GS1 Global Traceability Standards (GTS)

GS1 created the Global Traceability Standard (GTS) with the aim that it should become the recognised reference for companies to implement traceability system. GTS was developed by a community of more than 800 companies from Asia, Europe and the Americas regions representing retailers, suppliers, GS1 Member Organisations and solutions providers in a wide range of industries. GTS makes traceability systems possible on a global scale for both small and large organisations, throughout the supply chain regardless of the numbers of companies involved and the enabling technologies applied.

The GS1 GTS does not compete with other international standards such as the ISO, Safe Quality Food (SQF), British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Food Standards, Food Marketing Institute, GLOBALG.A.P, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) or various other certifications. In fact GS1 helps companies and organisations meet the demands of these standards and certification by providing the tools to achieve the required levels of traceability.


GS1 Traceability Implementation

Key traceability principles and implementatation grid that links the principles to enabling technologies and GS1 System tools


Traceability Data Management in Production


Identification management in a production environment is characterised by:

  1. Several supplier locations (GLN 1-3), which send pallets of materials (SSCC 1-4).
  2. At reception, materials are stored and/or ordered for the production process.
  3. At the production site (GLN 4), consumer units (GTIN 1) are produced in separate batches (each identified with a distinct Batch Number).
  4. In the packaging step, consumer units (GTIN 1 and its Batch Number) are packed into standard grouping units (GTIN 2).
  5. In the next two steps - storage and preparation for shipping, pallets are created (SSCC 5-7) and dispatched to customer destinations (GLN 5-6).

 

Key Business Rules – Production Environment:

Reception :

The SSCC of an incoming pallet is recorded and linked to the GLN of the supplier. Each time the palletis moved, its SSCC is recorded and linked to the GLN of its new location (e.g. to storage or production).

Production :
Under ideal conditions the SSCC of the pallet and/or GTIN + Batch Number of materials used in the production process are recorded and linked to the GTIN of the product made and its production batch. At the end of the production process, standard trade item groupings are made from individual products. A new GTIN is assigned and linked to the production Batch Number.

Packaging, storage and expedition :
The GTIN of a standard trade item grouping is linked to the SSCC of the pallet onto which it is packed. The SSCC of an outbound pallet is linked via scanning to the GLN of its destination. The GLN of its destination must not necessarily be displayed on the label.


Traceability Data Management in Distribution


The figure above shows the use of GS1 standards for identifying locations (GLN) and logistic units
(SSCC) in a distribution environment, which is characterised by:

  1. Several supplier locations (identified with GLN 1-3), which send pallets of finished products (identified with SSCC 1-4).
  2. At distribution centre (GLN 4) reception, pallets are stored and sent to the order picking process.
  3. In the order-picking step, orders are fulfilled either by shipping uniform pallets, cross docking or creation of mixed pallets. They are either carried forward unchanged (uniform pallet identified with SSCC 1) or newly created (mixed pallets identified with SSCC 5-7) with products originating from different pallets (SSCC 2-4).
  4. In the last two steps - storage and preparation for shipping, both uniform (SSCC 1) and mixed pallets (SSCC 5-7) are dispatched to customer/point-of-sale destinations (identified with GLN 5-6).

 

Key business rules – Distribution environment:

Reception :
The SSCC of an incoming pallet is recorded and linked to the GLN of the supplier. Each time the pallet is moved, its SSCC is recorded and linked to the GLN of its new location (e.g. to storage, order-picking or distribution).

Order-picking and distribution :

  1. The SSCC of an unmodified pallet picked for distribution from the storage area or cross-docked without any storage is recorded and linked to the GLN of its destination.
  2. A newly created pallet contains standard trade item groupings originating from different pallets. In this case, a new SSCC is assigned to it and linked to the SSCC numbers of all other pallets used in its creation and/or, if applicable, the GTIN and Batch Number of each standard trade item grouping that was used. This can create the need for an enormous effort and can be solved through the application of a “time window”, to be defined by each company when a product is packed. Newly created pallets during this time window can be linked to pallets used up within the same time frame. The SSCC is recorded and linked to the GLN of its destination.