The roots of the EAN.UCC System
Worldwide unique identification
The GS1 System enables worldwide unique identification of objects, locations and processes. It is based on a shared responsibility between GS1, GS1 Member Organisations and the user companies.
| GS1 | GS1 Member Organisation | User Company | Check digit | |
| Structure of Identification | National Prefixes | National Company identification | Identification of items, locations, etc. |
Uniqueness is secured by using all elements of the identifier, the heart of which is the Global Company Prefix (GCP). The Global Company Prefix may have 5 to 7 digits, which as a consequence reduces the numbering capacity according the needs of the system user.
Lot Number
The GS1 System provides a set of 'secondary information' which is standardised to facilitate the communication between different trading partners. In the Healthcare environment lot number, expiry date and serial number are data element of particular importance.
The example shows a lot number (green; maximum 20 alpha-numeric digits) prefixed by the Application Identifier '10' in orange.
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