GS1 Global Location Numbers (GLN) are unique 13-digit identifiers used to precisely identify parties and locations worldwide. Global Location Numbers are managed by the GS1 global standards organization, as part of their “Identify” family of standards.
Global Location Numbers can be used to unambiguously identify:
- Physical Locations: like offices, warehouses, stores, farms
- Legal Entities: like corporations, government bodies and holding companies
- Business Functions: like accounting or HR departments
Why do we need Global Location Numbers?
Global Location Numbers are often encoded into barcodes to increase accuracy and efficiency in supply chain processes - for example, a “Ship To Location” field on a delivery label could contain a GLN and be used in automatic sorting and routing processes.
GLNs are also used as location identifiers within electronic messages sent between businesses, such as shipment notices, invoices or traceability events. For example, a Global Location Number can be used as the “where” dimension in a receiving event:
If we didn’t have Global Location Numbers, two different organisations could assign the same number to refer to different locations, which introduces ambiguity and errors into cross-business supply chain processes. Global Location Numbers make it easy to be specific and mistake-free.
The structure of a Global Location Number
A global location number consists of 13 digits. They begin with a GS1 Company Prefix, and are followed by a unique location reference number assigned by the business assigned the company prefix. The final digit is a check digit for validation:
Sub Locations can also be identified by GLNs
Global Location Numbers can be combined with a “GLN Extension” code to identify sub-locations within a physical location, such as shelves, dock doors, farm fields and more. This is very useful in manufacturing, distribution and retail environments.
GLNs can be expressed as GS1 Digital Links
Global Location Numbers can be expressed as a web address using the GS1 Digital Link standard (read our in-depth Digital Link guide here to learn more). Two examples of where this is useful include:
- Creating a barcode for a physical location (for example, a storage bay in a warehouse) that can be scanned during logistics operations but also used to quickly lookup web content about that location on a phone
- As a reference in electronic messages exchanged between businesses (e.g. EPCIS traceability events), which can then be used by traceability systems to fetch further information about master data directly from the business that owns the GLN.
GLNs point to location or organization master data
GLNs are just a number - a unique “pointer” that can be used to lookup further information about a location or party in a database or system. An EPCIS traceability event, for example, will have references to a GLN which can be used to look up further information about that location in a database:
GS1 has defined a standard data model for location and party data attributes that include useful fields such as address, organisation names, phone numbers, geo-location and more - see the full standard here.
GS1 has defined a rich data model to consistently describe organisations and locations
Additionally, these fields can be expressed in a machine readable, web-compatible way using the GS1 Web Vocabulary standard - learn more about this standard in our guide here.
Certain member organizations, such as GS1 US with the GLN Data Hub, provide services to help businesses look up and share master data about parties and locations using the GLN as the primary key.
Conclusion
Global Location Numbers (GLN) help businesses maintain clarity, efficiency, and accuracy in their operations. Whether tracking inventory, sending invoices, or managing a large supply chain, using GLNs ensures that every location is uniquely and correctly identified. If you need help adopting and leveraging GLNs at your business, contact us today!