Question 1

What is a GLN (Global Location Number)?

Accepted Answer

The GLN (Global Location Number) is a standardised, globally unique identifier that allows companies to answer the questions "who?" and "where?" within their own organisation and along the entire supply chain.

The GLN unambiguously identifies a company, a physical location or a legal entity and facilitates the standardised exchange of information between trading partners.

Question 2

What can a GLN identify?

Accepted Answer

The GLN can be used to identify:

• legal entities (companies, subsidiaries, government bodies);
• functions or departments within an organisation (e.g. finance, quality assurance);
• physical locations;
• digital locations.

Locations identified with a GLN can include warehouses, pharmacies, dock doors, ports, farms, ERP systems and, where necessary, even locations inside a building, such as rooms or shelves.

Question 3

What is the difference between GLN and GTIN?

Accepted Answer

The GTIN identifies products and trade items, while the GLN identifies companies and locations. In short: the GTIN answers the question "what?", and the GLN answers "who?" and "where?". Both are GS1 standards and are used together in retail, logistics and healthcare processes.

Question 4

How is the GLN used in practice?

Accepted Answer

The GLN can be represented in data carriers such as barcodes or EPC®/RFID, allowing products to be routed to their destination and the origin or movement of goods to be recorded by scanning, without manual intervention.

Sharing party and location information in communication systems using the GLN improves both transactional data and physical event data.

Question 5

How do I obtain a GLN for my company?

Accepted Answer

GLNs are obtained through the GS1 licence managed in the CODALOC platform. After registration you receive a GS1 company prefix with which you can generate and manage GLNs for all the locations and entities of your organisation.

Question 6

How many GLNs can a company have?

Accepted Answer

A company can use GLNs to identify any type or level of location it needs.

The number of GLNs required depends on:

• the size of the company;
• its organisational form;
• the specifics of its activity;
• the requirements of its trading partners.

Question 7

What are the benefits of using a GLN?

Accepted Answer

Using a GLN contributes to:

• improved visibility and traceability;
• greater efficiency of business processes, from order to invoice;
• better communication across the entire supply chain;
• the elimination of proprietary codes that are not interoperable with trading partners' systems;
• the consolidation of information and attributes about a party or location in a single place;
• greater trust from trading partners and consumers.

Question 8

Is the GLN recognised internationally?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The GLN is a unique, internationally valid identifier used to unambiguously identify companies, locations and legal entities across the global supply chain.

Its format is interoperable and recognised by trading partners worldwide. In addition, the GLN is compatible with the ISO 6523 standard, and the GLN allocation scheme is identified by the international code ICD 0088.

Question 9

Can a GLN be reused?

Accepted Answer

As a rule, an allocated GLN will not be reallocated to another party or location.

There are only two exceptions:

• the GLN has never been published in a registry nor communicated to a trading partner;
• the previously identified party or location is reintroduced without any change, in which case it may use the original GLN.

GS1 recommends following the non-reuse rule in order to avoid contradictory data appearing in the supply chain.

Question 10

How does the GLN support traceability?

Accepted Answer

By using the GLN together with GS1 standards, companies can precisely identify who is involved in a process and where it takes place.

Combined with GTIN, SSCC, EPCIS and the other GS1 standards, the GLN helps build a complete system of traceability and standardised data exchange across the entire supply chain.

Identify your company and locations with GLN

The global standard for identifying companies and locations

Two licensing options, based on your needs

GS1 License for GLN

GS1 License for SSCC

Do you also need codes for products?

What you need to know about identifying locations with GLN