The GS1 Standards
The GS1 Standards include the following key technologies for the supply chain:Product identification and Bar Codeing
Electronic Communication
Global Data Synchronisation
Radio Frequency Identification
Items Tracking and Tracing
These standards and solutions will provide the proper and the efficient implementation of the technologies for the supply chain in the global commerce.
The GS1 Standards are managed and updated by GSMP (Global Standards Management Process)
Product identification and Bar Codeing
The GS1 System covers different apllication area including trade items, logistic units, assets and location.All these applications are based on standard numbering structures that helps in identifying all the important articles and articles’ data. The numbers are access keys to the databases and they allow an accurate identification of the items managed by a transactional message. The numbering serves only for the identification. All the describing information for a product or service together with its characteristics will be retrieved in the database.
They are communicated by the supplyer to the user only once, before the first transaction by standard messages or by electronic catalogues.
The numbers are reprezented in bar codes to enable automatic data capture in everyplace where an article leaves or enters in a space.
The same numbers are also used for EDI messages to allow the transfer of the article’s transaction information to the involved partners.
This standard numbering structure provides the global unicity into a specific application area.
The three important numbering system’s items are:
THE GLOBAL TRADE ITEM NUMBER (GTIN):
GTIN is used for the unique identification of one commercial item allover the world . The identification and the printing of the commercial item’s symbol allows the automatic activities of a selling point ( the file PLU- price look up), the automatic activities of the products reception, the inventory’s administration, the automatic orders and a large variety of commerce application .
THE SERIAL SHIPPING CONTAINER CODE (SSCC)
SSCC is a standard number for a unique identification of the logistic units ( transport and store ).
By scanning the SSCC on every logistic unit, the physical movement of the units can be individually tracked and traced by establishing a link between the the physical movement and the associated informational flow. It also offers good opportunities for implementing a wide range of applications such as cross-docking, expedition routing, automatic reception.
THE GLOBAL LOCATION NUMBER (GLN)
GLN is used to identify a firm or an organization as a legal entity. GLNs are used to identify the physical location or the functional entities inside the firm.
A location number is an identification number that shows the physical, functional or legal entities The location numbers are useful in an electronic data interchange (EDI) .
THE IDENTIFIER NUMBERS SYMBOLOGY
In GS1 system only EAN/UPC bar codes are used for scaning at the selling points. Other application, such as back-door reception or in warehouses three different types of symbols can be used: EAN/UPC, ITF-14 and UCC/EAN-128.
Following instructions for symbology choice and any other details are accessible only for GS1 Romania members.
Electronic Communication
Inside a proper commercial data exchange frame, the commercial partners adopt message standards for data comprehension for all users with the same standard and the same rules of message body construct.The standard for messages defines the used character set, syntax and grammar. The data are organized in data fields, logical interconnected, that are called segments. Each segment has a name that can be read with details regarding the data items and the data codes that it must contain and the compulsory or optional specification. For every data item, the number of characters and the type ( digits or alphanumeric) are defined . The data codes are used to put the data items in a context. The codes are printed in the message standard dictionary .
EANCOM is the global standard for classical EDI, developed and aministrated by GS1, based on UN/EDIFACT standard that supplies the structure and the rules for working in transactional business in commerce.
ebXML is a modular specifications structure allowing to develop a business by Internet to different organizations, no matter how big they are. ebXML allows the organizations to execute standard business processes based on standard business messages interchange. The ebXML initiative was launched in 1999 and it is supported by OASIS and UN/CEFACT.
The standards for messages GS1 are developed and managed inside the Global Standards Management Process (GSMP)
Global Data Synchronisation
The strong development of the electronic catalogues which provide the whole and real products’ exhibition for the market, the succesfull experiments in linking databases ( GEPIR network of electronic catalogues of national GS1 organizations) and the global commercial interchanges leaded GS1 to develop activities for standardizing the content of the catalogues and the interface conditions. So, a new system and the Global Register were created. This system harmonizes the compulsory items in describing a commercial product in a database. The Global Register is a general manager of the essential data regarding the producers and their products stored in any catalogues linked with the register. The access to the Global Register (GR) is allowed only for the databases (catalogues) certified as compatible with GS1 standards.This worldwide catalogues system linked to GR, together with the communication system – Internet, form the Global Data Syncronisation Network (GDSN) . The network’s parts contain data in a standard form that can be synchronized –interchanged among the commercial chain’s partners. GS1 created a Supervisory Comitee, responsable for the strategic goals and for the establishing of the certified conditions. GS1 will manage the GR and will cetify the catalogues and will develop a functional GR, as an independent unit to any other services provided by this.
The National GS1 Organizations are the only entities allowing the access to this global system, they can provide the promoting, training and implementation services for connecting to GDSN and they also can provide certified electronic catalogue supports. The GDSN will allow the interchange of exactely, correct and in time data among partners, with important benefits for them, considering the enormous price and the effects of incorrect data. Beginning with 1st August 2004, GR works as “ GS1 Global registry TM”. The pilot tests for operating and connecting GR to the next databases: b Trade Inc, CABASnet, SXS, WWARE,Sterling Commerce, Transora and UCCnet were finished.
Radio Frequency Identification
Although the radio frequency identification (RFID) was discovered at the middle of the last century, it was less or more ignored. The interest in the new technology was reborned after 1990, together with the oportunities provided in the development and in the optimizing the distribution chains, stocks management and fast payments. In the future, with the development of the application, an esential change in commercial and logistic processes is foreseen. The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is recommended to be the bar code next generation. It is a new way to encode based on an electronic chip, to identify any individual industrial unit: object , good, box, pallet, logistic unit. This electronic label can be read by radio waves and so it is possible to locate the products in the distribution chain. The label can be remotely read without the necessity of direct view of the products.As known, the GS1 system has taken over the charge of the standardisation and the development of this new product, and it created a specific entity: EPCglobal. This entity will help the companies to implement and use the new system.
Till now, hundreds of companies joined the new system that is defined by the first standards for the tag format on 64 or 96 bits and the associated definition for GS1 serial keys for products, logistic units and goods.
Together with GCI and IBM a roadmap for GPC was created and in the USA, at Wal-Mart, the tests have begun and another tests will follow in Europe, at Tesco and Metro.
EPCglobal Inc.is preparing this technology implementation anyplace where it is demanded, beginning with the logistic distribution chains and domestic appliances or goods. The national oraganisations in EPCglobal put this problem in the center of their programmes.