GS1 Standards & System Development Newsletter - GS1 India

GS1 Standards & System Development Newsletter 

October - November - December 2009 

in this issue: 

GS1 News 

• Highlights of the GS1 Organisational 

Effectiveness Process 

• Global Public Policy 

• Certification Program 

• GEPIR 

• Training and Education 

Highlights of the GS1 Organisation Effectiveness Project 

The GS1 Organisational Effectiveness (OE) Project was born out of the need to 

reorganise GS1 Global Office to better serve our customers - it is though, much 

more than a reorganisation. This project has involved taking a look at all of our 

processes, principles of operation and interaction between departments and 

operational functions, as well. GS1 is taking this opportunity to integrate the 

previously distinct division organisations into a single, cohesive GS1 Global Office 

organisation, while retaining necessary focus on each of our standards, services 

and solutions. We have identified some very specific benefits from implementing 

a more integrated approach to GS1 Global Office: 

• More efficient and effective standards development 

• Able to meet sector/industry requirements across all of GS1 

• Ensuring alignment and consistency in standards development 

• One integrated approach to our GS1 System architecture 

• Industry engagement is more holistic and business solutions-focused, rather than 

technology-focused 

• Improved Public Policy and government relations - proactively build GS1 credibility 

as well as reacting to issues 

• Focused support for MOs to support customers 

• A cohesive and comprehensive research agenda across all of GS1 

Industry News 

Community News 

Organisation Effectiveness is one of four major Breakthrough Programs that are 

changing GS1 to meet the needs of our customers. It involves team members 

from GS1 GO, MO’s, and GS1 members (End Users and Solution Providers). There 

are specific strategic objectives and measurements to show when goals have 

been achieved. The focus is on developing and implementing an integrated and 

effective GS1 organisation, and standards development process (new GSMP), that 

can better serve our customers. This will enable the continued global success of 

GS1, ensuring the integrity of the GS1 System for now and into the future. 

• International Events 

• Announcements and Memberships 

• GS1 and other Standards Bodies 

• International and Regional Projects/Programs 

Dates for your diary: 

Our GS1 Standards Development Event 

26 to 30 October, 2009 Lille, France 

page 1/12

To provide a central place for MO’s and members to locate 

information about the coming 

changes and what they mean 

to you, the OE News Website 

has been created and can be 

consulted on www.gs1.org/oe. 

On the site you will find specific 

i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e n e w 

Integrated Standards Development Process (new GSMP), 

Industry Engagement and MO Support. You will have the 

opportunity to review documents, comment, ask questions 

and register for webinars. We will continue to update this site 

as the project progresses. 

Sally Herbert 

President, GS1 Standards & 

System Development 

President, GS1 GDSN, Inc. 

Global Public Policy 

Chris Adcock 

President, 

GS1 Industry Engagement 

GS1 Takes a Lead Role on EC RFID Privacy and Data Protection 

Recommendation Compliance 

Back in May of this year, the European Commission adopted 

a non-binding recommendation on the 

implementation of privacy and security 

principles for RFID applications. The 

GS1 EPCglobal Public Policy Steering 

Committee was actively engaged in the 

stakeholder process and our involvement 

and insight helped shape the final draft. 

According to the Recommendation, 

each RFID application should undergo a 

Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA). A PIA is a self regulatory 

analysis of how information is handled to ensure that the 

conduct conforms to applicable legal, regulatory, and policy 

requirements regarding privacy and will help identify the 

risks and effects of collecting, maintaining and disseminating 

information in addition to examining and evaluating 

protections and alternative processes for handling 

information to mitigate potential privacy risks. 

As there are currently no set of guidelines for conducting a 

PIA in Europe, GS1 EPCglobal agreed to take the initiative and 

produce the first draft of a European PIA Framework which 

was presented to the European Commission for feedback 

from other stakeholders. For more information on the EC 

Recommendation and PIA Framework, please contact Marisa 

Jimenez at marisa.jimenez@gs1.org. 

Project PURE Completed 

Project PURE, Promoting Understanding of RFID and the 

Environment, was launched in January 2007. It was an 

initiative supported by the United States Environmental 

Protection Agency to study how the infrastructure of RFID 

tags and readers being developed and deployed to improve 

supply chain management might be used to support postsale 

“end of life” recovery activities. GS1 EPCglobal was 

conducting this project with representatives of companies 

involved in the supply chain for computers ranging from 

manufacturers and retailers to reusers, recyclers and waste 

disposers as well as academic experts and environmental 

authorities from both the state and federal level. 

The group found that there are substantial potential benefits 

from the use of RFID in the end of life processes, but that 

there still exists obstacles, including possible requirements 

for RFID tag deactivation at the point of sale in the interest of 

privacy protection. The most important short term benefits 

could be achieved by incorporating a marker on tags 

applied to computers for supply chain purposes, indicating 

that the item to which the tag is attached requires special 

handling. Special handling requirements might be imposed 

for a number of reasons including the presence of hazardous 

materials or the need for special security requirements. For 

more information regarding Project PURE, please contact 

Daniel Romm at dromm@epcglobalinc.org. 

Food Safety Legislation Proposed in US Congress 

In late July, the US House of Representatives passed 

House Bill 2749, the Food Safety Act of 

2009. The bill is now in the US Senate 

where it has been assigned to the 

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions 

Committee. The Food Safety Act of 

2009 was drafted in response to recent 

outbreaks of contaminated produce 

and other food products within the US. 

Under this legislation, food producers, 

manufacturers, processors, transporters, 

or holders are required to “maintain the 

full pedigree of the origin and previous distribution history 

of the food and to link that history with the subsequent 

distribution history.” Additionally, they must establish an 

interoperable record to ensure fast and efficient trace back. 

The proposed legislation calls for a pilot project to be conducted 

before a food traceability system is put in place. GS1 is closely 

monitoring this bill and is speaking with relevant stakeholders 

and organizations about the benefits of a GS1 solution. For 

more information regarding the Food Safety Act of 2009, please 

contact Daniel Romm at dromm@epcglobalinc.org. 


October - November - December 2009 page 2/12

GS1 Certification Program 

The Certification Program is a neutral and authoritative 

s o u r c e f o r t e s t i n g a n d p r o v i d e s 

information regarding certified hardware 

and software products and/or services as 

well as the organizations which develop 

and manage them. The main purpose of 

the program is to facilitate the product 

development by solution providers and 

the selection by the end users giving 

them confidence that the products will 

perform to a high level of compliance 

to the mandatory requirements of the applicable standards 

and will facilitate integration with existing systems. Products 

carrying the certification mark have been rigorously tested 

and are certified to comply with GS1 Standards, thus the 

end-user can be confident that the certified product will 

work predictably and speed up their implementations and 

decrease their costs. 

