Burger King's Purchasing Co-op Adopts ID Standards

May 1, 2003
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2003--The Uniform Code Council, Inc. (UCC), leaders in facilitating efficient international business,

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2003--The Uniform Code Council, Inc. (UCC), leaders in facilitating efficient international business, today announced Restaurant Services, Inc. (RSI), an independent member-owned purchasing cooperative serving BURGER KING® restaurant owners in the United States, is adopting the global standards of the EAN-UCC System for product identification.

RSI is focused on an initiative that implements new and emerging technology and electronic information systems to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the BURGER KING system supply chain. As part of this initiative, RSI has requested that suppliers of products utilized in the BURGER KING system identify those products using the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). The GTIN, a standard of the EAN-UCC System, enables companies to uniquely identify trade items throughout the global supply chain. The implementation of this globally-accepted bar code standard will allow RSI and its trading partners to achieve new levels of efficiency in supply chain practices. The benefits of this standardization effort include streamlined and simplified business processes, reduced supply chain costs, and enhanced inventory management and replenishment processes.

To help facilitate the process of implementing GTINs, RSI President and Chief Executive Officer George Hoffman recently recommended its suppliers attend a seminar titled "Standard Product Identification and Bar Coding in the Foodservice Industry" presented by the UCC and sponsored by Efficient Foodservice Response (EFR). "The food service seminars are an excellent opportunity for our suppliers to obtain valuable information on improving the ability of trading partners to exchange supply chain information in an electronic format," said Mr. Hoffman.

The UCC and EFR are sponsoring a series of regional food service seminars throughout the year to provide food service companies the tools and knowledge necessary to develop and implement an effective bar coding program. The one-day seminars will present standard product identification and bar code fundamentals.

"We are excited that RSI is using the standards of the UCC and, in particular, has endorsed the food service seminars," said Steve Arens, Senior Director of Market Development for the UCC. "The seminar educates participants on how to mark and track products, manage inventory, and effectively communicate product information with trading partners. By adopting these standards, foodservice companies will be able to reduce costs, increase productivity, and remove barriers to efficient global commerce."

"The benefits inherent in adopting the EAN-UCC System will not only make RSI's supply chain more effective and efficient but also secure," stated Mark Allen, Executive Director of EFR. "RSI is demonstrating true industry leadership and is now expecting their suppliers to do the same by adopting the standards. The outcome is certain to create mutually beneficial results."