Supply Chain Standards Associations VICS and GS1 US to Merge

The Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions (VICS) Association and GS1 US, two leading supply chain standards associations, have announced that they will merge their operations. The integration process is already under way and the organizations expect to enter into a definitive agreement by the end of 2012.

"Combining the strengths of GS1 US and VICS will benefit industry by providing a single 'clearinghouse' for innovation and new ideas," said GS1 president and CEO Bob Carpenter in a statement. The joint GS1 US-VICS initiative will reside in the GS1 US Apparel and General Merchandise group; the two associations already share office space in Lawrenceville, NJ.

Both the VICS Item Level RFID Initiative (VILRI) and the GS1 US Item Level Readiness Program are designed to provide apparel and general merchandise retailers with the education, training, tools and community support to implement Electronic Product Code (EPC) item-level tagging into their day-to-day operations.

"This is a logical next step in the growth of both organizations, especially considering the synergies between the member communities of VICS and GS1 US," said VICS president and CEO Joe Andraski. "Our members will be well served by the global reach of the GS1 organization, particularly as they adopt EPC-enabled RFID. And existing VICS activities will be rolled into the new integrated structure, providing continuity."

VICS currently has 143 members, 68% of which also belong to GS1 US, which serves over 200,000 companies as part of the global GS1 organization. Since its founding in 1986, VICS has operated as an independent entity, with GS1's support and assistance.

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