As part of the Organisation Effectiveness project, GS1 is 

currently developing a certification framework among the 

various GS1 certification areas. This will provide alignment 

among various GS1 Certification areas (GDSN, GS1 EPCglobal, 

AIDC, etc.) to ensure quality and consistency across different 

technological standards with regards to certification. 

The Global Electronic Party Information Register – GEPIR 

GEPIR is a distributed registry, internationally operated by 

the GS1 Member Organisations, where users (companies 

and individuals) can request information about the actors 

involved in the global or local supply chain. Specifically, 

members can search and authenticate the GS1 Global 

Company Prefix information for submitted: 

• Barcode - Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN) 

• Global Location Number (GLN) 

• Serialized Shipping Container Codes (SSCC) 

• Company Name in any given country 

The GEPIR Technical Development Team (TDT) has recently 

been formalized within GSMP to align its development with 

GS1 Technology Development processes. After discussions 

at the spring GS1 GSMP Event in Los Angeles, California, the 

GEPIR TDT became a seated group within GSMP. They are 

now functioning to review and approve user submissions 

of suggested features and functionality via the GS1 Change 

Request Submission System. 

Another part to this transition for the GEPIR Product is the 

authoring of a formal strategy. This strategy document 

maps the growth and development of this product within 

the GS1 infrastructure, positioning it to play future roles 

in key functionalities such as Authentication and Mobile 

Commerce. This is the first formal GS1 strategy to be applied to 

GEPIR supporting the goal to elevate it to a level of service 

operation necessary for continued growth and adoption. This 

new strategy is being delivered by the 

Global Office GEPIR Support Team at the 

upcoming GS1 Standards Development 

Event in Lille, France. The Strategy 

provides the framework details that will 

be implemented over time according to 

a Roadmap. 

Several of the planned improvements 

are designed to provide the security 

and continuity of operation necessary 

to support the continued growth of GEPIR. Additionally, the 

strategy focuses on the need to analyze the GEPIR network 

for determination on how best to configure the service so 

that the data can play an integral role in GS1 Services in 

he future. 

Training and Education 

Ensuring continued competence is an important part of any 

training and education system. At GS1, 

we are following closely what is coming 

out of our standard development process 

to ensure our Member Organisations 

and users have access to up-to-date 

training material. There are currently 24 

eLearning modules and 30 classroom 

courses covering the technical and 

business aspects of a wide range of GS1 

products, services and solutions. These 

courses can be accessed directly by GS1 Staff members and 

can be accessed by our users through our GS1 Member 

Organisations. 

You can find out more about the GS1 Training and Education 

Program by looking at our eLearning catalogue which is 

available at http://learn.gs1.org/ or by accessing your GS1 

Member Organisation website to check which classroom 

courses they are offering. Whether you are a GSMP expert or 

a beginner in the GS1 world, you will always find the course 

you need to broaden your knowledge or expertise. 



GS1 BarCodes 

Fresh Foods Implementation Guide in 2010 

We will be bringing together experts from fresh food 

industries and GS1 Members Organisations to develop a 

global fresh foods implementation guide for GS1 DataBar. 

GS1 DataBar provides supplier identification for fresh 

variable measure products. It enables 

more data to be delivered at Point-of-Sale 

such as expiration dates and lot numbers 

creating the opportunity for solutions 

supporting consumer safety programs, 

traceability, and quality control for 

fresh foods. 

Driven by users from fresh foods industries 

from around the world, the implementation 

guide will address the “How To” for 

implementing GS1 DataBar symbols such as scanning, processing 

and printing requirements. 

Your participation and expertise are vital to its success! We 

will be putting together a team to champion this work effort 

and help the fresh foods industry meet their needs. You can 

join us at the GS1 Standards Development Event in Lille for 

the Fresh Foods Work Group on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 

from 9:00 to 17:30 

For more information on GS1 DataBar visit www.gs1.org/ 

barcodes/databar, or contact Greg Rowe at greg.rowe@gs1. 

org or Nora Kaci at Nora.kaci@gs1.org. 

GS1 EPCglobal 

Joint Requirements Group 

Sensors and Battery-Assist Passive Tagging (SB JRG) 

ONGOING – Call for Proposals: End-users interested in sensor 

and/or battery-assisted passive tags are invited to propose 

business use cases that they would like to see demonstrated 

by available technology. 

For more information about the SB JRG, please contact 

Giselle Ow-Yang at gowyang@epcglobalinc.org. 

Data Discovery JRG 

The requirements for the Core Discovery Services version1.0 

are complete. The Working Group has started the review of 

the requirements with various steering committees and the 

specification development work will begin soon. A Call to 

Action is expected next month. 

For more information on the Data Discovery JRG, please 

contact Gena Morgan at gmorgan@gs1us.org. 

Tag Alteration JRG 

The Tag Alteration Last Call Working Draft documents have 

been completed. The TA JRG would like to thank those of you 

who provided the additional End User input needed to help 

ensure our tag alteration requirements realistically represent 

the needs of our community. 

The Tag Alteration JRG looked at ways a retailer may alter a 

tag. Tags can be physically disabled (removed, destroyed…) 

as a form of tag alteration. There are some applications and 

product categories that involve embedded tags (non-easily 

removable tags) and that require electronic deactivation 

or tag alteration. The purpose of the JRG is to define the 

scope of modifications that a retailer may make to a tag at 

or around the time that a consumer takes possession of the 

tagged object. 

As per the TA JRG IAG review schedule, the IAG comment 

period closed on August 31. No changes to the requirement 

document were necessary and so the JRG ballot was launched. 

Next steps will be to provide a summary presentation to the 

relevant committees (BSC, TSC and GS1 Architecture Group) 

for review and approval. The Technical Steering Committee 

will then map requirements to relevant work groups. 

For more information on the TA JRG contact Audrey Kremer 

at audrey.kremer@gs1.org. 

RFID-based EAS Phase 2 JRG 

The Joint Requirements Group has completed their Strategic 

Overview Guide and Technical Implementation Guide for 

GS1 EPCglobal RFID-based Electronic Article Surveillance 

(EAS) for reusable and disposable tags. These guides address 

all relevant challenges and issues on how to implement an 

RFID-based EAS solution within a retail environment using 

existing GS1 and GS1 EPCglobal standards. 

RFID-based Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) is a 

technological method for deterring and detecting theft 

of consumer goods. RFID-based EAS tags, based on the 

GS1 EPCglobal Gen 2 standard, are fixed to an item’s packaging 

or to the item itself. These tags can be removed and/or 

disposed by consumers or sales associates after purchase. 

