• Product Identification Standards
• Automated Data Capture
• E-Commerce
• Data Synchronization
• Traceability

Technology & Standards: Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)

The Global Trade Item Number is a 14-digit item number that is primarily used to identify an item at the case level and will eventually be used to identify an item at the consumer level.

This number has extreme significance due to its use as the standard number in traceability, RFID, electronic commerce, GS1 DataBar (formerly known as RSS), and other supply chain tools and practices. It is the most widely used standard in the world, being used by more than a million companies in over 100 countries.

The four basic components of a GTIN are:

Indicator – the first digit which identifies the type of packaging
Manufacturer Prefix – assigned by a GS1 Member Organization (MO) to uniquely identify the manufacturer
Item Number – assigned by the manufacturer to uniquely identify the product from other products assigned by that same manufacturer
Check Digit – the last digit which is calculated by an algorithm used to ensure the preceding digits were input correctly

GTIN Structure:

Position 1 = Indicator
Positions 2 - 13 = Manufacturer Prefix + Item Number
Position 14 = Check Digit

To learn more about the GTIN, visit the GS1-US Web site (formerly Uniform Code Council).

Sunrise 2005

GS1-US (formerly UCC), along with the other international standards member organizations, requested that all companies worldwide be able to read a 14-digit number with their scanners at the point-of-sale by January of 2005. This does not mean that these standards organizations are requiring suppliers to begin barcoding their consumer items with a GTIN number instead of a UPC. It does, however, mean that retailers have to be able to read up to 14 digits. This would include all of the UCC/EAN numbers used internationally including the UPC-8, EAN-8, UPC-12, EAN-13 and the 14-digit GTIN. Once companies are able to do this, these numbers can be read both domestically and internationally, thereby reducing the extra labor and inventory required to separate domestic and international inventory.

GTIN in the Produce Industry

The GTIN is being used in supply chain programs/tools such as Traceability, RFID, GS1 DataBar (formerly known as RSS) , and Electronic Commerce. Without this number, organizations will not be able to participate in some of these programs; however, there is a challenge in using the GTIN in the produce industry - particularly in the use of a GTIN to identify a case vs. a GTIN used to identify an item. A pilot was completed in September of 2006 that discusses the implementation of this important number at the case level. The document is entitled: "GTIN: Making a Case for Streamlining the Produce Industry".