Data Synchronization

Every company in the world has a database filled with information about the products they make, or sell, or buy. These databases act very much like a catalogue that customers can use to place orders and manage vendors. Difficulties happen when one company needs to change information in their database or add a new item or location to it: suddenly their "catalogue" isn't up to date anymore. That's where synchronizing data through the GDSN comes in.

What is the GDSN?

GDSN is the GS1 Global Data Synchronization Network, built around the GS1 Global Registry®, GDSN-certified data pools, the GS1 Data Quality Framework and GS1 Global Product Classification, which when combined provide a powerful environment for secure and continuous synchronization of accurate data.

Synchronizing accurate, properly classified data results in:

• Smoother and quicker business processes
• Improved accuracy of orders
• Fewer forms to fill out
• Fewer duplicate systems and processes
• A proven way to drive unnecessary costs out of the supply chain

Many suppliers and their customers around the world, both large corporations and small manufacturers and producers, have already discovered how synchronizing qualitative, properly classified data using GDSN can bring both benefits and opportunities.

How GDSN Works

The GS1 Global Data Synchronization Network connects trading partners to the GS1 Global Registry® via a network of interoperable GDSN-certified data pools

Within this Network, trade items are identified using a unique combination of the GS1 Identification Keys called Global Trade Item Numbers(GTIN) and Global Location Numbers(GLN)

There are five simple steps that allow trading partners to synchronize item, location and price data with each other:

1. Load Data: The seller registers product and company information in its data pool.
2. Register Data: A small subset of this data is sent to the GS1 Global Registry.
3. Request Subscription: The buyer, through its own data pool, subscribes to receive a seller's information.
4. Publish Data: The seller's data pool publishes the requested information to the buyer's data pool.
5. Confirm & Inform: The buyer sends a confirmation to the seller via each company's data pool, which informs the supplier of the action taken by the retailer using the information.