The goal of RFID-based EAS is to leverage the benefits of 

EPC (Electronic Product Code) and RFID (Radio Frequency 

IDentification) for EAS functionality. These include increased 

visibility, improved inventory tracking, and process productivity 

along the supply chain extending to the retail sales floor with 

the advantages of EAS item-level theft deterrence, detection, 

and protection. Extending the value of EAS, RFID enables 

apparel and other retailers to know not only when a theft 

incident is occurring, but they can now know precisely what 

was stolen and re-stock the shelf accordingly, avoiding the 

high cost of missed sales opportunities due to out-of-stocks. 

These guides can be downloaded at no costs by accessing 

the following link: http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/ 

implementation_guidelines/ 



The group is meeting on Monday of the GS1 Standards 

Development Event in Lille to further 

their discussion on the database 

approach. On Tuesday morning, they are 

holding a training session on the newly 

released guides open to all subscribers. 

Technical Action Groups 

Software Action Group (SAG) 

For more information on the RFID-based 

EAS phase 2JRG contact Giselle Ow-Yang 

at gowyang@epcglobalinc.org. 

TDTS WG (Tag Data Translation Standard Working Group) 

TDS 1.5 

The Tag Data Standard version 1.5 has reached an important 

milestone of reaching Candidate Specification Status. This 

version of the TDS contains TID memory, User Memory, and 

updates on filter value definitions. The User Memory updates 

to TDS allow for General Specification Application Identifiers 

to be used. Additional inputs from the Tag Data Phase 2 Joint 

Requirements Group and GS1 Architecture Group have also 

been incorporated into this version. 

We have started initiatives to develop test cases in order 

to start our prototype testing of the current draft of the 

specification. This process step helps to reduce ambiguities. 

The Working Group is aiming to complete Prototype Testing 

before the end of 2009. Until the ratification of this standard, 

it can only be obtained by opting into the TDTS WG. 

If you are interested to become a member of the TDTS WG 

and want to join our prototyping efforts, please contact 

Mark Frey at mfrey@epcglobalinc.org or Sylvia Stein at 

Sylvia.Stein@GS1.nl 

TDT 1.4 

This specification, the GS1 EPCglobal Tag Data Translation 

Standard (TDT) provides a framework for machine-readable 

definitions of the formats and encoding /decoding rules. This 

document also produced by the TDTS WG, is the next version 

that is fully compatible with the current, ratified version of 

the TDS 1.4 specification. 

The TDT 1.4 was ratified on June 10 and is posted on the 

GS1 EPCglobal Website. To download the standard, please use 

the following link: http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/tdt/ 

Reader Operations Phase 2 Working Group (RO P2 WG) 

This new SAG WG has had several conference calls and is working 

on the next version of LLRP (Lower Level Reader Protocol) to 

accommodate the impacts created by latest ratified version of 

Gen2 interface. Errata and other clarifications will be made as a 

result of reader manufacturers working with implementation of 

this standard with their users. 

We have completed a Working Draft of LLRP 1.1 and have 

started a WG review. A SAG review is expected to start the next 

few weeks. 

For more information about the RO P2 WG, contact Mark Frey 

mfrey@epcglobalinc.org 

SAG Certificate Profile Working Group (CP WG) 

The Certificate Profile WG has conducted several conference 

calls and is currently reviewing the Working Draft which 

contains the proposed updates to the currently ratified version. 

The new version 1.1 should be available for SAG review in the 

coming weeks. Besides members in the Working Group, SAG 

reviews are open to all SAG participants and include Member 

Organisations, Solution Providers and End Users. 

For more information about the CP WG, contact Mark Frey 

mfrey@epcglobalinc.org 

Object Naming Service (ONS) Requirements Ad Hoc Committee 

The current version of this standard describes how the Domain 

Name System is used to locate authoritative metadata and 

services associated with a given Electronic Product Code (EPC). 

Its target audience is developers that will be implementing 

ONS resolution systems for applications. The current version 

of the ONS is 1.0.1 and is available from the EPCglobal Website 

at http://www.epcglobalinc.org/standards/ons 

This new requirements ad hoc committee has been formed 

to address consideration for adding new functionality as 

suggested by a GS1 EPCglobal Enhancement Request filed by 

GS1 Canada and GS1 France. We are looking for users to join 

this committee to help us develop business requirements 

that end user companies would support. 

For more information about this ad hoc committee, contact 

Mark Frey mfrey@epcglobalinc.org 

Core Business Vocabulary SAG WG 

The work of this group is completed and it awaits various 

committee reviews before proceeding to Last Call Working 

Draft. The Prototype Testing will begin in earnest as 

soon as the LCWD is reached. Any company interested in 

participating in Prototype Testing can contact Gena Morgan 

at gmorgan@gs1us.org. 

Hardware Action Group 

The item-level tagging standards for UHF and HF: 

• UHF Air Interface Working Group: There is no new activity 

taking place since the ratification of the UHF Gen2 Version 1.2.0. 

• HF Air Interface Working Group. The HF Gen2 air interface 

protocol is currently at Recommended Specification in the 

Standards Development Process. 

Testing and Certification (T&C) Working Group: The test 

methods for conformance for UHF Gen2 are developed in 

the T&C WG. The Qualified Test System ad hoc Committee 

(QTSC) is developing a document describing expectations 

for assessing validation of conformance test equipment. 



Test methods for end-user field applications are being 

developed in the Tag, Label, Reader, and Printer Performance 

(TLRPP) Working Group: 

• The Laboratory Alignment Round Robin is concluding with 

a few labs requesting time for retesting. The objective has 

been to determine repeatability of sensitivity measurements 

between different lab set-ups using three UHF tags created 

specifically as reference tags. Each lab reported results of 

their testing to the TLRPP WG for analysis. The following 

labs participated in this work: 

o Avery Dennison (UK lab & USA Lab) 

o Cheng Loong (Taiwan, R.O.C.) 

o CISC (Austria) 

o European EPC Competence Center (Germany) 

o HP Brazil (Brazil) 

o Intermec (USA) 

o Kimberly-Clark (USA) 

o MET Labs (USA) 

o NXP (Austria) 

o P&G (USA) 

o UPM Raflatac (Finland) 

o VISN (China) 

o Voyantic (Finland) 

o GS1 China (China) 

• The “Static Test Method v1.9.4”. The WG will be reopening 

work on this beta test method to address comments 

submitted during the beta phase of the test method. A 

resolution of these comments followed by appropriate 

approvals will remove the beta status on this test method. 

A major new addition to the test method will be a method 

for measurement of the quiet zone around a tag. 

