Identification and Tracking Tools

European Article Number(EAN)

Today, no transport organisation can envisage operations without the development of information technology tools. Information technology has become critical to monitor the flow of goods through the supply chain and to provide quick and reliable information. A strategy based on intelligent and transparent logistics provides the customer with continuous and dependable services, and freight forwarders and logistics service providers with a competitive advantage.

 we illustrate the logistics operations of transport organisations as well as their tracking and tracing techniques for individual units or groups of units and explain how the EAN-UCC System can effectively support handling, inventory management, product movement, shipping and delivery. The technologies used in these processes include Bar Coding and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems as well as electronic tracking systems operated via the Internet. These Internet-based tracking systems connected to the transportation providers' centralized database, have become essential tools for customers to get status updates on their shipments.

 The document addresses the needs of Senior Managers and Strategic Planners in achieving effective logistics (moving goods faster than competitors), zero inventories and optimized information flows up and down the supply chain.

 AN International and the Uniform Code Council (UCC) are not for profit organisations that establish, develop electronic commerce tools and standards for logistical and administrative processes over the past 20 years. 800,000 companies from a variety of sec EAN International and UCC actively participate in a number of global industry-led electronic commerce initiatives such as Efficient Consumer Response (ECR), use the EAN'UCC System

EAN UCC: The Global Language of Business

ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) is a joint trade and industry body, launched in 1994 to make the entire grocery sector more responsive to consumer demand and eliminate unnecessary costs from the supply chain. The ECR Transport Optimization Project, which brings retailers, manufacturers and logistics operators together, recommends the use of the EAN-UCC System as the best freight tracking system.

EANUCC System: the right logistical solution

The EAN.UCC toolkit . The UCC/EAN-128 is the ideal symbology for transport units with special application identifiers which provide further product data (e.g. weight, purchase order number, etc.) without the need for an extra label. One such identifier, the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) provides a unique serial number for world-wide identification. The SSCC is used to uniquely identify goods on the way from sender to final recipient and can be used by all participants in the transport and distribution chain.

 EAN International has also created a standard logistics label format for encoding the SSCC and other relevant information on a shipping unit. The purpose of the EAN.UCC logistics label is to provide clear and concise information about the unit for Tracking and tracing information captured by the UCC/EAN-1 28 bar code standard is communicated fast and accurately by using EANCOM electronic data interchange (EDI) messages.

 Khne & Nagel, one of the world's leading logistics group in international forwarding, enables its operations at all Divisions (Air, Sea, Overland, Rail and Warehousing) with the EANUCC System. The company offers a tracking & tracing system that handles all customer orders on Order, Shipment, Packages and Purchase Order item level. In the following case study, Kuhne & Nagel illustrates how the EANUCC System has matched its customer's logistics needs.

EANCOM
EANCOM is a simplified and yet detailed implementation guideline for the UN/EDIFACT (United Nations, Electronic Data Interchange for Administration Commerce and Transport) standard messages provided by EAN International. EANCOM provides clear definitions and explanations which allow trading partners to exchange commercial documents in a simple, accurate and cost effective manner.

One of the world's biggest computer manufacturers asked Khne & Nagel to reorganize its European product distribution into a more effective, customeroriented and cost saving way. The idea was to ship directly from factory to the end customer avoiding warehousing facilities to allow the customer to monitor the whole process via the worldwide Khne & Nagel tracking & tracing system and to minimize the inventory To effectively respond to its customer's request, Khne & Nagel introduced a customer-designed process where all goods movements were captured and documented using the EANUCC standards. Each time the goods moved a new status was automatically generated and the tracking & tracing system was updated. The scanning started at the supplier's premises and ended at the handover to the end customer. The whole process was secured and documented using the bar-coding standards and did not depend on any manual entries.

 EANUCC Key Benefits understand and assist transport providers in meeting the challenges of operating in time-critical and timedefinite logistics environments by enabling an uninterrupted flow of information, based on an internationally agreed, openly accessible system of standards fully integrated in the transport industry. More specifically, the EAN'UCC toolkit optimizes the flow of goods and the information flow, and minimizes administrative and accounting operations.

Optimizing the flow of goods

Tracking & Tracing is possible along the entire supply chain from consignor to consignee, door-to-door on the basis of the same identification standard: the Serial Shipping Container Code (SS CC). In warehousing, the EANUCC toolkit enables efficient space management. For instance, a user can recognize that a storage location has been emptied and allocate additional goods to that particular space. It provides better tracking and inventory management at a facility level as well as at customer or supplier levels.

Optimising the information flow

The EANUCC toolkit allows immediate availability of logistics information (status, time of delivery, name of the recipient, consignor, consignee, number of transport units, weight, consignment number). Business information can be directly linked to the actual goods movements in supply and distribution, allowing companies to use their own systems to monitor and control the flow of goods. International EANUCC standards allow all partners in the supply chain to use a common solution for their real time tracking and tracing needs. Data necessary to measure performance, (e.g. picking frequency, product movement, volume of completed orders and driver productivity) can be effectively captured.

