The Last Mile project focuses on the parcel delivery market, more precisely on delivery to the end consumer. This segment is changing, due to markets, but also because of changes in legislation and regulations. GS1 in Europe must stay involved.
Marketplaces are creating truly global supply chains for both B2C and B2B (consumer electronics, spare parts, technical industries) that will partly replace existing local ones. Furthermore they are providing Supply Chain/Logistics services to sellers on their platform. For incoming goods, they are increasingly working with GS1 Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC), but they are still using carrier-specific codes for outgoing parcels.
The EU has mandated CEN (European Committee for Standardization) to establish open standards to link customs declaration processes with cross-border supply chains, to enable VAT collection for Low-Value Consignments and protect EU businesses and consumers. Local authorities implement regulations that encourage transporters to work together to enable deliveries with a smaller environmental footprint (city hubs).
Currently, there are 10 times more low-value consignments than parcels going through the customs declaration process. So GS1 in Europe must get involved to protect the investment of our existing members in implementing the SSCC to facilitate their logistic processes:
- Enabling our customers to seamlessly use both the traditional retailer distribution network and the parcel delivery network, while keeping control of their deliveries themselves;
- Adding new members to our community, such as resellers and online shippers. That’s over 5 billion orders being identified every year.
The main objectives for the last mile project within GS1 in Europe are:
- Ensure that GS1 standards can be used in all logistics processes, including transport in all modes, at any point in the supply chain (live up to the GS1 promise);
- Implement SSCC as parcel identification;
- Get new members for GS1.
This goal can be achieved by creating and maintaining the relevant standards within CEN to facilitate the use of GS1 identifiers, by intensifying industry engagement and starting pilot projects and, finally, by promoting the use of GS1 standards in the E-commerce sector (marketplaces, online shops) and in the Transport and Logistics sector (mainly courier and distribution companies).
