For many years barcodes have been used to identify item numbers (SKUs). Wherever products are sold a UPC style barcode indicates the manufacturer and what the product is. Other symbologies can be used to identify different pack quantities of items such as cases and pallets. The Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN) allows specific shipping units of product to be identified uniquely in the Global Supply Chain.

The GTIN provides a means to identify a product not only by manufacturer and SKU but by unique instance (such as serial number). With this advent every individual instance of a product may be uniquely identified. This identification may be applied specific objects, including pallets, cartons, containers, unit packs and items.

Affixing a bar code label to each object and scanning them at handling choke points throughout manufacturing areas and work stations increases visibility of “work in progress” on specific products/assemblies and their movements. These movements may be tracked within a facility, organization or the global supply chain. And this visibility can be traced to each individual object on a serialized basis.