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Common Identification Standards
Common identification standards are a vital basic enabler to permit efficient and effective communication of product, replenishment and business data between trading partners. In this section of the scorecard, we consider the following elements:
- Use of the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) at the consumer unit level
- Use of the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) at the traded unit level (case, carton, inner and outer)
- Use of the Global Location Number (GLN)
- Use of the Serial Shipment Container Code (SSCC)
- Use of the Electronic Product Code (EPC) using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags
- Use of the GS1 Product Classification Standard schema
The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
The GTIN is a 14 digit number which is used to identify each item type, whether it is a unit that a consumer would purchase, or a traded unit (such as a case or a carton) which a manufacturer would sell to a retailer or wholesaler.
| The structure of the GTIN |
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The first digit indicates the logistics unit, whether it is the consumer unit, the inner carton or the case.
| The different bar code symbols map on to the GTIN in the following way: |
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Serial Shipping Container Code
The Serial Shipment Container Code (SSCC) uniquely identifies each shipment unit. It is normally applied to a pallet or a shipping container. The SSCC is an 18 digit number which comprises the GS1 company prefix and the serial number of the container.
The SSCC is held in a database on the company's systems which identifies the products on the pallet or within the container. This information can be transmitted to trading partners using standard electronic messages.
When the pallet or container is shipped it is shipped with a Logistics Label which contains the SSCC numerically and using the EAN128 bar code.
When combined with the electronic Advanced Shipment Notification message, the SSCC can be used to automate the goods receiving process and reduce data mis-matches.
Global Location Number
| A Global Location Number is a number that identifies any legal, functional or physical location within a business of organizational entity, such as: |
- Legal entities: whole companies, subsidiaries or divisions such as supplier, customer, bank, forwarder,
- functional entities: a specific department within a legal entity, e.g. accounting department;
- Physical entities: a particular room in a building, e.g. warehouse or warehouse gate, delivery point, transmission point.
The GLN is used in Standard Electronic Messages to identify where a specific supply chain event should take place. It could be a delivery location, the location of a supplier, a pick up point, or the location of a customer's accounts office for example.
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The structure of the GLN is shown below:
| 123 |
456789012 |
8 |
| EAN.UCC Prefix |
Company prefix & Number
allocated by the company |
Check Digit |
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Electronic Product Code
The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is business application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to the supply chain. RFID tags uniquely identify not only each type of item, as defined by the GTIN, but each individual piece by using serial numbers. The GTIN and the serial number combine to for the EPC as shown below.
The EPC is detected by readers transmitting radio waves which are collected by the RFID tag's antenna and energize the microchip, which responds by transmitting the EPC back to the reader.
Follow the links below to find out more about this technology and the effect it is expected to have on the supply chain in the future.
Product Classification Standard
| The GS1 has created standard product classification schemas covering many consumer products categories. The schema provides standard hierarchies for classifying individual items into sub-categories and categories. This helps in the following circumstances: |
- Allows market research data to be presented in a standard way to facilitate like-for-like comparisons
- Allows trading partners to work together on category management initiatives and to review the category at different levels in a standard way
- Supports collaborative planning and forecasting, allowing projected sales volumes to be aggregated and disaggregated in a standard manner
| The classification uses a brick, attribute and value structure as shown in the example below. The diagram below shows how to connect with other classification systems. The standard schemas are available from GS1.
Additional Resources
EAN presentation on item codes
GS1's page on the GTIN
GS1's page on the SSCC
GS1's page on the GLN
Details of the standards surrounding the use of Electronic Product Codes can be found at EPCglobal's web site
A lot of useful material on Electronic Product Codes is available at the GCI's EPC Working Group web site
EPC: A Shared Vision for Transforming Business Processes - Created by IBM for GCI - September 2005
GCI EPC Roadmap Full Report
GCI EPC Roadmap Executive Brief
An Integrated View of the Global Data Synchronisation Network and the Electronic Product Code Network
A Balanced Perspective: EPC/RFID Implementation in the CPG Industry from Grocery Manufacturers of America
EPC video produced by GCI and IBM Full version Reduced size
Video of EPC in auto scanning (14MB)
GS1's Global Product Classification site 
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