GS1 Traceability

The GS1 Traceability is a fundamental business process in supply chains. It supports various business needs such as:

  • regulatory requirements
  • consumer safety
  • recalls
  • HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)
  • product quality management
  • patient safety in the healthcare sector
  • visibility
  • efficient logistics
  • product authentication
  • anti-counterfeiting policies
  • waste management
  • brand protection

From an information management point of view, implementing a traceability system within a supply chain requires all parties involved to systematically associate the physical flow of materials, intermediate and finished products with the flow of information about them. This requires a holistic view of the supply chain, which is best attained by deploying a common business language – the GS1 system. Its global reach and universal acceptance by consumers, businesses and governments makes it uniquely positioned to provide the appropriate response to traceability system requirements.

The GS1 Global Traceability Standard (GTS) is a process standard that defines the Traceability business process and the minimum data management requirements for all traceability systems independently from the technology. It enables companies to implement tracking and tracing of products as they move between companies, whatever the language and tools chosen by each stakeholder.

The GS1 Global Traceability Standard is based on the use of GS1 standards for identification of products and locations, barcodes, RFID and data communication. Find out more about how GS1 technologies support traceability.

 


For more information download the GS1 Traceability brochure