eMessaging
GS1 eCom Implementation
This page is for companies that are about to start the implementation of GS1 eCom standards. It will help identify what needs to be done to successfully implement and benefit from GS1 eCom.
- 1. Identify a business process in which you want to implement GS1 eCom
- 2. Make sure that there is a commitment of upper management in your company to implement GS1 eCom
- 3. Contact GS1 Australia
- 4. Make sure that your company is a member of GS1 and has a GS1 Company Prefix
- 5. Educate yourself about the GS1 eCom standards
- 6. Check which standard you need
- 7. Check with GS1 Australia to see if there are message profiles for your sector
- 8. Perform a gap analysis between the data you need to exchange and content of the standard message or profile
- 9. Align Master Data with your trading partners
- 10. Start to exchange data using the GS1 eCom standards
1. Identify a business process in which you want to implement GS1 eCom
GS1 eCom standards support a variety of supply chain business processes: from Order, through Deliver to Payment. For each of these processes, different set of messages are needed.
Therefore, before you start any GS1 eCom implementation, you need to answer the following questions:
- Which business processes will be supported by GS1 eCom?
- What data need to be exchanged in these processes?
- Which trading partners will send or receive these data?
GS1 eCom standards provide solutions for multiple sectors using the same GS1 eCom message. This is achieved through profiles applied to general GS1 eCom messages, for example food industry, entertainment, office supply or textile. Therefore, sector specifics should also be taken into account during the business process analysis.
In addition, in some countries user groups create message profiles, often referred to as Message Implementation Guidelines (MIGs), reflecting regional practices of implementing GS1 eCom in specific sectors and business processes (see Step 7).
2. Make sure that there is a commitment of upper management in your company to implement GS1 eCom
This is crucial for the successful implementation, as the management needs to make available the necessary human and financial resources.
The management needs to have a basic understanding of the principles and benefits of GS1 eCom. They have to be aware that the GS1 eCom implementation can help to improve trading partners service and their satisfaction, enhance the efficiency of the supply chain, cut costs and optimise inventories.
3. Contact GS1 Australia
Get into contact with GS1 Australia. GS1 Australia has dedicated experts for specific technical areas including GS1 eCom. Contact GS1 Australia today to see what we can do to assist your eCom implementation.
The contact point for the user companies seeking support in implementation of standards is always the local GS1 Member Organisation. If the local experts are not able to help directly, they have an access to the global network of GS1 eCom experts from other GS1 Member Organisations and user companies. GS1 has over 100 local Member Organisations, serving over a million companies in over 150 countries.
4. Make sure that your company is a member of GS1 and has a GS1 Company Prefix
The GS1 Identification Keys are used in all GS1 standards, both in physical flow of goods (e.g. encoded in bar codes) and within information flow of business data. Without them it is not possible to use the GS1 eCom standards.
The GS1 Identification Keys are created using a GS1 Company Prefix that can be obtained from GS1 Australia. Registration may be done through the GS1 Barcode Express website or by contacting us on 1300 366 033.
The following GS1 Identification Keys that are created using the same GS1 Company Prefix:
- GLN - Global Location Number, identifying parties and locations, used in all GS1 eCom messages
- GTIN - Global Trade Item Number, identifying goods and services, used in all GS1 eCom messages
A number of other ones for specialised applications, e.g. identifying logistic units or assets.
If you are not sure whether your company is a GS1 member and already has a GS1 Company Prefix, you can contact GS1 Australia to find out who is the GS1 contact person in your company.
5. Educate yourself about the GS1 eCom standards
GS1 Australia provides a wide range of educational material related to the GS1 eCom standards, including on-line training courses, webinar sessions, classroom training and more.
For more information on the education services that GS1 Australia can provide, please visit the Education and Training section.
6. Check which standard you need
GS1 provides two sets of GS1 eCom standards:
- GS1 EANCOM - is a GS1 standard for 'classic' EDI, a simplified subset of UN/EDIFACT
- GS1 XML - uses the XML to exchange business documents over the internet
The choice of which standard to implement will depend on an organisation's own preferences, that of their trading partners and the industry they operate in.
7. Check with GS1 Australia to see if there are message profiles for your sector
A number GS1 Member Organisations work with their user companies to create profiles of the GS1 eCom standard messages adapted to specific sectors in their countries.
Profiles are subsets of messages fully compatible with the ‘general’ standards. They are adapted to the needs of the target user groups, e.g. by choosing only certain optional message components. The documentation of these profiles often contains recommendations for implementing them in the specific sectors or user groups, therefore they are frequently referred to as Message Implementation Guidelines (MIGs).
