There is recognition within the Information Technology sector of the industry, and it's suppliers, that significant supply chain efficiencies can be gained through the establishment and adoption of vertical industry standards for commercial data interchange.
Such standards should be open and accessible to all, and deliver a wide spectrum of capabilities suitable to meet the full breadth of business needs.
The Produce Industry IT Standards Association (PIITSA) was formed after the deregulation of the NZ pipfruit industry to produce and maintain one set of standards for NZ master data and EDI exchanges. This objective has now been incorperated as part of the responsibilities of Pipfruit New Zealand.
Discussions about these standards and other topic related to information technology in the pipfruit industry can be found here.