• The “Field Strength Measurement Test Method v1.2” 

and the “Field Strength Measurement Evaluation v1.0” 

were approved by the GS1 EPCglobal Technical Steering 

Committee. The Test Method and Recommendation are now 

available for the community by accessing the following link 

http://www.epcglobalinc.org/test_centers/appr_test_methods/ 

• Work is now in progress on the second half of the safety 

margin analysis to develop a test method for evaluating 

the effects of products on tag sensitivity. 

• To join the TLRPP WG, for the opt-in agreement, please contact 

the EPCglobal Inc. Help Desk at epcinchelp@epcglobalinc.org 

The HAG Active Tagging ad hoc Committee (HAT) developed 

a set of technical Review Criteria based on the AT JRG user 

requirements to evaluate candidate active tagging air 

interface protocols. Additional candidate protocols were 

identified by the HAT for evaluation. The ad hoc Committee 

has completed individual review of the candidate protocols, 

and is beginning the evaluation of the protocols as a set and 

will produce a written document of their Recommendation 

based on review of the data from their gap analysis. 

The HAT will have a F2F meeting on October 29-30, 2009, at 

the GS1 Standards Development Meeting in Lille, France. 

To join the Committee, please go to the link below 

a n d c l i c k o n “J o i n gro u p” i n t h e H AT h o m e p a g e 

(http://www.epcglobalinc.org/apps/org/workgroup/ 

hag_hat_ad_hoc/index.php). If you encounter problems 

accessing this link, please contact the EPCglobal Inc. Help 

Desk (epcinchelp@epcglobalinc.org). 

The Regulatory Affairs ad hoc Committee (RAC) is an 

active mailing list in the HAG. This ad hoc supports global 

regulatory work as needed. To join the mailing list, please 

click on the following link and follow the instructions to selfadd: 

http://www.epcglobalinc.org/apps/org/workgroup/ 

hag_ad_hoc_regulatory/index.php. If you are experiencing 

problems joining this Committee, please contact the 

EPCglobal Inc. Help Desk at epcinchelp@epcglobalinc.org. 

For more information on activities in the HAG, please contact the 

HAG facilitator Giselle Ow-Yang at gowyang@epcglobalinc.org. 

Missing Identification Resolution Group 

The Missing Identification Working group has resolved 

all comments that were addressed during Public Review. 

The next step is to incorporate all the resolutions into the 

Guideline. The Guideline will give guidance on what to do in 

situations in which a tag is broken or missing in the Supply 

Chain. The guideline will also address what to do if the brand 

owner product is not willing to tag their products, even 

though further downstream tagging is required. 

The group found that presently there is no solution within 

the published standards for assignment of a serial number to 

a GTIN by a party other than the brand owner. Therefore, they 

have formulated a Change Request, and submitted that into 

the GSMP standards development process. 

For further information, please contact Ilteris Oney at 

ilteris.oney@gs1.org or Sylvia Stein at sylvia.stein@gs1.nl 

GS1 GDSN 

GDSN Celebrates its 5th Anniversary 

GDSN is the GS1 Global Data Synchronisation Network, 

a powerful environment for secure and continuous 

synchronisation of accurate data. The GDSN has just 

celebrated five years of enabling suppliers and their 

customers around the world – both large corporations and 

small manufacturers and producers – to reap the benefits 

and seize the opportunities of synchronising qualitative, 

properly classified data. 

During a presentation in 2006, Ruud van der Pluijm, then 

Vice President of B-to-B e-Commerce at Ahold, remembered 

the beginning of GDSN: “We were convinced that we should 

exchange data attributes between retailers and suppliers. We 

knew we needed a global system that could exchange data. 

And that was the start of our GDS idea and architecture.” 



Since its start, the GS1 Global Data Synchronisation Network 

has never stopped growing. There are now more than 4 million 

GTINs and 21,000 GLNs registered, and 27 active GDSNcertified 

Data Pools. And we haven’t just gotten bigger, we’ve 

also gotten broader! We now support data synchronization 

in over 80 countries on every continent, and we’ve moved 

beyond the fast-moving consumer goods industry into 

building products and other DIY items, lawn and garden care, 

healthcare. toys, office supplies and much more. 

The GS1 Global Data Synchronisation Network is governed 

by a neutral body of volunteers from companies in a variety 

of industries and sectors. The standards that allow it to 

function are user-defined and user-driven. They adapt and 

evolve by leveraging the collaborative methods of the GS1 

Global Standards Management Process. Our most important 

ongoing work is focused on adoption and implementation 

initiatives, outreach to new sectors and new regions, and 

improving data quality and critical business process 

Are you getting started with GDSN, or thinking about getting 

more out of your existing data synchronisation programme? 

GS1 and GDSN-certified data pools can provide guidance 

and support. Visit www.gs1.org/gdsn for more information 

or contact your local GS1 Member Organisation by accessing 

the www.gs1.org/contact. 

Recently Approved GDSN Projects, 

Now in Progress 

At their June 11, 2009 meeting, the GDSN Board approved 

the following projects: 

Preliminary Trade Item 

Retailers often ask their suppliers for Item Data for a new 

item before that item is officially introduced. However, 

suppliers frequently don’t know all the definitive attributes 

of upcoming launches (measurements, weights, package 

type…) until later in their creation and production process. 

With this project, we’ll create a way for suppliers to indicate 

that information about a new trade item is preliminary and 

will be updated at a later date. 

Ti/Hi 

Two key bits of data in the transport and logistics industry 

are known as the TI and the HI. TI is the number of boxes/ 

cartons stored on a layer; HI is the number of layers high that 

these boxes/cartons will be stacked on the pallet. Currently, 

there are no instructions or guides on how to properly and 

accurately use the TI/HI attributes in the GDSN. We have 

created a work group to discuss the use and application of 

the TI/HI attributes, to establish an implementation guide for 

their accurate use, and to determine how to apply values for 

pallets with layers of different quantities. 

Price Standard Update 

In some markets around the world, a “price” actually consists 

of three expressions: List Price, Transaction Price exclusive of 

VAT, and Transaction Price with VAT and special taxes. This 

project will enable GDSN users to communicate multiple 

expressions of a price as a single price set, within the GDSN 

Price Standard. 

Target Market Subdivision 

One of the components of the data key in the GDSN is the 

“Target Market”. In addition, an optional “Target Market 

Subdivision” can also be populated. If populated, the 

Subdivision becomes part of the key in the Global Registry; 

and the Subdivision can also be used in the subscription (CIS) 

and publication (CIP) messages. 

However, our current data synchronisation standard does 

not clearly address how to perform two major functions 

when the Subdivision value is populated in one or both of 

these messages. 

