November saw the launch of two major Food Data Collaboration project pilots, trialling real-world use of data interoperability software designed to facilitate the automated sharing of product and order information between two different online sales platforms: Shopify and the Open Food Network UK.
The first pilot links the Shopify outlet of Barnbarroch Organic, suppliers of organic grass-fed beef, with Galloway Food Hub on the Open Food Network, enabling automated sharing of product and order information between the platforms and significantly reducing the administrative burden that would otherwise be involved in manually listing stock and managing orders via both platforms.
Building upon the preliminary pilot undertaken with Goodery in Norwich, the second pilot links supplier of British-grown wholefoods Hodmedod’s (using Shopify) with members of the Good Food Loop, a not-for-profit online wholesale marketplace and distribution network bringing together sustainable producers and like-minded business customers across the South West via the Open Food Network.
Both pilots offer the opportunity to test the integrations in a real-world setting and identify and respond to any issues and glitches that may become apparent, as well as gain insights into the tangible benefits of the data interoperability software in practice. Stay tuned for more updates as the pilots progress.