Nowadays, food product safety and shipment tracking are the most frequently discussed topics by both governments and industrialists worldwide. Numerous initiatives are being prepared to present various forms of verifying the safe functionality of the food supply chain. The EAN.UCC system has a unique ability to provide unique, global identification of trade items, logistic units, batches of goods, and their physical location, making it particularly well-prepared for use for these exact purposes.
It is obvious that EAN.UCC standards alone do not solve the problem. Only their implementation within an IT system implies a significant increase in the importance of IT, which influences the execution of logistics.
From the perspective of information management and the implementation of tracking systems, which are integral elements of supply chains, logistical systems are currently required to ensure that all batches of goods moving within the supply chain are linked to their physical flow in the form of logistic units, and that semi-finished and finished products moving within these logistic units are connected with up-to-date information about them.
This requires a holistic view of the supply chain, which so far is best achieved through the development of the EAN.UCC system, widespread in commerce and utilizing the global business language. Its global reach and general acceptance by customers, enterprises, and some governments place this system in a unique position that comprehensively meets the requirements of tracking systems. Utilizing EAN.UCC system standards for traceability purposes allows for its very efficient implementation. Therefore, in the previous column, I wrote a bit about this standard. If the Reader missed that column, it is worth returning to it briefly before delving into the content of this one.
Meeting expectations and aiming to assist users of the EAN.UCC system, EAN International defined key tracking principles and created an implementation procedure that combines EAN.UCC standards with the requirements of tracking systems. These principles are based on commonly available technologies and already proven tools of the EAN.UCC system.
Every product that needs to be tracked or traced must be uniquely identifiable, meaning labeled. Unique global EAN.UCC identifications are the key that enables access to all available data contained in computer databases regarding the product’s history, its applications, and its current location.
Unique identification of a storage location is ensured by allocating a GLN number using EAN.UCC standards to each location within a business entity (enterprise). The uniqueness of the GLN number is guaranteed by the EAN.UCC system. In the part concerning the direct numbering of the company or a place within the company, responsibility lies with the encoding unit (the enterprise) – a member of the EAN.UCC organization. Unique product identification is ensured by allocating a GTIN number for each product using EAN.UCC standards. For tracking purposes, the GTIN must be combined with a serial number or batch number to identify a specific product.
The uniqueness of the GTIN number is guaranteed by the EAN.UCC system. Similarly to the above, in the part concerning direct product numbering, responsibility lies with the encoding unit (the enterprise) – a member of the EAN.UCC organization.