The processes need to be fully aligned across all data 

pools. One of two actions must be taken in order to ensure 

consistency: 

Option 1: Due to the complexity of using the Subdivision, 

we could decide to remove this functionality from the 

Subscription and Publication messages and processes, 

and simply retain the attribute in the Registration 

message (RCI) and Global Registry. 

or 

Option 2: We could decide to develop and publish a matrix 

of all possible use case scenarios in the Registration, 

Subscription, Publication and subsequent Distribution 

and Matching Processes, in order to ensure a consistent 

process is implemented across the network. If this option 

is chosen, processing should be a requirement of all data 

pools in the network and added to the GDSN certification 

use cases. 

If the decision is to continue use of the Target Market Subdivision 

in the Subscription and Publication Processes, a workgroup 

will be formed to identify and clearly document the expected 

outcomes for every use case scenario. If the decision is to drop 

this functionality, a workgroup will be formed to document this 

and communicate it to the GDSN community. 

Support and Progress for Data Quality 

Data quality and the GS1 Data Quality Framework, are 

more important than ever. The GDSN Data Quality Steering 

Committee recently approved a 5-step rollout strategy for 

the Data Quality Framework. The 5 step strategy includes: 

Creating and sharing of core value proposition statements; 

Obtaining commitment from key enablers in all the highactivity 

regions; Proving these key enablers with the training 

and knowledge they need; and Supporting and monitoring 

the ‘onboarding’ adoption process. This will provide a 

structure for regular assessment of progress and support 

expansion into new regions, sectors and interest groups. 

First launched in late 2007, the GS1 Data Quality Challenge 

has proven to be an important programme that has yielded 

valuable best practices and produced success stories. The Data 



Quality Challenge builds upon the GS1 Data Quality Framework’s 

self-assessment procedure, which enables organisations 

to assess their compliance by positioning their current status in 

comparison to best practices. 17 GDSN trading partners have 

successfully undertaken last year the Data Quality Challenge, 

collaborating to identify key areas within their relationship that 

could be improved through the implementation of the principles 

of the GS1 Data Quality Framework. 

All participants have seen realised benefits in completing the 

Data Quality Challenge through the identification of unknown 

problems and specific improvements. Even companies 

who already had an internal data verification process were 

pleasantly surprised to learn how much added insight an 

external, neutral assessment can bring. Others now have a 

better understanding of what they need from their partners to 

support efficient processes while maintaining and improving 

accuracy of data. In all cases, the Challenge showed its 

participants the advantages of collaborating across the supply 

chain, and allowed them to establish actions plans, and a solid 

foundation for further work on data quality both with their 

fellow Challenge-Takers and with other trading partners. 

One thing is clear: the Data Quality Challenge is helpful 

because it gets people involved, interested and motivated. For 

the companies who have taken the Challenge, there is now a 

better understanding of each other’s processes, and as a result, 

a greatly decreased risk of misunderstandings. GDSN calls for 

data quality programmes that are sustainable and focused on 

the long term: our experience has shown time and again that 

business benefits come not from enacting short-term curative 

data cleansing actions, but only from having good quality data 

from the start. Take the Data Quality Challenge with one of 

your trading partners! Look at http://www.gs1.org/gdsn/dqf/ 

challenge/about for more information 

New version of the Global Product Classification 

published 

GS1 has published a new version of the Global Product 

Classification, or GPC, on August 31, 2009. GPC is a system that 

gives buyers and sellers a common language for grouping 

products in the same way, everywhere in the world. 

Across all 38 categories, more than 4500 changes have been 

made, thanks to the excellent contributions of GPC users and 

the leadership team of the GPC Business Requirement Group. 

The last 14 months have seen a leap in understanding of GPC. 

Many companies have gone from having only a basic awareness 

that GPC offered a global language for product classification, 

to having an active desire to use and integrate GPC standards 

within their own internal classification systems and with trading 

partners. The changes in the new version bring improved quality 

and consistency of the standard across all product segments, as 

well as 58 new brick codes, most importantly in Healthcare, for 

Sausages and for a new segment of Storage/Haulage Containers. 

Beyond classification support, GPC will also play a very important 

organisational role for the management of catalogue attributes in 

the framework of the Modular Item Initiative, a project created to 

assess opportunities to improve the flexibility of the infrastructure 

of the GS1 Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) and 

develop means to facilitate future expansion of the network. 

Additionally, GS1 France, acting as a Service Provider, has 

introduced new database support to help manage the changes 

and meet business requirements; and GS1 Netherlands and GS1 

Germany are migrating to GPC code-set to support further the 

GDSN user community. The new GPC tool also supports language 

translations for our Member Organisations around the world. 

The GPC will soon be available in 9 languages: English, French, 

Japanese, Hungarian, Serbian, Mexican Spanish, German, Dutch 

and Swedish. A Russian version is also expected. The new version 

of the GPC is available at www.gs1.org/gsmp/kc/gpc. 

GS1 UK Data Crunch Report Highlights 

Opportunities of Improved Product Information 

“The Data Crunch Report”, a report prepared by GS1 UK, in 

conjunction with IBM, The Institute for Grocery Distribution, 

Cranfield School of Management (KTP project) and Value 

Chain Vision, reveals the sizeable opportunity which Britain’s 

retail grocery sector can realise through improving data 

practices in the supply chain. The report estimates that UK 

grocery retailers and suppliers can realise savings of at least 

£1 billion over the next five years as data inconsistencies 

are ironed out across the industry and pass the benefits to 

consumers through better informed choices and improved 

shopper experience. By comparing the product data held 

by suppliers with that stored on the supermarkets’ systems, 

the research uncovered inconsistencies in what should have 

been identical information in over 80 per cent of cases. 

To download the GS1 UK Data Crunch Report, please visit: 

www.gs1uk.org/datacrunch.asp 

GS1 eCom 

The UN XML Cross Industry Invoice (CII) 

is published 

Whilst there are several initiatives ongoing at UN/CEFACT, the 

GS1 top priority over the past 18 months has been to deliver 

the Cross industry invoice XML message schema. 

The invoice is a major deliverable for UN/CEFACT and is a landmark 

success that all the GS1 delegation is proud to have been part of. 

Special thanks goes to the UN/CEFACT group responsible for its 

delivery, TBG1, its Chair Coen Janssen from GS1 Netherlands and 

the CII project manager Klaus Förderer from GS1 Germany. 

