1. Managing your Products
  2. Your Product Information

Your Product Information

Woman looking at packet

Our business can only operate successfully with accurate product information. Managing the information about the tens of thousands of products we buy and sell is a huge task! To help us with this management, we operate an integrated National Product Information Management (NatPIM) system. Within Foodstuffs we refer to information about products as article master data. 

The data we need is essential to support our business processes, from order through to delivery and payment. This master data relates not only to pricing and discounts, but also to units of measure for inners, cartons, layers and pallets. Information such as allergen statements, nutritional information and ingredients is also really important. The barcodes (GTINs) for the respective measures must be accurate at all levels of packaging, as this is how we identify the products in the supply chain.

All changes relating to the article need to be submitted to Foodstuffs through one of the below methods

  • GS1 National Product Catalogue (NPC) & GS1 ProductFlow:

These systems are managed and supported by GS1 New Zealand, which allows suppliers to build a catalogue in the NPC as they introduce new products and update existing ones. The physical product, including the barcode, is verified against the data entered. You can add images of your product at the same time. Other retailers can also subscribe to your product information via GS1 NPC. 

  • Products @ Foodstuffs eXchange:

This is an online system which you can find on the Foodstuffs eXchange. It allows suppliers like you to submit product information via a web-based interface, with in-line validation to assist data accuracy.

Both systems perform certain levels of validation on the information entered by the suppliers, to ensure its accuracy and that it meets the standards set by our Foodstuffs companies and GS1. If you decide to use ProductFlow (our preferred method for data product submissions), you get the bonus of having your data submission prioritised, as we can rely on the data being complete and accurate.

If you’re interested in learning more about ProductFlow, or how to sign up, click here