IBCA
Label Implementation Guide (LIG)
6.
Implementing a Serial Shipping Container Code Labeling Project
(rev
December 2011)
6.1
Introduction / Overview of the Project
This chapter uses terms and concepts presented
in Chapter 3 & Chapter 4 and it
further assumes that the preparation steps outlined in Chapter
5 have been completed. If you are not familiar with the GS1 System and
bar code printing, you may want to read Chapter 3 &
Chapter
4 before continuing with this chapter.
The label shown below is an example of a
Serial Shipping Container label using the GS1-128 Symbology (a special
subset of Code 128) and application identifiers to designate the type of data
encoded in the two bar codes on the label.
This label is printed and applied to a carton
just before it is shipped. The bar code on top identifies the destination postal
code for the carton. It is identified with the application identifier of
"420" for domestic shipments. This bar code is scanned at distribution
centers to automatically route it to the proper loading dock. This label
conforms to the ANSI MH10.8 Standard.
The bar code on the bottom of the label is an
SSCC in the GS1-128 format explained in Chapter 7. The
carton serial number is identified with the application identifier of
"00." The bar code is scanned at various points in the supply chain, including the ultimate destination, to track the precise location of a
particular carton in much the same way that Federal Express tracks packages
throughout its system.
Not all Serial Shipping Container labels look
exactly like this but, by definition, all serial shipping container label
projects specify that cartons and other shipping containers shall be assigned a
unique carton serial number that can be tied back to its contents.
This chapter explains how to implement a
serial shipping container labeling project.
Before doing anything else,
make sure that your customer is asking you to do this. Some customers only want
the GTIN-12 label (with UPC-A bar code) on consumer units or the GTIN-14 Number
(usually in the ITF-14 symbology) on cartons. If the customer is requesting a
serial shipping container code, read on.
Note:
Even if customers are not asking for this today, most big retailers are planning
to implement systems capable of utilizing serial shipping container numbers. If
you ship to large retailers, this specification is probably in your future.
6.2
Clarifying the difference between the GTIN-14
and the Serial Shipping Container Code
It’s easy to get confused
between the GTIN-14 (sometimes referred to as the shipping container code SCC)
and the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) because both can be applied to the
outside of shipping containers and the similarity of the abbreviation (SCC and
SSCC). We will call the one GTIN-14 and the other SSCC.
The GTIN-14 and the SSCC
are both applied to cartons and shipping containers but they serve two different
purposes. The GTIN-14 identifies product inside and package level. The SSCC
identifies the transport unit itself and links it to a particular data file
containing information like P.O. number, etc.
The GTIN-14 is assigned to
a particular product and package quantity. All identical products in the same
package quantity are assigned the same number. The GTIN-14 means a specific
product and package quantity. Capturing the GTIN-14 identifies the product and
quantity but not which purchase order it should be applied against. The GTIN-14
can be printed in ITF-14 or GS1-128 symbology as soon as the product is
manufactured without regard for whom it is going to or the need to link a
particular carton to a particular purchase order.
The SSCC is different for
each carton and shipping container, regardless of its contents. The SSCC can be
applied in addition to the GTIN-14 or, if the customer allows it, instead of the
GTIN-14. The SSCC is especially useful for tracking cartons containing custom
quantities of mixed products. The SSCC is normally not printed until the
customer and destination for that particular carton is known. Generally, this
means printing after the picking and packing process but before the shipping
process.
6.3 How the customer uses the Serial Shipping Container Code
The SSCC is used in conjunction
with EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Advance Ship Notice transactions (ASN).
In EDI terms, the ASN is called EDI transaction # 856. With the advent of
Internet enabled communication some companies are using other methods to
communicate the same kind of information. Regardless of the method used to
communicate the number, the IBCA guidelines only deal with the SSCC as the link
between the shipping carton and the data file containing the information about
that specific carton. Since, historically this is referred to as the ASN, we
will continue to do so.
The 856 ASN is an electronic
shipping manifest containing detailed shipping information such as purchase
order number, total number of cartons, carton serial numbers, contents of each
carton tied to specific line items on a specific purchase order, carrier that
accepted the shipment, shipment date, etc. The electronic file (ASN 856) is
created at the time of shipment and sent by the supplier to the customer so it
arrives before the shipment arrives. The customer holds the file in a Pending
Status waiting for the physical shipment to arrive.
If the 856 ASN file arrives
ahead of the shipment, scanning only
the SSCC on the cartons allows the recipient to determine:
If the physical shipment
arrives before the electronic 856 ASN file,
scanning the carton serial numbers tells the recipient nothing about its
contents or other shipping information. In this case, the carton serial numbers
can be scanned and stored in a Pending File waiting for the electronic file.
When the electronic file arrives, the carton serial numbers can be matched and
processed for payment.