GS1 is planning to create a CII User Guide by the beginning 

of 2010. You can find more information about the UN 

XML Cross Industry Invoice by accessing the following 

http://www.unece.org/press/pr2009/09trade_p08e.htm 

New eCom Implementation Resource available 

The GS1 Global Office eCom team is pleased to present a 

new resource facilitating the implementation of GS1 eCom 

standards: “Ten steps of GS1 eCom Implementation” It is part 

of our communication on building GS1 eCom awareness and 

help companies drive adoption of our eBusiness standard. 



The “10 steps of GS1 eCom implementation” is meant 

for companies that are just starting or considering the 

implementation of GS1 eCom standards. It helps to identify 

what needs to be done to successfully implement and 

benefit from GS1 eCom. The GS1 Member Organisations may 

choose to provide a link directly to this resource on the GS1 

Global Office website or translate it and adapt to the local 

business practice. 

For further information about the implementation steps 

the user companies should contact their local GS1 Member 

Organisation. The MOs interested in adapting the “Ten Steps” 

to their local business situation should contact GS1 GO 

Customer Service or Marketing. 

GS1 MobileCom 

GS1 MobileCom Steering Committee formed 

Demonstrating once again the commitment of leading brands 

and retailers to using GS1 standards to connect businesses and 

consumers, six global brands and retailers are leading an effort 

to allow businesses and consumers to interact using mobile 

phones supported by open standards. 

Representatives from Nestlé, Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, 

Walmart, Metro and Carrefour join GS1 Colombia, GS1 Hong 

Kong and GS1 France in the newly formed GS1 MobileCom 

Steering Committee. 

“The Steering Committee is a group of organisations dedicated 

to using GS1 standards as a foundation for mobile commerce. 

It shows that brands and retailers are convinced that mobile 

technology will become a key touch point for consumers in 

coming years,” commented Vanderlei Santos of Nestlé, cochair 

of the Steering Committee. 

GS1 MobileCom is a cross-industry initiative involving 

manufacturers, retailers, mobile industry companies and 

solution providers that aims for: 

• all consumers to have access to trusted product information 

and related services via their mobile phones 

• all stakeholders to use open standards to make this possible 

and so ensure interoperable, scalable and cost-effective 

applications 

The Steering Committee aims to represent all key stakeholders 

with global scope including manufacturers, retailers, mobile 

industry companies and solution providers. As a result, there 

are currently open positions for 3 companies from the mobile 

industry or the wider solution provider community. 

“We are happy to start to work more closely with the mobile 

industry to develop a truly balanced vision of the mobile 

commerce ecosystem and create an simple, reliable and 

intuitive consumer experience,” said Olivier Raynal of Carrefour, 

co-chair of the Steering Committee. 

The first task of the Steering Committee has been to define 

and validate the GS1 MobileCom roadmap for the coming 2 

years. To mid-2009, the initiative has focused on a foundational 

application called Extended Packaging that defines how 

consumers can access information about products via their 

mobile phones. Now with Extended Packaging pilots underway 

in over 10 countries, the following work is in preparation: 

• A white paper describing the impact of mobile applications 

on retail stores 

• Business case for Mobile Coupons and Promotions 

More information is available at www.gs1.org/mobile 

Industry News 

Retail Supply Chain 

The RSC co-chairs will be meeting at the Joint GSMP JAG 

meeting to draft a Strategic Road Map for the industry. 

For more information please contact Giselle Ow-Yang at 

gowyang@epcglobalinc.org. 

Global Traceability Implementation Guide for Fresh 

Fruits & Vegetables is now available 

GS1 and the International Federation for Produce Standards 

(IFPS) announced in August 2009 the release of the Traceability 

for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Implementation Guide based 

on the GS1 Global Traceability Standard. The Guide serves as a 

common-sense blueprint that enables all stakeholders in the 

fresh produce supply chain to implement traceability practices 

utilising the GS1 System of standards and in particular, the GS1 

Global Traceability Standard. GS1 global supply chain standards 

are used by business in over 100 countries. 

The guide serves as a blueprint for implementing traceability 

in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry. It is based on GS1 

global standards for supply chain management and product 

identification. The guide is intended for those responsible for 

implementing traceability in their company’s operations and 

supply chain. The document provides a guide for fresh produce 

growers, packers, exporters/importers and distributors. Individual 

organisations may perform any combinations of these roles 

The guide has been developed following an organised and 

thorough process, the Global Standard Management Process 

(GSMP). It was developed by users representing all parts of the 

Fresh Fruit & Vegetable supply. 

Our acknowledgement goes to Mike Sadiwnyk who led the 

work group and Jane Proctor from IFPS as well as to all those 

who have been involved in developing this guideline. 

An electronic copy is available to download on the GS1 

website at http://www.gs1.org/gsmp/kc/traceability. For more 

information regarding this document contact Mike Sadiwnyk at 

Mike.Sadiwnyk@gs1ca.org, Jane Proctor at jproctor@cpma.ca, 

Diane Taillard at diane.taillard@gs1.org or Nora Kaci at 

nora.kaci@gs1.org. 

Liquids and Metals Interest Group 

The Liquids and Metals Interest Group was originally chartered 

to create a guideline to show standard configurations for 

sharing successful implementations of EPCglobal Gen2 



tags for various packaging and/or the products contained 

liquids and/or metals. We realized after several months 

that identifying standardized approaches to meet the 

expectations of some companies but not necessarily others. 

In addition, it is clear than many customized approaches will 

address companies’ needs more effectively and are likely to 

be a better solution. 

Conference calls conducted approximately once per month 

have resulted in a few examples of where things do not work. 

Nevertheless the limited data, the participants identified the 

following general use cases to show the specific configuration 

or material issues: 

• Cartons of soda, condensed milk, or beer in metal cans on 

a pallet 

• Mixed items contained in bags 

• Aggregate packages of jars of preserves 

• Tags embedded in wood pallets that are highly hydroscopic 

• Metalized packaging materials used on DVDs 

• Bottles of water on pallets 

The issues indentified are rather implementation challenges 

and not specifically related to standards. 

The EPCglobal Technical Steering Committee has advocated 

that each configuration has to be looked at 

separately to determine the combination of 

antennae orientation, spacing, etc. in order 

to optimize read performances. However, 

as there is not enough material to produce 

a guideline, we would recommend closing 

this Interest group. 

We would like to thank to the Chairs 

and those who have participated in the 

Liquids and Metals Interest Group. Participation from the user 

community has included Walmart Stores, Smuckers, Coca 

Cola, Pepsi, Lockheed, Kraft, CHEP, Best Buy, Metro, and Pfizer. 

Also thanks to the Solution Providers, Member Organizations 

as well as the Auto-ID Labs for their valuable input. 

