Easy Synchronization

Dot Foods was the first foodservice distributor in production with GDSN and they continue to lead the way by aggressively expanding the number of suppliers engaged with GDSN. Dot Foods is utilizing Sync/PDI for Distributors to accelerate their implementation and realize benefits from GDSN.

Dot Foods has implemented a comprehensive data sync initiative that covers new items, item changes and the initial synchronization / alignment of existing data. As part of their implementation, Dot Foods is auditing suppliers’ data against Dot Foods’ item file and reporting the results back to the supplier for verification.  

Dot Foods’ implementation makes extensive use of the GDSN Response messages so that suppliers can leverage a common GDSN process across all their trading partners.  In the normal flow of GDSN, Dot Foods will return GDSN messages indicating the status of the item within their GDSN process:

• ACCEPTED – Dot Foods has received the GDSN data for the item

• REVIEW – Dot Foods needs the supplier to take action. Review messages are generated automatically if the GDSN is missing any Dot Foods’ mandatory field and also when discrepancies are identified during the initial synchronization. Review messages may also be issued during the item setup process.

• SYNCHRONIZED – Dot Foods is now using GDSN to maintain the data for the item.

Very recently, Dot Foods has begun to provide suppliers with weekly emails which summarize the suppliers’ progress in synchronizing with Dot Foods. This same information, which is generated by Sync/PDI for Distributors, forms the basis for supplier-level reporting that Dot is using for their internal purposes.