Some circumspection would reveal that these companies aren’t BUILT to gather such data, but are in fact process bound to capture and catalog product information representing what was INTENDED to be built, not what is actually built, changed, built, changed….you get the drift.

Continuing pressure to drive demand chain and supply chain efficiencies will help. So too will the emerging demand for additional, accurate, timely data on nutrition and sustainability. However, what we will find is that there is..today…no real, fully vetted ANSWER to the successful and ongoing need for the COLLECTION of full product item information.

Regarding the ever increasing complexity, there are some calling for simplifying standards and requirements. I’m thinking perhaps the best way to handle things is for suppliers to focus on finding the informaiton they need and outsource to a specialist organization the functionality of aggregating, cleansing and sharing the data with their customers. the world isn’t getting simpler and the shear enormity of the Internet guarantees that each unique voice and requirement will be shared. Transparancy in a complex environment means each party focusing on what they do best making the results available to the appropriate people.