A global business language
Clear communication between customers, suppliers and distributors is crucial for the efficiency of commerce. But if everyone has different processes and systems for communication, it will be difficult to share even the simplest information. A common language is needed, and this is where GS1 comes into the picture.
Ever since 1974, when the first barcode was scanned in a grocery store, GS1 has been numbering the world with its unique standard system. Over 10 billion barcodes are now scanned every day – and businesses have a standardized business language to exchange information about products, deliveries and transactions.
Our history
1973
Den 3 april 1973 skapade branschledare inom den amerikanska dagligvarusektorn streckkoden – en innovation som har revolutionerat vår moderna ekonomi och samhälle.
1974
Amerikanska Uniform Code Council (UCC) utses till administratör av den nya Universal Product Code (UPC) streckkoden.
Den 26 juni 1974 – i en Marsh supermarket i Ohio – blir ett paket Wrigleys tuggummi den första produkten i världen som skannas med en streckkod.
1977
European Article Numbering Association är etablerad som en internationell icke-vinstdrivande standardiseringsorganisation i Bryssel, Belgien. Den nya EAN-streckkoden är helt kompatibel med UPC-streckkoden i USA.
1983
Traditionella streckkoder utökas och används utanför kassadiskarna för flerförpackningar, pallar och kartonger.
1989
GS1 publicerar sin första internationella standard för elektroniskt datautbyte, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), vilket skapar ett effektivt, säkert och automatiserat sätt för handelspartner att sömlöst utbyta information och kommunicera med varandra.
1995
GS1 expanderar till hälso- och sjukvårdssektorn och implementerar standarder för att öka patientsäkerheten, öka effektiviteten i leveranskedjan och förbättra identifieringen och spårbarheten av medicintekniska produkter.
1999
Specifikationerna för GS1 DataBar är godkända. Dessa utrymmesreducerade och staplade streckkoder kan identifiera små föremål som smycken och färska livsmedel – och bära mer information än traditionella streckkoder.
2000
I början av det nya millenniet finns GS1 i 90 länder.
2002
GS1:s Global Standards Management Process (GSMP) lanseras, vilket ger en neutral miljö för industrin att diskutera gemensamma affärsutmaningar och etablera nya standardbaserade lösningar för sina företag.
2003
EPCglobal, Inc. bildas för att förnya och utveckla standarder för Electronic Product Code (EPC) och för att stödja användningen av Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), vilket i slutändan förbättrar lagerkontroll och ökar värdekedjans transparens.
2004
GS1 DataMatrix is approved and is the first two-dimensional barcode adopted by GS1.
GS1 Global Data Synchronization Network (GS1 GDSN®) is launched. This product data network allows any company, anywhere, to seamlessly share high-quality product information.
2005
UCC and EAN merge to create a single international organization with 101 national GS1 offices.
2006
GS1 launches the first global traceability standard, paving the way for improved interoperability and transparency in the value chain.
2010
As e-commerce grows, GS1 is entering the business-to-consumer (B2C) world and exploring standards to give consumers direct access to product information via their mobile devices.
2013
GS1 is authorized by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) as the issuing agency for the Unique Device Identifier (UDI) used to globally and uniquely identify medical devices.
2014
GS1 is building a new global strategy to respond to the demands of digital omni-channel commerce, including ratification of their first ‘digital’ standard.
2016
The BBC names the GS1 barcode as one of “the 50 things that created the world economy”.
2018
GS1 is expanding into the financial sector as an accredited issuer of Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs), codes that uniquely identify companies involved in financial transactions.
2019
The GS1 Registry Platform (GRP) is established as a trusted source for GS1 Company Prefix (GCP), Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) or barcode number and GS1 Global Location Number (GLN). Verified by GS1 enables users to leverage the platform: brand owners can share basic data about their products and retailers and marketplaces can verify the identity of the products they sell.
2020
The GS1 Digital Link standard uses QR codes to help consumers access large amounts of brand-approved data on the web, including product information, promotions, ingredients, recipes and more.
2021
GS1 is supporting the industry with an ambition to read two-dimensional barcodes – QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix barcodes – at points of sale around the world by the end of 2027.
2022
A joint report by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) describes the power of GS1 product and location identification to make cross-border trade more efficient, inclusive and sustainable.
2023
GS1 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the barcode together with 116 GS1 National Offices. More than 1 billion products now have GS1 barcodes that are scanned 10 billion times every day around the world.
Connects physical and digital
Standards and services from GS1 are today enablers for many industries that want to tell the digital story of their physical goods flows.
Consumers, patients, business partners and government agencies are demanding more and better product data than ever before. And to avoid complex and costly processes, companies use GS1 standards for data exchange.
When it becomes possible to identify, describe and track products, goods and locations across the world – and create a digital product that matches the physical one, businesses get a boost in their digital transformation.
Benefits for your business
More efficient logistics
Accurate deliveries
Improving patient safety
Reliable product information
Traceability and sustainability
Reduced costs
Standards for the future
GS1 standards create the opportunity for companies of all sizes to identify, capture and share unique information, across the entire supply chain.
In a rapidly changing world, we adapt to new technologies and increased glottalization. Our standards are constantly evolving to meet increased demands for traceability,sustainability and consumer safety.
In a circular economy, data should be structured and shared through global and open standards. GS1 works with governments, organizations and industries to support the UN Global Goals through the adoption of GS1 standards.
Users drive development
Development and maintenance of standards, solutions and services is done together with our customers in GS1 Sweden’s user groups.
Here, users make suggestions for the development of existing standards to increase efficiency in the supply chain. And also proposals for new standards.
User groups are involved in influencing standards and processes at both local and global levels. Different business partners are represented in the groups and this results in a consensus, which in turn improves efficiency for several industries.
This is who we are
GS1 is a global organization and GS1 Sweden is one of 120 member countries. We offer a common digital language for businesses through unique identification, accurate labeling and automatic data sharing for products, locations and other physical objects. Companies can use GS1 to improve efficiency, security, sustainability and traceability.
Neutral and not-for-profit
User-controlled
Open and collaborative
GS1 Sweden
GS1 Sweden AB is equally owned by the industry organizations Dagligvaruleverantörerna (DLF) and Svensk Dagligvaruhandel (SvDH). GS1 Sweden was previously called EAN Sweden.