Healthcare 

The Automatic Identification & Data Capture (AIDC) 

Application Standards work group is developing global 

standards for the automatic identification and data capture 

for Healthcare products at all packaging levels. The work team 

had already developed GTIN Allocation Rules for Healthcare, 

defined data requirements (including serialisation) and 

carrier requirements for automatic identification. The AIDC 

Application Standard for small medical / surgical instruments 

marking (CR09-000026) has recently been approved after 

a successful GSMP eBallot. Phase 1 of the AIDC Application 

Standards (covering about 80% of Healthcare products) 

has completed public review and is currently resolving 

public review, has resolved public review comments, and is 

currently going through eBallot.. Several other work groups 

have been launched this year including: 

• AIDC Healthcare Implementation Guide Work Group : this 

work group was formed to create a globally adaptable 

guideline for the implementation of AIDC Application 

Standards in the Healthcare sector. 

• GSMP Patient & Care Giver Work Group : this work group 

was formed to complete the standards for identification and 

marking/labeling for the patient and care giver to enable 

AIDC applications for the care delivery process as well as 

unique patient identification for other purposes, such as 

Individual Electronic Health Records (IEHR). 

• Healthcare GLN Work Group : this work group was formed 

to develop new GLN assignment rules and implementation 

guidelines to support Healthcare business needs. 

The Traceability in Healthcare work group is developing a 

suite of global standards to enable full actionable visibility 

of all pharmaceuticals and medical devices from point-ofproduction 

to point-of-use, which can be used globally. The 

Global Traceability Standard for Healthcare (GTSH) Issue 1.0.0 

was approved and published in February 2009 and provides 

a process standard describing the traceability process 

independent from the choice of enabling technologies, 

defining minimum requirements for all stakeholders, 

organisations and countries and the corresponding GS1 

Standards to be used in combination with information 

management tools. The GTSH Implementation Guide 

was published in April 2009. The work group is now 

further developing a suite of Global Standards that enable 

Traceability in Healthcare (including process standard(s) and 

technical standards) by mid-2010: 

The Healthcare Data Synchronisation work group is developing 

a global standard to enable healthcare 

stakeholders to leverage the GS1 Global 

Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN), 

ensuring accurate and consistent data 

exchange between all supply chain 

par tners. A global GDSN Pilot was 

successfully completed in 2008 showing 

that the GDSN infrastructure is in place to 

enable cross-border data synchronisation. 

A Global GDSN Implementation Initiative 

was successfully launched in May 2009. The 

GDSN Extension for Healthcare is planned to be created by Q3 

2009 and published early 2010. A recommendation for product 

classification in healthcare has been completed and the GPC 

codes added to support immediate GDSN implementation. 

Transportation and Logistics Services 

The Implementation Guideline for deploying EPC/RFID in the 

Transportation and Logistics Services Industry is currently 

in draft format and will be reviewed at the GS1 Standards 

Development Event. The date of completion of the guideline 

is expected to be January 2010. The guideline will provide 

support for implementation to multiple supply chain 

partners using the EPCglobal network and is based on the 

learnings from the different TLS Pilot Programs. 

The environmental test methods defined in the user 

requirements for the CAT tag are being reviewed to ensure 

that the appropriate test method and the related standard 



clearly define the TLS requirements for testing. The user 

requirements will be modified to include a table detailing the 

environmental testing. They will be published as a guideline 

for use by end users and CAT tag providers and will be 

completed by the end of 2009. 

User requirements for passive e-seals have been received 

from GS1 Taiwan. They will be shared with other Member 

Organizations so that they can provide their input and review 

prior to finalization of the user requirements. 

A meeting was held in Malaysia on September 29, 2009 

to start the planning and budgeting 

process for the fourth phase of the Pilot 

Program. The goal is to submit a request 

for funding of the Malaysian part of the 

project to the Malaysian government 

prior to the end of the year. This Phase of 

the project will be an implementation of 

RFID infrastructure at ports in Malaysia, 

Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Each country 

is currently discussing the project with consignees and 

shippers that are transporting via ocean containers on these 

trade lanes. Initial discussions are also taking place with the 

Customs authorities in each country. The project will be 

using both e-seals and XCAT (Extended Conveyance Asset 

tags) on the containers for the duration of the shipment. The 

EPCglobal network will be used to provide visibility of the 

shipments to the end users. A detailed project plan will be 

completed once the funding is finalized. 

Meetings have been held to define user requirements for Yard 

Management. Four areas of attention have been identified; 

standard protocol of communication for trailers, location 

(GPS), fuel gauge monitoring (reefer) and temperature 

(perishable foods). 

For more information regarding the Transportation and 

Logistics Services IAG, please contact Shirley Arsenault at 

sarsenault@epcglobalinc.org 

modified. A counterfeit tag is attached to a counterfeit 

product or an illegally modified product deceiving the repair 

centre into believing this is an authentic tag and product. This 

results in a loss for the manufacturer in terms of labour costs – 

repairing counterfeit products or products that do not satisfy 

terms and conditions of the manufacturer’s guarantee. 

The group has identified a key requirement to support the 

CE Anti-Counterfeiting use case. The requirement identified 

is planned for incorporation in the next revision of the UHF 

Gen2 specification. 

Key members of the Consumer Electronics Industry Action 

Group have been working diligently on 

describing, discussing and identifying data 

requirements for our Consumer Electronics 

End Of Life Use Case. Fruitful discussions 

let to a better understanding of product 

visibility and the different types of data 

that help achieve various levels of visibility. 

The group compiled a data requirements 

spreadsheet that takes all of the CE data 

requirements from our EOL Business Operations Worksheet. We 

have managed to categorize this data and delete overlaps. The 

group also outlined potential new Core Business Vocabulary 

which has been submitted to the DE JRG. 

Group discussions have also led to the identification of 

the need for a Hazardous materials identifier. The idea is to 

incorporate this into the extended user memory. The indicator 

will be used to alert Recycling operators to the presence (or 

not) of hazardous materials contained in electronic products. 

For more information on CE IAG activities contact Audrey 

Kremer at audrey.kremer@gs1.org 

Community News 

Consumer Electronics 

Key members of the Consumer Electronics Industry Action 

Group have been working diligently on describing, discussing 

and identifying potential requirements for our Consumer 

Electronics Anti-Counterfeiting Use Case. This work initiative 

was launched to help Consumer Electronics manufacturers 

drive counterfeit products out of the supply chain. Two key 

use cases were addressed: 

Sale of a counterfeit CE product 

A fraudster sells counterfeit product over the internet or 

on the black market. By attaching a counterfeit tag to the 

counterfeit product, the customer is deceived into the belief 

that they are buying an authentic product. This results in a 

loss for the manufacture in terms of sales. In addition, brand 

value and reputation can also be damaged. 

