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GS1 & GDSN, explained

What GTIN/GLN, the Global Data Model, and the GDSN data-pool network are, and how PIE fits into them.

GS1 is the global standards body behind the barcodes and identifiers that retail supply chains run on. If you sell food to retailers, your data has to speak GS1. This page explains the pieces and how PIE implements them; the GS1 & GDSN guide covers the day-to-day tasks.

Identifiers

  • GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) identifies a trade item — what a barcode encodes.
  • GLN (Global Location Number) identifies a party or location — who you are, where you ship from.
  • SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) identifies a logistics unit.

Each has a check digit. PIE validates all three, warning early and blocking at publish on a bad GTIN.

The Global Data Model (GDM)

Trading partners don't just want an identifier — they want a standardized set of attributes: net content, ingredient statement, allergen groups, nutrient values, and so on. The GS1 Global Data Model defines that set. PIE projects your product and its linked reference entities into a GDM record, so your internal attribute names don't have to match GS1's — you map once, and entity-sourced data projects automatically.

GDSN: the data-pool network

The Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) is how trading partners actually exchange item data: each connects to a data pool, and pools synchronise through a shared registry. The choreography uses GS1-XML messages — a CIN (Catalogue Item Notification) to publish an item, and a CIC (Catalogue Item Confirmation) lifecycle as the recipient reviews it. Transport is often over AS2.

PIE implements a GDSN connector: publishing a GS1-ready product sends a CIN to your pool and tracks the CIC lifecycle; inbound items become shadow products with an auto-grant to the receiving buyer. Optional GLN/GTIN ownership checks block a publish only on a confirmed cross-org conflict, guarding against identifier squatting while failing open when the registry is silent.

Why it matters for PIE

GS1 readiness is a publish gate for producers who exchange over GDSN: a product that can't project a complete GDM record can't be synchronised, so PIE scores readiness and blocks incomplete data before it reaches a partner.

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