GS1 standards create a common foundation for business by uniquely identifying, accurately capturing and automatically sharing vital information about products, locations, assets and more. Businesses can also combine different GS1 standards to streamline business processes such as traceability.
Identify
GS1 identification standards include standards that define unique identification codes (called GS1 identification keys) which may be used by an information system to refer unambiguously to a real-world entity such as a:
trade item
logistics unit
physical location
document
service relationship
other entity
Capture
GS1 data capture standards currently include definitions of bar code and radio-frequency identification (RFID) data carriers which allow GS1 Identification Keys and supplementary data to be affixed directly to a physical object, and standards that specify consistent interfaces to readers, printers, and other hardware and software components that connect the data carriers to business applications.
Share
GS1 standards for information sharing include data standards for master data, business transaction data, and physical event data, as well as communication standards for sharing this data between applications and trading partners. Other information sharing standards include discovery standards that help locate where relevant data resides across a supply chain and trust standards that help establish the conditions for sharing data with adequate security.
Use
Businesses can also combine different GS1 standards to streamline business processes such as traceability.