Request for illegitimate repair 

A fraudster applies to a CE manufacturer for the repair of 

a counterfeit CE product or a CE product he/she has illegally 

International Events 

• GS1 Standards Development Event, 26-30 October, 2009 

Lille, France 

• GS1 in Europe Regional Forum 2009, 03-04 November 2009 

Vienna, Austria 

• GS1 Hong Kong SCM Summit 2009 & 20th Years Anniversary, 

10 November 2009 Hong Kong, Hong Kong 

• GS1 Asia Pacific Regional Forum, 10-13 November, 2009 

Hong Kong, Hong Kong 

• GRIFS Forum Meeting, 17 November, 2009 Seoul, South Korea 

• GRIFS Forum Meeting, 02 December, 2009 Brussels, Belgium 

• GS1 Global Forum 2010, 22-26 February, 2010 Brussels, Belgium 

• GS1 Standards Development Event, 22-26 March, 2010 

Venue to be confirmed, USA 

Visit http://www.gs1.org/events for more information. 



Announcements and Memberships 

If you are interested to find out who recently joined GS1, please 

visit http://community.gs1.org/apps/group_public/download. 

php?document_id=28758 

GS1 is leveraging the Work of other Standards 

Bodies wherever possible 

GS1 is a user driven organisation that does not work in isolation. 

GS1 users can benefit when legitimate business requirements 

can be met by leveraging the work of other official standard 

bodies. Today, the GS1 System is a combination of GS1 Standards 

and the application of standards from other standards bodies. 

The intent of the GS1 Architecture is to effectively leverage the 

work efforts of other standards organisations. 

There is a need to ensure consistency for the many GS1 Users 

who want or need to have the solutions they apply compliant 

with public authority mandates in areas such as food safety, 

healthcare traceability, or hazardous goods handling. 

Such public authority mandates tend to be based around 

compliance to ISO (International Standards Organization). 

Some examples include ISO specifications for machine 

readable symbols and country, language, and currency 

codes. It is important that GS1 Users have confidence that by 

following the GS1 rules, they are also in compliance with the 

appropriate ISO standards. 

World Trade Organisation agreements include the Technical 

Barriers to Trade Agreement. The intent is to ensure ‘national 

standards’ are not used to erect technical barriers to trade 

and ISO, W3C or UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for 

Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) standards are 

often referenced to ensure incompatible ‘national standards’ 

cannot be misused to form trade barriers. Leveraging the 

work done international standard bodies helps to ensure 

compliance and acceptance of GS1 standards in support of 

international trade requirements. 

Eliminating duplicative efforts, by using existing standards in 

areas of standards definition and implementations, the GS1 

Architecture promotes a consistent approach to standardsbased 

solutions. GS1 rightly endorses a number of standards 

developed by UN/CEFACT (on global and multi-sectoral 

eBusiness Core Components and XML Naming and Design 

Rules) as well as the ISO Data Carrier standards for Bar Code 

and RFID. This helps ensures the consistent implementation 

and interoperability of systems. Maintenance is also 

centralised and simplified. GS1 also adds enormous value 

in the area of international standards by ensuring ‘trading 

partner agreements’ around the actual implementation of 

ISO, W3C or UN/CEFACT standards. Similarly, this further 

enhances consistent implementation support. 

There will be times when the GS1 User Community require 

something different from existing International Standards or 

need something faster than the ISO or UN/CEFACT process can 

deliver. In such cases GS1 retains the ability to act independently 

but will always work on the principle that GS1 will work 

constructively and in partnership to ensure the consistency that 

adds value to all GS1 users. There also may be opportunities 

for the GS1 standards to propagate through other standards 

organisations, thereby increasing the impact, effectiveness, 

adoption, and acceptance of the GS1 System globally. 

The GS1 Architecture Principles can be found at the GS1 

Architecture Website by accessing the following link: 

http://www.gs1.org/services/gsmp/support/arch_group.html. 

International and Regional Projects/Programs 

An Update on the GRIFS Project 

GRIFS, a European Project with the objective to bring together 

standard bodies dealing with RFID has launched its official 

Forum of collaboration this summer. The GRIFS consortium held 

two successful meetings in Washington DC on June 30 and July 1 

to officially launch its Forum of collaboration. Presentations were 

provided by representatives of NIST, Johnson & Johnson, MIT 

and AIM Global, in addition to the project members CEN, ETSI 

and GS1. The speakers highlighted the need for a neutral Forum 

where standard bodies would have the opportunity to share 

information and develop synergies, thus reducing the overlaps 

and possible contradictions in their work plans. 

The kickoff meeting of the GRIFS collaboration forum was 

held with representatives from ISO, ITU, IEEE, uID Center, 

AIM Global, AIAG, ODETTE as well as the three organisations 

coordinating the GRIFS project: ETSI, CEN and GS1 on 1 July. 

The meeting discussed the need for the Forum and reviewed 

the text of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding 

that will be submitted to the signature of standard bodies 

working on RFID standards. 

The new version of the Memorandum of Understanding is available 

at http://www.grifs-project.eu/index.php/downloads/en/ and a 

detailed report of the Washington meetings is available in the last 

GRIFS Newsletter at http://grifs-project.eu/index.php/news/en/ 

The next meetings will take place during the week November 

16-20, 2009 in Beijing, China and Seoul, South-Korea, and the 

third meeting will take place in Brussels on December 2-3, 2009. 

More information on the upcoming GRIFS events is available 

at http://grifs-project.eu/index.php/events/en/ 

Three-Year RFID Project BRIDGE Concludes with Impressive 

Results 

BRIDGE, Building Radio Frequency Identification Solutions for the 

Global Environment, has successfully completed its activities and 

tasks in August 2009. This three year project, which started in July 

2006 to promote the use of the RFID technology along the supply 

chain based on GS1 EPCglobal standards, gathered a consortium of 

31 partners, including 7 GS1 Member Organisations, 5 universities, 

11 solution providers and 8 user companies. The objective of 

the BRIDGE project was to research, develop and implement 

tools to enable the deployment of RFID and EPCglobal Network 

applications. The project was organised in 15 work packages 

covering hardware development, business applications, and 

horizontal activities such as training and dissemination. 

To know more about the BRIDGE project and download the 

public deliverables, visit http://www.bridge-project.eu or contact 

us at info@bridge-project.eu when you are interested to receive 

a final brochure summarising the main outcomes of the project 


If you have ideas to improve this newsletter, or article topics 

you would like to suggest, please contact Karl Van der Spiegel 

at karl.vanderspiegel@gs1.org

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