Global data synchronisation: Deployment and implementation issues of a global standard-based information system

As businesses transact globally, collaborative transaction management and collaborative supply chain management are two strategically important measures for improving the efficiency of business operations in the global scope. In such a setting, it is gradually becoming evident that the inefficiency of business operations can be, at least partially, attributed to the lack of quality data. Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) was developed in the consumer-packaged goods industry as a global standard-based information system to address the critical issue of data quality. GDSN has many unique characteristics as an information system that is designed to be adopted internationally. This paper discusses how the global standard-based information system has been deployed and issues the governing organisation and businesses contemplating to join the network must address in order to facilitate the broader adoption of similar global information systems to be developed in the future.