What is GS1

Description

What is GS1 GS1 is a non-profit international organization devoted to developing and maintaining standards for supply chain visibility, including standards for identification, encoding and capturing data, and data sharing. GS1 was formed as a global organization in 2005 derived from the Uniform Code Council (UCC) and EAN International (EAN).?

Solution

GS1 US is a not-for-profit member-driven organization that develops worldwide standards and solutions for identification numbers, data carriers, electronic commerce, and global data synchronization. It is the U.S. arm of GS1, which was created in 2005 when the UCC (Uniform Code Council) and EAN merged.
From {+}http://www.gs1.org/+:
GS1 US serves more than 200,000 businesses in 25 industries in the United States by facilitating industry initiatives, administrating the GS1 System of standards, providing education and support, and connecting communities through events and online forums.
GS1 is the organization that defines what is required in different symbologies (barcodes or data carriers) based on label requirements, and establishes the standards for the data that is placed in the barcodes on a label. In general the specification for a label on a product is driven by the receivers of the goods. For example, all GM suppliers were required to meet the GM1724 shipping label standard by a certain date that was developed by GM to standardize labeling throughout their organization (to drive improved efficiencies in their inventory and supplies management). Not all barcodes or labels printed subscribe to or conform to the GS1 standards. Compliance width or adherence to the standards set by GS1 is ultimately determined by the receiver of the goods.

What is the Difference Between a Standard and Specification

Although a standard may be widely used, adhered to, or even included as part of a specification, the specification will ultimately drive the design of a label. This will also determine the data and its format on the label.

Which Types of Barcodes Does GS1 Use

GS1 barcodes are capable of holding varying amounts of data to accommodate different needs. They include, but are not limited to: EAN/UPC, ITF-14, GS1 DataMatrix, GS1-128, and GS1 DataBar.
{+}http://www.gs1.org/+ contains extensive information regarding different standards, industry specific applications, barcode information, and provides additional resources for members.