An overview of the product approval process, what is involved, and the benefits of approval.

One of the key offerings of the GS1 UK partner programme is the opportunity to have your product(s)/solution(s) approved. This process sits at the core of our partner programme.

The purpose of the approval process is to help our members to find GS1-compliant products or solutions that are capable of appropriately using or holding GS1 Identification Keys. For example, does the system have fields for GS1 identifiers (such as the GTIN and GLN) or can the scanner accurately read and decode GS1 barcodes?

Our standards consultants conduct a review of your product(s)/solution(s) to ensure compliance with applicable GS1 standards. This will include a product demo so we can see how your product(s)/solution(s) work in practice.

Following a successful demonstration, you will receive a GS1 UK certificate and public report as confirmation that the necessary requirements have been met. You will also receive a partner logo and an approved logo which you can use on marketing collateral when showcasing your approved product to clients.

The product approval process is conducted in three easy steps. Further information about what happens in each stage is summarised in more detail below. 

The survey has four steps and you will be able to navigate forwards and backwards between the steps before you submit the form.

Don’t worry if you are unable to answer any of the questions, the survey is agnostic so that it can cover all sectors. You may find that not all of the questions are relevant for your product so you can skip these and move on to the next applicable question.

Here's a step-by-step guide to completing the survey.

Part 1

You will be asked some basic questions about your company and product (name, address, product version number, etc.)

Part 2

You will be asked to provide information as to whether your product can identify, capture or store information in relation to locations, items, people, assets, logistic units and documents.

If your product identifies or holds information about any of these things, we also need to know whether your product is able to hold/use the appropriate GS1 identifiers for them:

• Locations: Global Location Number (GLN) and GLN Extension Component
• Products: Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
• Patients/care givers: Global Service Relation Number (GSRN) 
• Assets: Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) and/or Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI)
• Logistic/shipping units: Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) 
• Documents: Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI)

Part 3

You will be asked to provide details on Automatic Identification and Capture (AIDC) technologies your product may use, including:

• Whether your product can produce or scan barcodes, and if so, which symbols (linear and/or 2D)
• Whether your product can produce or scan RFID tags, and if so, whether it can use GS1 EPC/RFID

Part 4

You will be asked to confirm whether your product:

• Can interface with third-party systems, and if so, share any of the identifiers specified in Step 2
• Can use, store or share item data through Global Data Synchronisation
• Can use, store or share transactional data such as orders and invoices, and if so, whether it can use GS1 EDI standards to do so
• Can use, store or share event data, and if so, whether it can use EPCIS to do so

Once you have submitted the survey we will generate a workbook for you to review in preparation for the product demo. Depending on your product/solution, you may be required to share some samples such as barcode labels or RFID tags beforehand. There is an option to upload an electronic version through the application form but we may also require some physical samples.

Please send any physical samples to GS1 UK at the address below.

Address
F.A.O. GS1 UK business consultancy team
Floor 3 Hasilwood House
60 Bishopsgate
London
EC2N 4AW

The final part of the process is the product demo. These can be conducted face-to-face or virtually, depending on the requirements. We will work with you to arrange a suitable time and format for the demonstration.

Each demo will last for between 1 and 1.5 hours and will be conducted by one or more representatives from the GS1 UK partnerships team, business consultancy team, and in some instances, the industry engagement team.

During the session, you will be asked to provide an overview of your business and product(s)/solution(s), and explain and demonstrate how it works and interacts with necessary systems or components where applicable. The demo will then finish with discussion and Q&A from GS1 UK.

Following the demo the standards team will inform you of the status of the approval. Should any updates be required before approving your product(s)/solution(s) you will be advised of any changes that need to be made.

If no changes are required you will issued with your certificate, public report and logos shortly after the approval has been confirmed.