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Retail & CPG

Healthcare

Logistics

Foodservice

Technical Industries

Shipping Management

Identifying & tracking shipments with accurate documentations

Shipping management is about matching physical goods to accurate documentation at every stage of a consignment’s journey. GS1 standards ensure the labels on a pallet, the data in an advance ship notice, and the information on an invoice all refer to exactly the same thing, reducing disputes and delays between trading partners.

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GS1 identifiers used in shipping operation

  • SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) Identifies individual logistics units, such as pallets or cartons, within a shipment. It is the mandatory element on any GS1 Logistics Label.
  • GSIN (Global Shipment Identification Number) Identifies an entire shipment, which may consist of multiple SSCCs, as a single logical grouping for the customer or consignee.
  • GINC (Global Identification Number for Consignment) Identifies a consignment: a logical grouping of goods, potentially from multiple shipments, transported together (for example, within one container) from a single consignor to a single consignee.
  • GLN (Global Location Number) Identifies the consignor, consignee, and freight forwarder locations involved in the shipment, supporting accurate routing.
  • EDI messages (GS1 EANCOM / GS1 XML) Standardised electronic messages, including advance ship notices (DESADV), transport status (IFTSTA), and invoices, that carry shipment information tied to the same identifiers used on the physical label.

How it works

  1. Individual logistics units are each assigned an SSCC and labelled accordingly.
  2. Multiple SSCCs bound for the same destination are grouped under a single GSIN.
  3. Where multiple shipments travel together (for example, consolidated within one container), a GINC identifies the overall consignment.
  4. EDI messages carry this same identification through advance ship notices, status updates, and invoicing, so documentation and physical goods stay in sync at every handover.

Benefits

  • One label used consistently throughout the supply chain, avoiding re-labelling at each handover
  • Automated advance ship notices that match physical goods to electronic documentation
  • Reduced invoicing and delivery errors
  • Minimised labelling costs through a single international standard
  • A clear hierarchy for consolidated shipments, from item to logistics unit to shipment to consignment

Example in practice

A freight forwarder consolidates several shipments, each identified by a GSIN, into a single container, assigning a GINC to the overall consignment. The container and its contents remain traceable at every port and handover using the same identifiers throughout the journey.

Want to reduce shipping documentation errors and disputes?

Talk to us about standardising your shipment identification.

contact@gs1.org.sg

+65 6859 0451

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