The GDSN: A Digital Shelf Guide

The GDSN connects trading partners to a trusted, continuously synchronized product information source. These established connections allow product information, including changes, to move freely.

The GDSN is designed to make the process of defining and mapping requirements straightforward. While all industries benefit from this GS1 Global standard, highly regulated industries like food and healthcare find it especially beneficial.

The GDSN design for its network of interconnected data pools reduces the need for manual processes for moving data. This process also reduces errors and decreases the time needed to take product information to market.

The Uniform Code Council (UCC) created GS1 Global in 1974. This numbering system was expanded outside of the U.S. in 1976 with the European Article Numbering (EAN) system. Thirty-two independent standards evolved around these two numbering systems. In 2004, the EAN and UCC codified these standards into a joint protocol: the GDSN.