6.4 Overview of a System to Generate Serial Shipping Container
Labels
The illustration below shows one
way to implement a Serial Shipping Container Labeling project. Other ways are
possible but, in general, the description below will serve as a guideline. It
depicts two (2) new computer systems, both of which can operate on a stand-alone
PC if desired. The present business information system does not need to be
modified. Note that SSCLS is not a
defined GS1 acronym. It is used
in this text as a generic title for a system that generates SSCC serial shipping
container codes and labels, matches picked quantities to an ASN, and generates
the ASN.
Present
Business Information System
|
New Serial Shipping Container Labeling System (SSCLS*)
|
New
EDI 856 System
|
- Order entry via keyboard or EDI transaction
set #850.
- Generate pick ticket.
- Send PO information to SSCLS* system.
- Note: item numbers and quantities are sent
to a temporary "look -up" file in the SSCLS* for shipping verification.
Actual picking information is used to generate a carton contents file.
|
- Assign unique 18 digit serial numbers for
each carton.
- Print labels in proper format.
- Input "as picked information" from the bar
code reader.
- Create carton contents file by combining
actual picking information with PO information previously sent by present
business information system.
- Send actual picking information back to
present business information system for invoicing.
- Send carton contents file to new EDI 856
System.
|
- Import carton contents file for SSCLS*.
- Format file in proper EDI 856 file format.
- Transmit file to proper customer.
|
6.5 Description of the Serial Shipping
Container Labeling System (SSCLS)
The Serial Shipping Container
Labeling System can be a stand-alone PC-based application. It can be interfaced
to the present information system directly or all inputs can be key entered and
all outputs can be printed on paper and manually entered into other systems for
invoicing, inventory adjustments, etc. The capabilities of the SSCLS may be
incorporated in a warehouse management system (WMS) or
in some level of enterprise system. The guidelines deal with
functionality only.
The SSCLS has several unique
functions not normally present in business information systems. The four
functions shown below are the basic, minimum functions the SSCLS system needs to
provide:
-
Generates a unique carton serial
number.
-
Prints the SSCC label in
specification.
-
Creates a carton contents file that
can be used to generate the EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice.
-
Transmits the carton contents file
to the EDI 856 system.
To ensure the validity of the
information, the SSCLS module can perform several other functions:
-
Receive direct input from the
present business information system to reduce the need to key enter PO data
already in the system.
-
Receive direct input from portable
hand held terminals containing actual picking information, i.e. item numbers,
quantities, etc.
-
Transmit actual picking information
directly to the invoicing module of the present business information system.
-
Format the carton contents file
into an EDI 856 transaction file.
-
Transmit the 856 transaction file
to the customer.
Creating
the Carton Contents File
The most challenging aspect of
this project is making the linkage between a carton’s contents and its serial
number. In practice, "linkage" means creating an electronic file that
uses the carton serial number to reference its contents and other pertinent
shipping information. We refer to this file as the "carton contents
file." It is created by the SSCLS. The data needed to create the carton
contents file is captured or automatically generated in three separate stages.
-
Stage 1 is Order Entry. At this
stage, the PO number, shipping point(s), requested ship date (s), requested
common carriers, and other special shipping instructions are captured. Item
numbers and quantities are also captured at the order entry point. This
information is sent to the SSCLS system as a look-up file for shipping
verification but the final carton contents file is generated from actual picked
quantities, not the order entry file.
-
Stage 2 is data entry of actual
picking information and carton assignments. This includes information such as
carrier, weight and P.O. number that may be entered manually after the order is
completed.
-
Stage 3 is the 856 ASN file
formatting stage in which special information identifying the file as an 856
Advanced Ship Notice is generated.
Data
Element
|
Stage
|
Data
Entry method
|
Customer
name
|
1
|
Key entry,
computer file or EDI (850)
|
Shipping
address
|
1
|
Key entry,
computer file or EDI (850)
|
Purchase
order number
|
1
|
Key entry,
computer file or EDI (850)
|
Requested
Carrier
|
1
|
Key entry,
computer file or EDI (850)
|
Actual
Carrier Identification
|
2
|
Key entry
|
Line
Item(s)
|
2
|
Key entry* or
from portable terminal
|
GTIN-12
number (s)
|
2
|
Key entry* or
from portable terminal
|
Carton
Serial Number
|
2
|
Automatically
generated by SSCLS module
|
Actual
ship date
|
2
|
Automatically
generated by SSCLS module
|
856
transaction number
|
3
|
Automatically
generated by the EDI 856 module
|
* some trading partners will allow bar
code only
Printing
the SSCC label
The Serial Shipping Container
Code (SSCC) was explained in detail in
Chapter 4: Understanding the GS1 System The SSCC
number includes a GS1-assigned Company Prefix Number. If your company does not
already have one, apply for one with the GS1 organization. See Chapter 4 for instructions on
how to do this.
