ECR Baltic Community Newsletter 1-2012

Read in this newsletter:

• News from ECR Baltic working groups (Baltic EUR Pallet assessment standard and Returnable/Reusable Transport Items standard proposal for dairy crates);
• GDSN (Product Data Pool) Seminar and EDI working group meeting on 3^rd February;
• People development and training opportunities (Shopper Engagement, Supply Chain workshops in Riga, ECR Europe’s C&S Journey Framework for Category WG leaders, ECR LaB - The Consumer Goods Sector Executive Development Program, subsidized training opportunities);
• EU grants opportunities for ECR Baltic and its members (Cluster program in Latvia);
• Vote for ECR Baltic Forum 2012 City on FB!

ECR Baltic pallets working group:

Within ECR Baltic Pallets working group framework, major retailers and manufacturers have agreed on alignment of EUR Pallets Assessment Standards based on ECR Poland pallets assessment cards (the newest version available, here!). Minor changes introduced for Baltics taking into account food retail specifics. The aim of the pallet assessment alignment:

• Eliminate non licensed EUR Pallets from open circulation
• Align EUR pallets exchange criteria (quality of the EUR pallets)

The EUR pallets assessment rules can be applied as from 1^st of March. Learn more: http://www.ecr-baltic.org/en/working-groups/pallets-quality-assessment-working-group/

RTI (Returnable/Reusable Transport Items) Baltic Standard proposal.

Since 2007 Manufacturers and Retailers have been trying to come to agreement on unification and pooling of returnable transport items also with a help ECR Baltic (Currently retailers in Balitcs claim more than 120 different types of RTIs to manage, the target now is 5-6 types which should cover all categories starting from Dairy produce, F&V, Meat and Bakery). The current economic situation simply forces us to maintain and develop our supply chain in a sustainable and cost effective way. To move this initiative from a “dead point”, there were proposed dimensions for 3 crate set for dairy product categories by inquiring all dairy producers if the proposed standard covers their product range?

IMPORTANT: If you are a dairy manufacturer/supplier please respond to our standard proposal by the 1^st of February, learn more: http://www.ecr-baltic.org/en/working-groups/rti-unification-and-pooling-initiative/

On 3^rd of February GS1 Latvia and ECR Baltic organizes GDSN (Data Pool) seminar with Saphety (the solution provider and GS1 Sweden Data Pool: Validoo developers) followed by ECR Baltic EDI working group meeting, learn more: http://www.ecr-baltic.org/en/trainings--seminars/03022012-gdsn-seminar-and-edi-meeting/

People development and training opportunities at ECR Baltic:

Dear Retailers and Manufacturers, who LEARN together, DO together!

Please take a chance for the final 2 workshops with IGD UK in Riga, Tallink hotel and advise your retail/manufacturer business partners to join in Shopper/Category Management ans Supply Chain workshops):

7^th of March “Shopper Engagement”, Please register before 7^th of February  (info Latviski).
and on Supply Chain side:

14^th of March “What Do Retailers Want From Your Supply Chain”, Please register before 14^th of February workshops (info Latviski).

Other training opportunities:

8^th of March Consumer & Shopper Journey Framework training in Brussels. “Train the Trainer” session for ECR NI Project Managers and Demand Committee members (i.e. for ECR Baltic Category Management Working Group members);

The new ECR LaB (Leading across Boundaries) Program for high-potentials in the Consumer Goods Sector. ECR LaB is a truly global Programme with modules taking place in Europe and Asia (2 modules x 5 days each).

1 to 6 June 2012, INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France
24 to 30 November 2012, INSEAD, Singapore

Learn more: http://www.ecr-baltic.org/en/trainings--seminars/ecr-lab/

All trainings and workshops: http://www.ecr-baltic.org/en/trainings--seminars/trainings--workshops-2012/

If you are a manufacturer, logistic or IT service provider based in Latvia there are number of subsidized training opportunities delivered by traditional Industry associations like Latvian Food Manufacturers Federation and Chamber of Commerce (or other 16 associations with available funding more than 10 mln LVL from EU social funds). We suggest you to try www.produktivitate.lv (very broad list of courses including merchandising, innovation, export techniques, lean management) and www.lpuf.lv efficiency and productivity enhancement for food manufacturers.

In cooperation with Industry associations ECR Baltic can provide the same support for our future trainings, please let us know the topics of your interest to develop our training plan in 2012-2013?

Following other CE Countries experience, it was really easy to waste available EU support on “soft skills” rather than developing capabilities what makes you and your employees more competitive – so do not hesitate to ask what’s really needed? ECR provides you with retailers-manufacturers collaboration and learning platform with support available locally and nearly from every Country in the World.

EU grants opportunities: ECR Baltic in Cluster program framework in Latvia.

ECR Baltic and other ECR National Initiatives together with GS1 Member Associations in Europe were not so active in acquiring EU funds before. It seems that times have changed and in current association framework it becomes important that we can offer to our members similar support. Here in ECR Baltic we are considering to acquire for support for our learning programs and join the cluster program. If we succeed in Latvia, we would like to expand similar members support in Lithuania and Estonia by partnering with Industry associations there.

Consequently, if you are a Consumers Goods (Food/Non Food) manufacturer, Logistics or IT service provider (registered in Latvia or having business unit there) and you are interested in cluster with other companies to implement ECR strategy and projects in your company (for example 4Doc EDI business model, pilot GDSN data pool and quality master data management, POS Data Sharing, RTI unification, EUR Pallets assessment, OSA, Shared logistics, Consumer-Shopper Journey Framework, Mobile commerce projects, etc,…), please contact ECR Baltic office! The deadline for cluster project submission is 9^th of March. The support intensity is 85% (maximum LVL 10’000 per company).

ECR Baltic members communication and social media platform:

Please join us on social networks (Facebook, LinkedIN, Twitter, Flickr). This was proved to be the fastest way to get updates about ECR Baltic community and news related. Thanks to social network capabilities we are going to choose also the ECR Baltic Forum City in 2012, please vote for your favorite (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius) on Facebook poll, here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECR-Baltic/160791883931740?sk=questions