User groups can create such profiles at the international level for their sector, e.g. the Upstream group developing GS1 standards for supply chain integration between manufacturers and their suppliers.
There are also Implementation Guidelines for general GS1 eCom (EDI) implementation.
A number of industry MIGs are available in a variety of sectors by GS1 Australia. For further information on these profiles or to find out if other guidelines exist for your industry, please contact GS1 Australia.
8. Perform a gap analysis between the data you need to exchange and content of the standard message or profile
The GS1 eCom standards are developed based on real user requirements and reviewed by the user companies, so they cover all or most information that needs to be exchanged with trading partners. However, if there are any gaps between the user requirements and the data covered by the messages provided, the standards need to be updated accordingly.
It is very important to take note that the business terms used by your company and GS1 may be different, while semantically the content of data elements is identical. Therefore, the comparison should be made between data definitions, rather than just business terms.
The GS1 data definitions can be found in the Global Data Dictionary (GDD) documentation of messages.
If you identity gaps between your data needs and those covered by GS1 eCom standards, you need to submit the Work Request (WR) to the GS1 Global Standard Management Process (GSMP), to amend the message or request development of a new message.
A Work Request should be developed jointly with GS1 Australia. To develop and submit a Work Request, user organisations should contact the person at GS1 Australia who they have previously engaged in regards to their GS1 eCom implementation. This person will be able to collaborate to capture the requirements, then proceed forward in submitting this into the GS1 GSMP. If there has been no previous engagement, please contact GS1 Australia for further assistance.
9. Align Master Data with your trading partners
Master data alignment is a necessary step of GS1 eCom implementation, because the master data are not repeated in the transactional messages, but simply referenced by the standard identification keys. For example, the name and address of the buyer and seller are not mentioned in the Purchase Order or Despatch Advice, but simply referenced as Buyer and Seller Global Location Numbers (GLN).
This approach allows to remove redundant data from transactional messages, ensures efficient processing and brings considerable cost savings, also by integrating the electronic transfer of data with the physical flow of goods.
GS1 provides standards for exchange of master data. There are three main ways of sharing the master data:
- In the simplest form, the master data can be send via email or fax. This solution may be suitable for companies that have no experience in using GS1 eCom. At the later stage of implementation, when your company has the GS1 eCom infrastructure already in place, the master data standards should be used.
- Exchanging master data messages bilaterally, between the trading partners involved in the GS1 eCom exchange. When some of this data change, the relevant message needs to be resent, including the updates.
- The bilateral exchange works very well for a limited number of trading partners, but when the number of partners increases, it becomes difficult to manage. GS1 offers the Global Data Synchronisation Network, where the trading partners can publish their data. Their partners will be automatically notified about any updates.
GS1net is GS1 Australia’s data synchronisation solution for Australia and New Zealand. GS1net lets you enter, validate, store and maintain all your product, pricing and other related trade information in a single location. You can then easily share this global standards-based information with the trading partners you work with, across all industry sectors, both in Australia and around the world.
More information and resources on GS1net is available on the website or by contacting GS1 Australia.
10. Start to exchange data using the GS1 eCom standards
Before the exchange of GS1 eCom messages can start, certain technical preparations must be made.
- First, your company will need to acquire a software or service that supports GS1 eCom and responds to your needs. GS1 does not recommend a specific product, as market neutrality is one of our foundational principles, but GS1 Australia offers an Alliance Partner program which lists companies that may offer products/services relevant to eCom implementation.
- When the software tool is installed, you need to map data stored in your internal database, e.g. an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) back-end system, to the software supporting GS1 eCom.
- Your trading partners need to know what are the technical requirements to exchange the business data with your company. This information can be exchanged in the form of Interchange Agreements. This is a very important step, so various standard organisations provide specific instructions for such an exchange and templates for the Interchange Agreements. Examples can be found under the following links:
- Commercial use of interchange agreements for electronic data interchange
- CEFACT Electronic commerce agreement
These templates cover general business situations and can be adapted to the specific needs of your company. - Once you reach the agreement with your trading partners, you need to test your eCom infrastructure. Both the content of the messages and the actual communication need to be tested.
GS1 Australia offers various services related to GS1 eCom implementation. Getting acquainted with these services will help in your implementation. Solution providers interested in joining our Alliance Partner program can gain further information on this website.
When the results of all the tests are positive, you are ready to start exchanging messages and enjoy the benefits of GS1 eCom.
Note: This page is customised for the local market by GS1 Australia. A global version is also available.
