PMA wants to standardize produce EDI

   The Produce Marketing Association’s Supply Chain Efficiencies Committee has developed a new guide specifically for fresh produce companies around how to implement electronic data exchange (EDI).
   EDIs are systems used to share and send electronic data and documents between companies and are often used for providing documents to customs brokerage firms and for customs filings.
   The “Implementation Guide for Fresh Produce Data Standards and Synchronization” sets up globally-used terminology and best practices to identify fresh produce items and business locations. It’s available for free on the PMA Website.
   Mike Agostini of Walmart, who chairs the volunteer committee, said the goal is to get everyone speaking the same language around EDI. “With this as your guide, you will be able to communicate electronically more easily, now and in the future.”
   The guide is designed for companies that are choosing to implement EDI and describes how to apply the technology to some of the attributes defined by global GS1 standards that specifically describe fresh produce items and locations.
   It also recommends best practices around GS1 standards to help companies synchronize data between suppliers and retailers. For each of these attributes, the guide gives examples, considerations, and international definitions that can help companies integrate their systems to third-party service providers.
   The PMA Supply Chain Efficiencies Committee is run by association volunteers to provide guidance on the development and application of supply chain practices. – Geoff Whiting