1. Developments with GS1 standards and applications
John Pearce
7 November 2014

2. Agenda What the GS1 System is achieving
The importance of GS1 barcodes to enable accurate data capture
Which barcodes are going to be more popular
Changes to the GS1 General Specifications, especially concerning verification

3. GS1: A global system of standards
designs and implements a global system of supply chain standards
GS1 standards provide a framework that allows products, services, and information about them to move efficiently and securely for the benefit of businesses and the improvement of people’s lives, everyday, everywhere.

4. GS1 System of Standards
GS1 Standards for identifying, capturing, and sharing information—about products, business locations, and more—make it possible for companies to speak the same language, connect with each other, and move their business forward.

5. GS1’s four key product areas
Global standards for automatic identification
Rapid and accurate item, asset or location identification
Global standards for electronic business messaging
Rapid, efficient & accurate business data exchange
The network for global data synchronisation
Standardised, reliable data for effective business transactions
Global standards for RFID-based identification
More accurate, immediate and cost effective visibility of information

6. GS1 System Architecture

7. GS1 identification keys
GTINs for products, services
GLNs for locations (legal and physical)
SSCCs for logistics units
GIAIs for individual assets
GRAIs for returnable assets
GDTIs for documents
GSRNs for individuals in a particular context
GINCs for consignments
GSINs for shipments
GCN for money-off coupons
CPID for manufacturers’ own supply-chains

8. GS1 barcodes For retail point of sale and general distribution:
EAN/UPC, GS1 DataBar
For general distribution
ITF-14, GS1-128
For regulated healthcare products
GS1 DataMatrix (GTINs and GIAIs)
For animal healthcare products (including general distribution)
GS1 DataMatrix
For extended packaging
GS1 QR Code

9. GS1 barcodes

10. More GS1 barcodes
GS1 DataMatrix in use now for regulated healthcare products and all animal healthcare packaging levels.
GS1 QR Code, standardised since 2012, to provide link to extra information about the product – technique called ‘extended packaging’.

11. Increased use of 2D symbols
GS1 is working with the Consumer Goods Forum and the Food Marketing Institute to develop the next generation of product identification – NGPI.
This will enable more specific information about the product to be available to the consumer.
This would be a GTIN plus either Packaging Variant, Web URL, Expiry Date, Batch/Lot Number, or Serial Number – with Packaging Variant being looked at first.

12. Same five GTIN attributes as healthcare
More information
GTIN plus:
Package Variant
Web URL
Expiry Date
Lot Number
Serial Number
Advanced data carriers
GS1 QR Code GS1 DataMatrix
GS1 DataBar 12

13. Issues and opportunities
Short-term focus
Data Item
Issues and opportunities
What’s next?
Package Variation Number
Provides consumers with accurate information
PVN Allocation Rules to be established alongside refresh of GTIN Allocation rules
GS1 Standard does not exist – GSMP starting now
AIDC testing
URL
Requires larger area on packaging
Potential alternative to using a URL embedded in a GS1 QR Code
Update OMA standards
Expiry date
Parameters to be established
Dynamic printing currently limited to line speeds up to 120 ppm
Catalogue best practices
Assess dynamic printing capability
Lot Number
Little interest here due to practical problem of dynamic printing capability
Lower priority, for now
Serial Number

14. Increasing reliance on extra data
The GS1 work on NGPI is continuing, and at the moment is considering how best to enable mobile scanning – consumers using their smartphones.
The GS1 standard for extended packaging using a GS1 QR Code, and the AIs 01 and 8200 is not being used.
Whatever is eventually decided, a two-dimensional symbol will be required, initially alongside an EAN/UPC/GS1 DataBar symbol, and perhaps, eventually replacing it.

15. Consumer Information Transparency Initiative
This is sponsored by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), with support from the FMI and GS1, and is aiming to improve information for consumers.
A smartphone app that will enable consumers to have much more detailed information about the particular product they are looking at.

16. A CITI governance model is needed
Information
and
dialogue
provided by
the
Brand
Consumer
Information
Transparency
Initiative
Scan the
QR Code
CITI
Defined Attributes
Attributes on the landing page
must be correct, regulated and defined
CITI needs to explain this is communication with the brand

17. A possible landing page

18. Other GS1 research
As new barcodes (such as GS1 DataBar Expanded) can be used throughout the supply chain, and scanners must be able to decode more symbols, are the barcodes the correct size?
GS1 is organising research with the University of Pittsburgh, to test thousands of differently sized, different symbols with different scanners, to see if the Symbol Specification Tables should be adjusted.

19. Changes to GS1 standards for 2015
New AIs for fish traceability
New rules for text below bar codes on healthcare trade items
New GTIN allocation rules for healthcare products
USA coupon codes withdrawn

20. Changes to GS1 standards for 2015
Allowing GS1 DataMatrix for direct part marking for retail point of sale together with EAN/UPC/GS1 DataBar symbols.
Allowing for more use of GS1 QR Code as an alternative to GS1 DataMatrix
Changes to aperture sizes for verification of EAN/UPC symbols.

21. The verification changes
These are being made so that verification matches more closely the scanning environments.
Retail point-of-sale scanners use narrower beams of light than general distribution scanners.
Axicon plug-ins will be available for users to ensure that they choose the correct aperture size for the particular application.
See section of GS1 General Specifications.

22. New minimum quality specifications
EAN/UPC/GS1 DataBar symbols
X-dimension range
Scanning environment
Minimum quality specification
0.264 mm* to 0.66 mm
(Target size mm)
Retail point-of- sale
1.5/06/660
0.495 mm to 0.66 mm
(Target size – 0.66 mm)
General distribution
1.5/10/660
(Target size – 0.66mm)
Retail POS and GD
*0.250 mm is minimum size for on-demand printing

23. GS1 Verification Templates

24. For 1D and 2D symbols

25. Plug-ins for extra functionality
GS1 verification templates are one example of the optional plug-ins that Axicon provides.
Plug-ins can be used to validate the correct structure of some identification numbers, check GTIN validity with the correct database, and so on.
Plug-ins can be written by Axicon staff to meet customers’ particular requirements.

26. Contact details
John Pearce