Mandate

MANDATE AND ROLE FOR STAND – STANDARDIZATION COMMITTEE FOR THE NORWEGIAN GROCERY SECTOR

Background

The committee was established in 1998.

The committee consists of four representatives and four substitute members from each of the organizations DLF (Grocery suppliers of Norway) and DMF AS (Norwegian Grocery Sector’s Environmental Forum). In addition, GS1 Norway has a role as observer. The leader and secretariat are allocated to DLF and DMF and rotate every second year.

The committee has prepared recommendations for the grocery industry, which can be found on STAND’s website www.stand.no .

Mandate

STAND will develop and recommend relevant framework and guidelines contributing to sustainable and effective supply chains in the Norwegian grocery sector*.

This includes topics relevant for the flow of goods and information, such as:

  • Shared master data, transactions, eCOM, and track & trace
  • Packaging and labelling
  • Load carriers and distribution

Matters related to sustainability and food waste must be emphasized in particular.

The committee’s work should as far as possible be based on international standards.

STAND’s recommendations, in terms of standards and guidelines, will be valid when incorporated in the bilateral agreements between the parties.

* The guidelines are developed for use within the grocery sector. Relevant topics are also suitable for use within convenience and catering.

Form of cooperation

  • STAND operates its activities according to a continuous work program. DLF and DMF propose suggestions on issues that need to be addressed. STAND will strive to ensure that all issues of common interest affecting the entire value chain from manufacturer to consumer are coordinated through STAND. Project and working groups are created are established when needed. If either DLF or DMF want to conduct an internal project before it is presented to STAND, then the counterparty should be informed of this work as early as possible.
  • STAND produces its own recommendations and coordinates external recommendations that require the approval of DLF and DMF.
  • STAND puts approved recommendations into practice by publishing on the internet and seminars. The recommendations have a common design to make it clear that they are approved by DLF and DMF.

The standardization process

The standards must be of high quality and developed to be generally accepted in the grocery industry. The work is based on the following routines for the preparation, implementation and follow-up of all recommendations:

  • STAND defines the work and establishes a project or workgroup
  • Determining the purpose of the standard
  • Evaluation of cost/benefit of the initiative.
  • Anchoring of interested parties through hearings
  • Quality assurance in DLF and DMF’s workgroups
  • Determination of implementation date for new standards
  • Audits will be completed by 1st September and published
  • STAND approves the standard and recommends approval by DLF and DMF

The standards must be open and voluntarily in the grocery industry. STAND’s activities and recommendations must always be within the framework of current competition law.

Finance

Each party cover their own costs of participation in STAND.

Projects launched by STAND are financed equally by industry and retail, invoiced by Tradesolution.

Possible participation in international forums on behalf of STAND is agreed separately.

Coordination in the industry

There are currently several persons and committees working with standardization within, or in connection with the grocery value chain. STAND has the responsibility to make the best use of resources through coordinating inputs and ideas, avoiding duplication and strengthening implementation through focusing on measures by uniformly recognizable presentation.

STAND’s standards are posted on the website and other standards such as GS1 are linked from STAND’s website, so industry representatives can find unified standards and guidelines via one single point of entry: www.stand.no

Approved by the board in DMF 30.6.05 and by the board in DLF 31.8.05.
Latest revised September 2023.

The parties may make changes to the mandate if necessary.