GS1 identification keys
GS1 ID Keys give companies efficient ways to access information about items in their supply chains, and share this information with trading partners.
ID Keys enable organisations to assign standard identifiers to products, documents, physical locations and more.
Because GS1 ID keys are globally unique, they can be shared between organisations, increasing supply chain visibility for trading partners.
To build a GS1 ID key, your organisation must become a member of GS1 and obtain a GS1 Company Prefix. This will form the basis of your ID keys.
There are 12 GS1 ID keys, allowing organisations to connect physical events and related information, as in the table below.
| ID Key | Used to Identify | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Products and services |
Can of soup, chocolate bar, music album |
|
|
Parties and locations |
Companies, warehouses, factories, stores |
|
|
Logistics units |
Unit loads on pallets, roll cages, parcels |
|
|
Returnable assets |
Pallet cases, crates, totes |
|
|
Assets |
Medical, manufacturing, transport and IT equipment |
|
|
Service provider and recipient relationships |
Loyalty scheme members, doctors at a hospital, library members |
|
|
Documents |
Tax demands, shipment forms, driving licences |
|
|
Consignments |
Logistics units transported together in an ocean container |
|
|
Shipments |
Logistics units delivered to a customer together |
|
|
Coupons |
Digital coupons |
|
|
Components and parts |
Automobile parts |
|
|
Product model |
Medical devices
|