Serialization readiness: What about my partial containers?

When implementing serialization, it’s important to consider handling partial containers.

[Editor’s note: This is a slightly revised version of the original story posted Oct. 9, 2013.]

Often forgotten among all the issues addressed when preparing the serialization of a first packaging line is how to handle partial containers. Frequently the partial container is that very last packaged case for which there is not enough product to completely fill it. When this case is added to a pallet, it will end up being partial as well. This also applies to other packaging inside a case, such as bundles or trays. For the purpose of this article, we will use the case as our example.

The GS1 “GTIN and Serial Number” (widely referred to as the SGTIN (Serialized Global Trade Item Number) is the serial number format required by most regulations. For most manufacturers, the introduction of the GTIN on their labels coincides with their serialization effort. It is precisely the GTIN introduction that is the issue with partial containers.

In the GTIN structure, the first digit (called the Indicator Digit) must be different for each packaging level. This means that, for a particular product, each packaging level is labeled with a different GTIN. Also, GS1 clearly states that a GTIN must refer to a specific product type, concentration, size, and package configuration (which includes the item quantity).

Another standard, which logically follows the GTIN implementation, is the GDSN (Global Data Synchronization Network). In a nutshell, the GDSN is the standard way to store and display all the attributes of each GTIN a company manufactures, distributes, or sells. The number of children items is one of those attributes.

To summarize, the SGTIN for the case is an indication that the case is filled with the full quantity that the GTIN is intended to identify. For this reason, a GTIN—whether serialized or not—should not appear on the outside of a partial (or mixed) case. This is to ensure that a partial case is not inadvertently shipped to a trade partner (and charged as a full one).

How is the industry handling this?

At the moment, there are no clear industry-wide guidelines on how to handle partial containers in a serialized environment. Here is a list of some methods I’ve either seen deployed or that are possible:

A. SSCC Identification:

An SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is an alternative to the GTIN + Serial Number format. Some of the digits are specific to a company, whereas the other digits are used to identify a unique number for each labeled package. The SSCC does not identify the product.

Even though the SSCC serial number format is meant to identify the packaging level that is shipped out (usually pallets), it is fully EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services)-compatible (for the aggregation record) and, once in the warehouse, it becomes 100% clear that the partial container is "different" from the others. An SSCC allows the case and its contents to be indicated within an ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice), DPMS (Drug Pedigree Messaging Standard) e-pedigree envelope and/or EPCIS events, which is where the recipient should look for contained quantity.

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