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.
When RFID first appeared in the retail sector about 10 years ago, some touted the technology as something akin to the Lucky Luke character Doc Doxey’s magic elixir, which supposedly cured everything. As with Doc Doxey’s elixir, that turned out not to be the case. But that does not mean RFID is insignificant: RFID pays off, as the Moods of Norway case demonstrates.
Despite failing to live up to its status as a miracle cure, RFID has still managed to improve supply chains in several industries – including the textile and apparel industry.
One example is Moods of Norway, the Norwegian clothing brand and retailer, which has experienced significant improvements in internal logistics, inventory management, and e-commerce by using RFID tags.
In 2013, Moods of Norway and GS1 Norway launched a pilot project that was so successful that in August 2014, they began a full-scale implementation of RFID across all the chain’s stores. This work was completed by the end of September that same year, and they have been further developing the system – and reaping the benefits – ever since.
Among the results, Moods of Norway’s stores found that they could now check inventory in one hour – something that previously took 30 hours. As a result, the stores can now check their inventory status every week.
In addition, the introduction of RFID has meant that stores now experience near 100% inventory accuracy. By comparison, stores without RFID typically experience an accuracy of less than 70%.
The increased control over inventory also made it possible for Moods of Norway to open up online sales from individual store inventories. Previously, this would not have been possible, as the individual stores in the chain did not have sufficient knowledge of their stock.
Moods of Norway is a great example of a company that has seen significant improvements after introducing RFID into its supply chain. Moods of Norway is a larger company, but size is not a criterion for benefiting from RFID. In general, the increased inventory accuracy that RFID provides benefits both large and small businesses, especially in the context of e-commerce.
“Fast delivery times for smaller shipments are what customers demand, and that requires a rock-solid, real-time overview of your inventory – and here, RFID gives companies the necessary foundation to ensure an optimal customer experience,” says Mads Kibsgaard, Supply Chain Specialist at GS1 Denmark.
"GS1 provides standards for how RFID tagging should be implemented, and as a member organization, we are always looking for initiatives that create value for our members. That is why we are now focusing on the use of RFID across various industries, with the goal of informing our members about the opportunities that RFID brings," says Mads.
"We are looking for members who would like to explore the use of RFID within their own organization. We encourage members to reach out to us if, for example, they are interested in an RFID project, need guidance on the subject, or simply want to hear more," Mads concludes.
Contact Mads Kibsgaard by phone at 39 16 90 08 or via email mki@gs1.dk.
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.
