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UCS, the Uniform Communication Standard, is used by the grocery industry and other retail-oriented industry sectors. It is a subset of the ANSI ASC X12 national standard.
UCS, originally initiated by the grocery industry, is being used by thousands of companies - manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and brokers. UCS has also been adopted by companies in the alcohol beverage, broker, convenience store, foodservice, mass merchandising, wholesale drug, service merchandising and public warehouse industries.
The UCS implementation guidelines consist of two components – the implementation guidelines and the communication standard.
UCS History and Background
The foundation for the creation of the Uniform Communication Standard can be traced back to the mid 1960's when the Transportation Data Coordinating Committee (TDCC) developed EDI standards for the transportation industry. This development was noticed by leaders of the grocery industry looking for ways to cope with the ever-increasing growth in the routine paperwork required to conduct business.
The concept of using EDI in the grocery industry began in 1976. The actual development of UCS was sponsored and funded by six major trade associations representing manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and brokers.
UCS was developed in three distinct phases. The first phase was a feasibility study conducted by Arthur D. Little, Inc. This study was completed in the Spring of 1980. It concluded that the use of electronic data interchange by the grocery industry was technically feasible and economically desirable. The second phase involved the development of the message and communication standards and was initiated in August of 1980. UCS draft standards were developed over the next nine months. The final step in the initial UCS development process was to test the validity of the message and communications standards. This was accomplished by a pilot implementation program involving 13 companies. By late 1982, the UCS standards were released for general use by industry members.
Implementation Guidelines
The UCS implementation guidelines contain transaction sets that support the following business functions:
- Data Administration
- Ordering
- Logistics
- Financial
- Business Support
UCS for Direct Store Delivery
UCS was originally developed for transmission between trading partners on an office-to-office level. Now, however, the UCS concept has also been applied to Direct Store Delivery (DSD) transactions. UCS transaction sets have been developed to exchange delivery information and adjustments between DSD suppliers and buyers, using electronic devices (e.g., hand-held computers and PCs), at the time of delivery at the individual store location. This direct exchange of delivery data (DEX/UCS) effectively replaces the current paper invoice or delivery ticket.
The UCS for DSD application also includes a communication standard for the direct connection of supplier and buyer devices.
UCS/DSD has two parts: DEX/UCS (Direct EXchange) linking the computers of supplier and buyer to provide a means of exchanging delivery data at the store backdoor, and NEX/UCS (Network EXchange) linking their office computers over telephone lines. NEX/UCS is the natural extension of conventional UCS to DSD-related messages, such as delivery notifications and statements.
DEX/UCS is a low cost add-on to computerized delivery and receiving systems. The direct connect form requires only a software enhancement to existing automated delivery/receiving systems, plus an inexpensive connection device. Such systems are offered in packaged form by a number of system vendors, making them available to retailers and suppliers both large and small.
Communication Standard
The UCS Communication Standard is designed to provide a practical and standard approach to the electronic interchange of data between participants. The objective of this document is to:
- Provide for the communication of EDI data
- Identify alternative communication methods
- Specify the Communication Standard for industry use Provide operational guidelines for using the Standard
Internet Standard
The E-Commerce Transport Communication Guidelines is designed to define the technical communication protocols used to transport over the internet using EDIINT-AS1 and EDIINT-AS2 standards.
For copies of the guidelines and standards go to the Solutions Center or the GS1 US Product Catalog. |
