Assets

Use cases

Assets

How to implement GS1 standards for
asset management in healthcare.

Using GS1 Global Individual Asset Identifiers (GIAIs) as the main identifier to improve asset traceability in healthcare.

What is asset management?

Asset management involves labelling or tagging medical, non-clinical, community, and returnable equipment, so it can be tracked and traced throughout an organisation. Details about the equipment (or asset), is captured and monitored in an asset management system.

To ensure asset identification is optimised, we also recommend first implementing standards to identify people, products, and places in order to provide the foundations. This will then enable assets to be tracked to locations and patients for greater traceability.

What items can be classed as assets?

Clinical asset Non-clinical asset Community asset Returnable asset
Beds and matresses IT equipment Mobility aids (e.g. wheelchairs) Gas cylinders
Patient monitoring (e.g. cardiac) Catering equipment Infusion devices Pallets or roll cages
Fixed machines (e.g. X-ray/MRI) Respiratory aids Trolleys
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fridges Mobility aids (e.g. walking aids)

You can find further examples of equipment that can be classified as an asset in our latest asset management guidance document.

The GS1 Identification Keys used

GIAI

GIAI

The Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) is used to identify an individual asset such as those listed above.

GRAI

GRAI

The Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) is used to identify returnable items such as those listed above.

SGTIN

SGTIN

A serialised GTIN (SGTIN) is an extension to the GTIN used to identify individual items in the same product line.

The data carriers used

GS1-128 linear barcode

GS1-128 linear barcode

Information encoded within a GS1-128 linear barcode can be read by any barcode reader.

GS1 DataMatrix 2D barcode

GS1 DataMatrix 2D barcode

A 2D barcode can hold more encoded information than a linear barcode and can be read by an optical device.

EPC/RFID tags

EPC/RFID tags

Information encoded within a passive RFID tag can be read by a reader by a radio wave.

Benefits

Asset distribution management

Asset distribution management

Better distribution of available assets to areas of highest usage or demand.

Recalls

Recalls

More efficient updates/recalls of assets as requested by the manufacturer(s).

Infection control

Infection control

Tracking assets that have been used in potential infected areas.

Maintenance

Maintenance

Easier to monitor assets for planned preventive maintenance (PPM).

Traceability

Traceability

Instant secure access to information about the asset (e.g. asset location).

Up-to-date asset records

Up-to-date asset records

Efficient updates on asset information into chosen asset management systems.

Asset management systems

Asset management systems are used to store any key product details relating to a specific asset.

Common GS1-compliant system features include:

  • The system can hold the allocated GIAI, GRAI, or SGTIN, for the asset
  • Additional master information such as the asset owner or storage location can be stored
  • Can track asset and location status information (e.g. testing, training, maintenance of assets)

More information on GS1-compliant systems can be found in the GS1 UK asset management guide below. 

GS1 UK-Approved systems

We work closely with GS1 UK partners to approve their products, systems, or solutions to ensure they can hold or use the appropriate required GS1 Identification Keys.

asset management systems

All of our GS1 UK-Approved asset management systems have demonstrated capacity to accurately hold and use GIAIs, GRAIs, and/or SGTINs where applicable.

Our partner finder contains a list of GS1 UK partners that have products that you can consider in order to meet your requirements.

Explore our partner finder below to find a GS1-compliant solution.

Assets

Guide to asset management

This guide is for healthcare provider organisations implementing asset management,
and for solution providers to support compliance with necessary regulations.