The GS1 System originated in the
United States and was established in 1973 by the
Uniform Product Code Council, known until recently
as the Uniform Code Council, Inc. (UCC) and since
2005 as GS1 US. The UCC originally adopted a 12-digit
identification number, and the first ID numbers
and bar code symbols in open trade were being scanned
in 1974. Following the success of this U.P.C. System,
the European Article Numbering Association, previously
known as EAN International, but launched as GS1
in 2005, was established in 1977 to develop a compatible
system for use outside North America. The EAN System
was designed as a superset of the UCC System and
principally used 13-digit numbers. As a consequence
of using certain bar code symbols and data structures,
the GS1 System has expanded.
The GS1 System provides for the use of unambiguous
numbers to identify goods, services, assets, and
locations worldwide. These numbers can be represented
in bar code symbols to enable their electronic reading
wherever required in business processes. The system
is designed to overcome the limitations of using
company, organisation, or sector specific coding
systems, and to make trading much more efficient
and responsive to customers.
These identification numbers are also used in Electronic
Data Interchange (EDI), XML electronic messaging,
Global Data Synchronization (GDSN), and GS1 Network
Systems. This document provides information about
syntax, assignment, allocation and Automatic Data
Capture (ADC) standards for GS1 identification numbers.
In addition to providing unique identification numbers,
the GS1 System provides for supplementary information,
such as best before dates, serial numbers, and batch
numbers, which can appear in bar code symbol form.
Currently, bar code symbols are used as the data
carriers, but other technologies, such as radio
frequency tags are being developed within EPCglobal
as carriers of GS1 data. Changes take place only
after wide consultation and are subject to a significant
migration period.
By following the principles and design of the GS1
System, users can design applications to process
GS1 System data automatically. The system logic
guarantees that data captured from GS1 endorsed
bar code symbols produces unambiguous electronic
messages, and processing can be fully pre-programmed.
The GS1 System is designed for use in any industry
or trade sector, and any changes to the system are
introduced so as not to negatively affect current
users.
In February 2005, GS1 was officially launched as
the successor to the organisations previously known
as EAN and UCC. This document is the concise definition
and explanation of the use of the GS1 System standards
within Automatic Identification and Data Capture
(AIDC) technologies, and supersedes all previous
AIDC technical documents provided and/or published
by GS1 or its predecessor organisations. The document
takes immediate effect as the agreed GS1 foundational
standards including Application, Identification,
and Data Carrier components and principles. Every
organisation using GS1 System standards is requested
to conform fully to the GS1 General Specifications.
