

THE STORY OF GEPARD.IO GS1 AND [email protected] SUPPLIERS

Dutch fashion suppliers aimed to share high-quality products data with reputable resellers. Plus, the suppliers needed a functional and safe environment to import and enhance these data at any time, without involving additional resources.

GS1 engaged 30 fashion suppliers to build a fashion vertical for the Netherlands and create a single, ABOUT GS1 standardized data model for this vertical. However, the original data Since 1974, GS1 has developed entry system offered by GS1 to and maintained a global system suppliers was not flexible enough to of standards for business provide smooth import and export of communication in , transport suppliers’ data. GS1 could not provide and logistics. The best known of tools for making smooth and timely these standards is the , changes to product categories and printed on whatever you purchase attributes. Nor did GS1 have the ability online and offline. to track suppliers’ actions in the system. Across the globe, GS1 cooperates with organizations of every size. Among more than one million GS1 APPLIED companies GS1 works with, there are Amazon, , eBay, TO ICECAT Google, Nestlé, and many others. AND GEPARD TEAMS FOR A FASHION BASE — GS1 PORTAL

GS1 Fashion Base enabled the suppliers to import their product data to GS1, enhance these data independently and automatically export these data to resellers that have integration with the Icecat content provider. CHALLENGES GEPARD AND ICECAT’S 1. No opportunity to edit an existing data model without involving a SOLUTION developer

The current functionality of GS1 data 1. Adaptation of the Gepard Data entry solution was not flexible and Entry Portal to GS1 specifics cost-effective enough to bring suppliers’ data to a single structure, Gepard tailored the solution to enable suppliers to manage their data meet tech requirements of GS1 and independently, and export these data adapt the UI to GS1 look and feel. to resellers through Icecat. GS1 Fashion Base enables GS1 to manage a complete data model 2. No standardized data model for and allows suppliers to manage suppliers products data via personal accounts. GS1 needed a single, standardized source of truth for the data that the 2. Creation of a standardized data suppliers imported to the system. This model source of truth had to contain not only GS1 data but also Icecat data GS1 NL Fashion Base provides a adjusted to GS1 taxonomy standards. standardized data taxonomy which includes adjusted Icecat data and 3. Need to manage data from 30 contains 219 categories and 162 suppliers in a single environment attributes. Now, the imported data reach GS1 standards and The suppliers used different methods correspond to the single data of data import and submitted their model. products data in different formats. The Fashion Base Portal solution for 3. Personal onboarding and GS1 had to cover communication with support of each supplier the suppliers and support in onboarding them to the platform. Two months before the system was ready for test data pushes, Gepard 4. Need to export standardized data team started training each supplier to resellers for the onboarding. Now, the suppliers themselves import data in Suppliers aimed to export products the CSV, XML, and JSON formats via data to Dutch resellers. As resellers the interface, FTP, or API. have set integration with the Icecat content provider, Icecat was chosen 4. Automated daily data export to as a channel of data distribution. The Icecat new solution had to include connectivity with Icecat. Once a day, the suppliers’ products data are automatically exported from GS1 Fashion Base to target resellers through Icecat. Every day resellers receive updated, complete, and correct products descriptions. HOW GEPARD DID IT

1. Collected and analyzed GS1 standards and requirements.

2. Collected and analyzed suppliers’ requirements.

3. Adjusted GS1 standards to Icecat data model for import.

4. Set up the GS1 Portal to import suppliers’ data and export these data to resellers (through Icecat).

5. Trained suppliers to use GS1 Fashion Base. HOW IT GS1 FASHION WORKS BASE WAS 1. The supplier logs in to GS1 Fashion READY FOR A Base.

TEST DATA PUSH 2. Imports new products data in CSV, XML, and JSON files via the data entry 3 MONTHS AFTER interface, FTP, or API.

WE STARTED THE 3. Updates the existing products data if necessary. PROJECT 4. Once a day the data are exported to resellers through Icecat. MAINTENANCE BENEFITS RESULTS Preliminary instructing: Two months before the demo presentation, each supplier receives the Technical benefits Integration Specification Document. The document describes the connectivity between the supplier Three import methods: the and the GS1 Portal needed to import new data. interface, FTP, and API. Three import file types: CSV, Smooth onboarding: At the demo presentation, the XML, JSON. Gepard project manager has an introduction call Personal and safe access to with each supplier. During the call, the project data management. manager helps the supplier get started with the platform.

Resource benefits Support for data pushes: The supplier receives the access to the test server where they independently No need for additional test importing and updating their data. If the test resources to upgrade the data data push is successful, the supplier receives the model. access to the production server to import and Seamless data updates. update real data. Shortened time to market. WHAT’S NEXT WHY USE DATA ENTRY PORTAL Gepard and Icecat teams continue working on useful upgrades to GS1 Your product base contains Fashion Base: thousands of products. You have specific standards of data develop the standard of images model, data import, and data import to and images management export. in the Base You need to manage data in build the relation between a different languages and export product description and a reseller them to endpoints in different that will sell this product, realizing countries. this relation in the system interface You need to aggregate, transform, develop the GS1 “Multiple Tiers” and share tons of information from functionality that will regulate multiple content sources to multiple Icecat resellers’ access to suppliers’ vendors, sales channels, and product content in Icecat. customers. LEADING THE GEPARD DATA WAY ENTRY PORTAL

Sebastiaan van Zundert, Project ADVANTAGES Manager at GS1 Ekaterina Rudchenko, Product With Gepard Data Entry Portal you'd be Technical Support Manager at able to efficiently optimize, enrich and Icecat NV share data with your e-commerce partners Koen Looijmans, Global Sales at the one place. Manager at Icecat NV Darina Bondar, Project Manager at Key benefits: Gepard - Single platform to collect product Cyril Dorogan, Chief Business information, files, and images from a Development Officer at Gepard wide range of sources - Custom integration to connect a variety of endpoints directly GS1 BELIEVES - Multiple languages support - Flexibility in developing new “BUSINESS IS taxonomies, adding new features and categories EASIER WHEN YOU SPEAK THE SAME IN E-COMMERCE, LANGUAGE AS EVERY MOMENT YOUR CUSTOMER, COUNTS SUPPLIERS AND To learn more about Gepard, visit PARTNERS.” www.gepard.io or send an email to [email protected].