GS1 standards required by use case
GS1 compliance is increasingly important for solutions operating in a connected supply chain environment. Adhering to GS1 standards ensures that physical entities and data can move smoothly between different systems and partners, supporting efficiency, accuracy, and interoperability at every stage.
Solution providers offer valuable services and products to GS1 UK members, helping them to improve business efficiency and cut costs. Depending on what a solution does, there are GS1 standards that their solution should use or could use to be GS1-compliant. For example, a patient administration system would use different GS1 identifiers and data carriers compared to an asset tracking solution.
To help our solution providers and their customers understand which GS1 standards can be utilised for different use cases and solutions, we’ve produced a helpful guide. Simply fillter the solution you're after and you'll see which standards apply.
GS1 UK product approval
Through the GS1 UK partner programme, solution providers benefit from an established compliance approval process. This process includes a detailed review of each solution’s alignment with GS1 standards for its intended use-case, as well as a demonstration of the standards in practical operation. The assessment covers key areas such as barcode format validation, RFID tag encoding, and correct data field lengths—helping solutions avoid common pitfalls that can lead to errors, delays, or incompatibility within the supply chain.
Compliance check service
GS1 UK also offers a compliance check service which allows providers to verify the GS1 alignment of their solutions without being part of our partner programme. This service provides assurance that products will be compatible and interoperable with industry requirements and also recommendations for the solution roadmap. Contact the GS1 UK standards team to find out more.
Participation in the GS1 UK partner programme or using the compliance checking service helps solution providers clearly demonstrate that their products meet recognised standards—benefiting customers and reducing future complexity for everyone involved.
An example: inventory management systems
Inventory management systems (IMS) enable businesses to do things such as track and manage their stock levels, orders, sales, and deliveries. Not all IMS have the same functionality, but the minimum expectation is that they enable businesses to keep an eye on their products.
GTIN
GS1’s identifier for products is the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). It is a crucial component of trade, supply chain and regulatory requirements the world over. For an IMS to be compliant with GS1 standards, it must be able to utilise GTIN as an identifier for products and, if it couldn’t, GS1 UK would be unable to approve it for our partner programme.
GLN
Because unambiguous location identification is so crucial in a healthcare setting, there is an additional requirement for IMS solutions in this sector where they must also be able to utilise the Global Location Number (GLN) to identify things like Trusts, stock locations, suppliers, etc.
Of course, IMS solutions in other sectors could also use the GLN to improve their processes, but it is not a mandatory requirement.
Other standards
Depending on the functionality of the IMS, other standards could be used, such as GS1 barcode printing or scanning, and purchase to pay (GS1 EDI).
| Must use | Could use |
|---|---|
| GTIN | GLN (if not in healthcare) |
| GLN (if in healthcare) | Barcode scanning and/or printing |
| RFID scanning and/or printing | |
| SSCC | |
| GSRN | |
| GS1 EDI |