Developers, technologists and business leaders from some of the biggest companies in the promotional products industry convened last week for a volunteer collaboration session focused on creating new technology standards that aim to revolutionize how promo clears and resolves purchase order issues and holds.

The gathering was part of PromoStandards, a nonprofit group that works to standardize and enable the quick flow of information between suppliers and distributors to reduce transaction friction and improve the customer experience.

“This standard will be a game changer for the entire industry,” said Jon Norris, a PromoStandards board member, member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people, and chief operating officer at supplier Starline (asi/89320). “Regardless of purchase order submission source, we now have the ability to modify orders, resolve issues and clear holds, with the most impactful hold resolution being digital proofs.”

PromoStandards plans to preview these services and more at its first annual Hack-A-Thon and Technology Summit this October in Tampa, FL.

Top 40 supplier Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125) hosted the event in Tampa, FL.

“We collaborate best in person when we can lock this high-bandwidth group into a room for two days with clear objectives and deliverables,” said Eric Shonebarger, president of Hit Promo and PromoStandards committee chair. “We walked out with a great MVP and draft standard that we can take back to our respective teams and the PromoStandards community.”

Other companies represented at the gathering included Top 40 firms HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000), Proforma (asi/300094), Gemline (asi/56070), and Polyconcept North America (PCNA, asi/78897).

ASI is also a member of PromoStandards.