GTIN
Colloquially, many know GTIN as a barcode, but technically, GTIN is the number found beneath the barcode symbol itself, and can therefore also be used for other technologies such as 2D barcodes and RFID tags.
Colloquially, many know GTIN as a barcode, but technically, GTIN is the number found beneath the barcode symbol itself, and can therefore also be used for other technologies such as 2D barcodes and RFID tags.
Lene Borch and Ole Thorngreen have a combined 20+ years of experience in securely managing master data throughout the supply chain. This offers many advantages at a time when transport-related carbon footprints need to be reduced and consumers need to be able to find all product information on the internet. This cannot be achieved without data. Lots of data, and accurate data at that.
Retail Partner, where Ole and Lene are employed as Supply & Customer Service Manager and Supply & Demand Planner respectively, has been in business for 6 years and is based in Søborg near Copenhagen. Retail Partner is a distributor of branded goods and acts as the link between domestic and international suppliers and customers across all four Nordic countries.
Their logistics setup covers everything from collection at suppliers' factories to deliveries to all customers. They therefore have a vested interest in accurate product data. As Lene puts it:
"How can you avoid shipping empty air if you don't know exactly how much space the pallets take up? Or build a display without knowing the dimensions of the sales units?"
"We sell well-known brands like Kleenex, Huggies, and Derma to both retail and other outlets, such as Matas, Babysam, and Nomeco. Regardless of the channel, our mission is always to be a great partner to the trade," says Ole. And in this strong partnership, master data plays a crucial role:
"We need accurate master data – receiving it from our suppliers so we can pass it on to our customers and logistics partners."
As a daily user of GS1Trade Sync, the master data service from GS1 Denmark, Lene has followed its development closely. She has found that the system has become easier to use:
"I can really tell that GS1 is working on the system's usability. For example, I'm a big fan of the new option to publish many products at once via Excel. It saves me a lot of time."
Retail Partner also uses two add-on services for GS1Trade Sync: GS1Trade Exact helps verify logistics and label information, and GS1Trade Image handles marketing and planogram photography.
"We send our products to GS1 in Rødovre. If GS1 finds errors in the data we have uploaded to GS1Trade Sync, they correct the data for us – and naturally send us a report. If we need packshots, they are taken at the same time. It works so well," says Lene.
Even though we have now designated product master data as the foundation for trade, there is actually something that comes before data.
The glue that binds a product to its master data is the unique identification of the product. This number is the GTIN – or the barcode number, as it is also called:
"It is simply the barcode number that ensures clarity. It is what our customers order by, so we are never in doubt whether they want a case or a pallet. It is what our Key Account Managers use, and it is what allows us to have a great partnership with our logistics and warehouse partner, Freja Logistik. Our entire inventory is held at Freja, and they pack shipments and displays for us. That requires having a firm grasp on what is what."
Lene has recently chosen to join the working group for GS1Trade Sync:
"I want to help influence the future of master data management. It is exciting to be involved in shaping the content and features of the system so that it takes our needs as users into account."
At GS1 Denmark, Head of Retail/Foodservice Thomas Borre is pleased that Retail Partner has joined the working group:
"We are moving strongly into selected non-food categories, such as personal care and toys. Therefore, it is vital that we establish a strong and close collaboration with all parties involved in that supply chain – such as Retail Partner. Otherwise, we simply cannot fulfill our role as a facilitator for the supply chain."
What does it take to get off to a good start with master data? Ole and Lene share their experience in these tips:
GS1Trade Image provides professional marketing and planogram images that meet retailers' requirements and imaging guidelines.
If you want to create your own product photos, we can also help you get certified.
GS1Trade Sync is a data pool for product data exchange that your trading partners can access.
GS1Trade Sync streamlines data exchange between trading partners because data only needs to be entered in one place. This increases the quality of product data and creates value for you - and the entire value chain.
GS1Trade Packaging is a packaging data system that gathers your packaging data in one place. The system ensures efficient collection, structuring, and declaration of packaging data, and makes it easy to exchange packaging data with other companies.
GS1Trade Exact ensures the quality of your product data. All physical products are checked against the data registered in GS1Trade Sync.
With this service, you get verified and quality-assured data that benefits the entire supply chain.
GS1Trade Transact handles the digital receipt of orders and the sending of documents to your customers. You can choose whether to integrate it with your financial system or access it online.
GTIN (also known as EAN) stands for “Global Trade Item Number” and is the number sequence shown beneath a barcode symbol.
GTIN (EAN) is a global standard used to uniquely identify digital and physical products, allowing the barcode to be scanned anywhere in the world throughout the supply chain.
A GLN (also known as EAN) allows you to uniquely identify physical, functional, legal, or digital entities. This can include the sender, receiver, buyer, seller, supplier, manufacturer, delivery location, billing location, store, or internal departments.
