Setting the Stage: GS1’s Role in Modern Commerce

In today’s tightly connected world, being able to accurately track and identify products as they move through global supply chains is quintessential. At the centre of this motive is GS1, a global nonprofit organization that sets the standards for enabling product identification and interoperability.

Whether it’s groceries or prescription medication, GS1 standards ensure accurate product identification and tracking in the global supply chain management. One of the clearest examples of this impact is in the pharma world: in fact some of the most transformative changes in supply chain management, especially in pharmaceuticals, owe their success to GS1-driven serialization. Because of GS1 standards, the pharmaceutical industry circumvents counterfeit products and operates more efficiently.

Quick Context: Why GS1 Standards Are Critical to Global Supply Chain Management Today

Modern and global supply chain management are complex. They involve manufacturers, logistics providers, regulators, and retailers. And most often, they are spread across several countries. Without a unified way of identifying and tracking items, errors and inefficiencies can spiral, and the risk of fraud increases dramatically in the international supply chain.

That’s where GS1 standards, especially GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers), come in.
They serve as a common language for product data, helping businesses comply with regulations and cut down on costly mistakes.

But how did these standards come to play such a crucial role?
Let’s zoom in on the pharmaceutical supply chain for a powerful example.

Focus on the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain as a Case Study

In pharmaceuticals, there’s zero room for guesswork. Fake medications and contamination can put lives at risk. To address this, standards like GTINs, combined with serialization and other GS1 standards in pharma, are embedded in laws like the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) and Europe’s Falsified Medicines Directive (EU FMD serialization).

These standards enable offer regulators and companies a real-time view of where each product is, where it was, and where it’s going.

Serialization based on GS1 standards enables:

• Secure pharma supply chain and patient safety: Every package can be traced from manufacturer to end user.
• Anti-counterfeit pharmaceuticals protection: Fake products can be flagged and removed fast.
• Supply chain efficiency: Data helps optimize recalls, expiry tracking, and inventory.
• Future readiness: With Sunrise 2027, tamper-proof pharma packaging will carry more than just barcodes; it will carry data.
  At the initiative of the world’s top players in the mass consumption sector, from December 2027 the traditional barcode will give way to the GS standard QR codes, the new generation 2D codes. The initiative, called “Sunrise 2027”, gives way to a second barcode revolution (after the first 50 years ago, when a barcode was first scanned at a supermarket checkout): in fact the GS1 standard QR code will be able to contain a greater amount of information on products, and above all make it easily accessible via smartphone, enabling at the same time a wide range of potential that will improve the consumer experience: instructions for recycling, safety information, nutritional information, certifications, video tutorials, usage tips, recipes or other information relevant to the purchase.

From GTIN Barcode to Global Standardization: The GS1 Journey

The story starts with a familiar symbol – the barcode. In 1973, the UPC (Universal Product Code) was launched in the U.S., revolutionizing retail. Europe followed suit just a few years later with the EAN (European Article Number) system.

By 2005, it was clear that businesses needed one global standard. So EAN and the Uniform Code Council (UCC) merged to form GS1. From the beginning, GS1 aimed to support not just retail, but industries like healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing.

Since then, GS1 standards have become essential for business success.

Understanding GTINs: The Backbone of Product Traceability

At the heart of GS1’s standards are the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number): a unique number that identifies products no matter where they’re sold and packaged. Think of it like the product’s last name, while serialization adds the “first name” that makes every item distinct.

GTINs allow for seamless communication between manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and regulators. They also provide the foundation for serialization by assigning a unique GTIN identifier ID to each saleable unit.

There are four main types of GTINs, depending on the size of the item or level of packaging:

• GTIN-8: Used for small products with limited space.
• GTIN-12: Common in North America (UPC).
• GTIN-13: The standard in Europe and many other markets.
• GTIN-14: Used for grouping units (like cartons or pallets).
  In pharma, this is widely used to track bulk containers.

A Brief History of the GTIN number

• 1970s: UPC and EAN codes are born.
• 1990s: The term “GTIN” is introduced to unify different codes.
• 2000s: GTIN code usage expands into healthcare and logistics.
• 2010s: GTINs become critical for pharma serialization.
• Today: GTINs are a must-have for global traceability systems.

Serialization and the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Revolution

Serialization has changed the game. Instead of tracking product batches, it assigns a unique serial number to each unit. Then, it combines the serial number with the GTIN, expiration date, and batch number. This gives stakeholders full visibility into every product’s journey.

Serialization became a must in the 2010s, driven by global legislation for the Secure pharma supply chain like:

• The DSCSA track and trace in the U.S.
• EU FMD serialization and Delegate Regulation UE 2016/161
• National efforts in Brazil, China, Russia, and beyond

In all of these, GS1 standards provide the structure for encoding that critical data into a 2D Data Matrix code.

Beyond Product Codes: Why GTINs Alone Are Not Enough

GTINs are essential, but they only identify product types. To track and trace individual items, you need serialization. That means combining the GTIN with:

• GTIN number: A unique serial number
• Expiration date
• GTIN identifier: Batch/lot number

This combination gives regulators and businesses a detailed view of the product lifecycle, making it possible to detect fraud, prevent recalls, and ensure patient safety.

Sunrise 2027: Ushering in the Era of 2D Barcodes

Sunrise 2027 is GS1’s global push to replace traditional 1D barcodes with 2D codes like QR code drug tracking or Data Matrix. These new codes can carry far more information.

In pharmaceuticals, this shift brings:

• Richer data right on the package
• Enhanced pharma traceability (also to fight counterfeiting and diversion)
• Consumer engagement via smartphone scans
• More efficient, automated systems in pharmacies and hospitals

By 2027, most product packaging will be equipped with these smart barcodes, unlocking new possibilities for safety and efficiency.

How to Obtain and Manage Your GTINs: Best Practices

Getting started with GTINs is straightforward but managing GTIN GS1 standard properly is crucial. Here’s a quick roadmap:

1. Register with your local GS1 Member Organization.
2. Get a GS1 Company Prefix, which forms the base of all your GTINs.
3. Assign GTINs based on packaging level and product variants.
4. Maintain a GTIN registry with up-to-date product info (dimensions, attributes, etc.).

Avoid common mistakes like reusing GTINs for different items, assigning multiple GTINs to the same product, or neglecting to update product metadata. These can hinder traceability.

Strategic Impact: Why Serialization and Traceability Are Now Business Imperatives

Serialization and Digital GTIN systems do more than meet compliance checkboxes.
They help businesses:

• Protect patients and consumers with reliable data on origin, authenticity and expiry
• Supply chain transparency: detect fraud in real time
• Supply chain automation: streamline operations through smarter inventory and faster recalls
• Digital supply chain: prepare for a fully digital supply chain
• More informed and smart choices for the consumers
• Communicate sustainability: origin of a product, its components, carbon footprint and indications on recycling or reusing packaging.
• Supply Safer food: regulatory information, detailed allergy advice and expiry dates, allowing expired foods to be rejected at the checkout and food close to its expiry date to be sold at reduced prices (improving sustainability and reducing food waste).

In short, traceability isn’t just a regulatory requirement anymore, it’s a core competitive advantage.

Global Supply Chain Management: The Future of Traceable and Transparent Supply Chains

With GTINs and serialization at their foundation, GS1 standards are shaping a future where every product has a digital ID, and every link in the supply chain is visible and verifiable.

Initiatives like Sunrise 2027 will only accelerate this transformation, driving more sustainable operations, deeper consumer trust, and smarter decision-making across industries.

Read more: Traceability in Luxury: Transparency and Anti-Counterfeiting