Minimising administrative and accounting operations

Administrative and accounting processes can be completely automated. Control & payment for services between logistics provider and customers are facilitated. Data is entered only once in the system, thus ensuring a high degree of dependability. Errors in trading cycle, logistics, and transport processes are minimised.

 Application Identifier Two or more characters that indicate the meaning and format of a data element in the UCC/EAN - 128 symbology. It defines uniquely the meaning and format of the data element. Bill of lading A document which evidences a contract of carriage and the taking over or loading of goods by the carrier, and by which the carrier undertakes to deliver the goods against surrender of the document. A provision in the document that the goods are to be delivered to the order of a named person, or to order, or to bearer, constitutes such an undertaking. The document has the following functions: .A receipt for goods, signed by a duly authorised person on behalf of the carriers. .A document of title to the goods described therein. 3. Evidence of the terms and conditions of carriage agreed upon between the two parties.

 Booking confirmation Document issued by the carrier to confirm the status of the booking, e.g. that a booking is accepted (and that space has been reserved on means of transport for the movement of goods). Booking in transport The process of making a reservation for space on a means of transport for the movement of goods. Bordereau Document used in road transport, listing the cargo carried on a road vehicle, often referring to appended copies of the (road) consignment note.

 Carrier Party undertaking transport of goods from one point to another. Consignee The party such as mentioned in the transport document by whom the goods, cargo or containers are to be received. Consignment A separately identifiable collection of goods items (available to be) transported form one consignor to the consignee via one or more modes of transport as specified in one single transport document. Consignor In transport, this is the party such as mentioned in the transport document by whom goods, cargo and containers are sent with a carrier. Consolidation The grouping together of individual consignments of goods into a combined consignment for a carriage. Customer An organisation or individual to which or to whom goods and/or services are supplied.

 Delivery The physical process of handing over goods to the consignee. Despatch advice Document by means of which the seller or consignor informs the consignee or buyer about the despatch of goods. [ANCOM EANCOM is a full subset of UN/EDIFACT (EDI) messages. EANCOM messages are developed to simplify the use of UN/EDIFACT messages. [DI EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange, a common and useful definition for EDI is "the transfer of structured data, by agreed message standards, form one computer application to another by electronic means and with a minimum of human intervention". Forwarder Party arranging the carriage of goods including connected services and/or associated formalities on behalf of a shipper or consignee.

 Freight: Goods in transport form one location to another. Global Location Number (EAN UCC) A 13-digit non-significant reference number used to identify legal entities (e.g. registered companies), functional entities (e.g. specific department within a legal entity) or physical entities (e.g a door of a warehouse). Goods (in transport) : All materials received form a shipper including any equipment. Goods item: A separately identifiable quantity of products of a single product type. Intermodal transport: The multi-modal movement of goods in which the same loading unit is used in a transport chain in an integrated manner using successively more than one mode of transport without the handling of goods

Lead Time The period of time between the beginning of the first activity and the end of the last activity of a particular series of activities. The lead-time comprises the sum of the times required for the succeeding activities and any waiting time(s). Logistic Unit A physical unit established for transport and storage of goods of any kind that needs to be tracked and traced individually in a supply chain (e.g. pallet of traded units established for transport purposes). Multi-modal transport The carriage of goods and or equipment by at least two different modes of transport. Package list Document specifying the distribution of goods in individual packages. Pick-up & load The action of loading shipments onto transports this includes both the physical loading of goods and the documentation of the hand-off from the shipper to the carrier. Proof of delivery The receipt signed by the consignee upon delivery Serial Shipping Container Code The EANUCC number comprising 18 digits for identifying uniquely a logistic unit (licence plate concept). Shipment A shipment being an identifiable collection of one or more goods items (available to be) transported together form the original shipper, to the ultimate consignee. Note: A shipment can be transported in different consignments.

 Shipper: An individual or organisation that initiates shipments. Symbology: A way of representing human-readable characters in machine-readable formatThere are a variety of symbologies each better suited to a different environment. Each symbology has a different way of creating the symbol characters. Tracing: The action of retrieving information concerning the whereabouts of cargo, cargo items, consignments or equipment Tracking: The function of maintaining status information, including current location, of containers, either full or empty. Transport Instruction: A generic term of the document providing the necessary details to arrange transportation.

 Transport status: The status of a shipment or group of shipments. For example, in transit, damaged, delayed, or diverted. Transport unit: A package intended for transportation comprising one or more articles, wrap-ped or unwrapped, and when multiple articles, constrained to form a unit.

UN/EDIFACT UN/EDIFACT or United Nations Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport comprises a set of internationally agreed standards, directories and guidelines for the electronic interchange of data. In other words, the communication language between computers. It took shape within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) in the working Party for the Facilitation of International Trade (WP.4) and was approved as ISO standard 9735 in 1988.

 Unload: The physical unloading of transport units from the carrier's vehicle and capture of the associated record of delivery. Waybill: Non-negotiable document evidencing the contract for the transport of cargo.

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