Project i-TRACE will set the foundation for standardising the way parts and components are identified, barcoded and/or tagged across the sector using GS1 global data standards (GDS).

1. THE AUSTRALIAN RAIL INDUSTRY IS WORKING TOWARDS
implementing Project i-TRACE by 1 January 2019.
Project i-TRACE will set the foundation for standardising
the way parts and components are identified, barcoded
and/or tagged across the sector using GS1 global data
standards (GDS).
Danny Broad, Chief Executive Officer at the Australasian
Railway Association (ARA), said, “Improving how the rail
industry traces and tracks assets through their lifecycles is
critical to unlocking improvements in efficiency and safety.
“This is why the Australasian Railway Association is
working closely with GS1 Australia to standardise how
materials are identified in the value chain through Project
i-TRACE.”
Getting the industry ready for 1 January 2019Getting the industry ready for 1 January 2019
GS1 Australia’s Senior Manager – Freight, Logistics &
Industrial Sectors, Bonnie Ryan, said, “The ARA and GS1
have been busy running a series of supplier workshops
in capital cities around Australia, with presentations from
operators, to get suppliers up to speed with the project.
The workshops were also a great opportunity for suppliers
to learn about the range of tools and technologies
available for the implementation of GS1 standards.”
At the Project i-TRACE supplier workshop in Melbourne,
Darren Cooper, Manager, Supply Chain & Logistics at
KDR – Yarra Trams, said, “Project i-TRACE has enabled us to
identify items and maintain them within the systems with a
simple scan. We scan products from our suppliers into the
warehouse and suppliers get paid straight away. Paper
easily gets lost when relying on manual processes.”
At the same workshop, Ramesh Reddy, Inventory
Manager at V/Line, said, “In the last two years, we started
to look at the types of standards to bring across. GS1
labelling and barcoding is now used to scan and see
what sort of product it is. We are looking for standardised
information from our suppliers so we can trace products
from inventory through the network.”
During the recording of a video on a separate occasion,
Michael Mowat, Senior Manager Logistics at V/Line, said,
“Adoption of the GS1 barcoding standard helped us fast
track how we manage basic inventory. We can uniquely
identify each of our high value assets. This allows us to
track information through the life of the asset.”
Jump on board for the latest Project i-TRACE newsJump on board for the latest Project i-TRACE news
“With the implementation date less than six months away, I
encourage suppliers to subscribe to the newsletter to keep
up-to-date with the latest Project i-TRACE news,” added Ms
Ryan.
Subscribe to Project i-TRACE news here:
www.gs1au.org/project-itrace-news.
For more information about Project i-TRACE, contact
Bonnie Ryan, Senior Manager – Trade, Transport & Heavy
Industry, GS1 Australia, at bonnie.ryan@gs1au.org or
Duncan Sheppard, General Manager – Freight & Industry
Programs, Australasian Railway Association (ARA), at
dsheppard@ara.net.au.
Project i-TRACE is transforming the Australian Rail Industry