Since the SSCC label is generally
not printed in batches and since it requires a high quality label, it is
normally printed with a thermal printer. The SSCC label is essentially a
"printed report" following a pre-defined format containing graphic
elements that do not change from label to label (your company name for example)
and variable data such as the
destination postal code and carton serial
number, which can be different for every label. Variable data is placed in the
format just prior to being printed.
The label formats are generally
designed using a label generation package such as those described in Chapter
7: Bar Code Print Quality. Different label formats (such as those
required by different customers) are assigned different file names for easy
retrieval.
The SSCLS might contain many
different label formats to satisfy different customer requirements. At shipping
time, the appropriate label format is retrieved and the necessary data is
manually key entered or imported from one or more files from the host
information system. The 18 digit serial shipping container code (SSCC) is
generated by the SSCLS system and printed on the label. The functionality of the
SSCLS may be found in a WMS or other host system.
Note: companies shipping from multiple
locations to the same customer must be certain that different sites don’t
accidentally assign duplicate serial numbers. Reserve a range of numbers for
different sites or issue the numbers from a central computer.
A number of bar code and
Electronic Commerce (EC) /EDI
system suppliers have taken unique approaches for systems that generate the SSCC
and data for an Advance Ship Notice EDI transaction.
Some compliance labeling packages
and warehouse control/management systems will provide many of the functions
listed in the following sequence. If these packages fit your application, it may
be a time and cost saving opportunity to use one of these packages to speed
implementation, and have proper controls for the system.
Hypothetical
Sequence to Create the Serial Shipping Container Label and Related Files
Step
1 Purchase Order is
entered into the business system as usual.
Step
2 The business
system generates a pick ticket as usual.
Step
3 The business
system sends information about the order directly to the Serial Shipping
Container Labeling System (SSCLS). Alternately, in a true stand-alone system,
the purchase order data is manually re-keyed into the SSCLS.
Step
4 The order is
picked as usual. Alternately, the
present business information system could send an electronic pick list to a
portable hand held terminal equipped with a bar code scanner. As items were
picked, bar codes on the items or on the shelves could be scanned and quantities
picked could be key entered by the order picker.
The portable terminal, containing what was actually picked, would
transfer its contents to the SSCLS in Step 7 below after capturing the carton
serial numbers of each picked item as it is packed.
Step
5 The SSCLS
generates a unique carton serial number and prints a label that is applied to a
carton.
Step
6 The carton is
packed. The contents and carton serial numbers are recorded on paper or
(preferably) in a portable or tethered hand held terminal that has bar code
scanning enabled.
Step
7 The carton
contents are entered into the SSCLS. This could be key entered* or, if terminals
(with bar code scanners) were used to capture packing information, the data in
the portable terminals could be sent to the SSCLS.
Step
8 The SSCLS sends
the actual pick data back to the host for invoicing.
Step
9 The SSCLS
combines the Purchase Order information sent in step 3 with the packing
information created in step 7 to create an 856 file.
Step
10 The SSCLS either formats the file created in step 9 in the 856 (Advance Ship
Notice) format and sends it or it sends a file to a stand-alone EDI system for
formatting and transmission to the customer.
*
some trading partners will only allow bar code
6.6 Changes Needed in the Present Information System
As the hypothetical sequence above illustrates, a serial shipping
container labeling project can be implemented without making any changes to the
host information system. It can be totally self-contained in a stand-alone PC
system with data being entered manually or being fed from some other system.
Not modifying the present system is good from the standpoint that
it will not disturb your present databases or require extensive and expensive
changes to your host information system. However, not modifying also implies
redundant data entry with related error rates and negative impact on
productivity.
6.7 Summary List of Tasks and Milestones for SSCC Project
-
Confirm that the customer wants you
to serial number cartons and transmit 856 ASN’s.
-
Create label formats that meet
customer specifications.
-
Prepare to transmit ASN information
in the requested format and media.
-
Decide how shipping data will be
entered into the SSCLS system.
-
What data will be downloaded from
the host computer?
-
What data will be key entered into
the remote system?*
-
What data will be scanned into the
system?*
*
some trading partners will only allow bar code
-
Purchase or write Serial Shipping
Container Labeling System software.
-
Generate unique serial number for
shipping containers / cartons.
-
Print labels conforming to the
specification.
-
Create carton contents file.
-
Optionally, transmit ASN file to
customer.
-
Decide how you will print the
labels.
-
Interview printer vendors and label
vendor(s), buy printer(s) and label stock.
-
Print sample labels and submit to
the customer for written approval.
-
Purchase or write software that
transmits ASN to customer in proper format.
-
Develop quality control procedures
to ensure that labels are printed and applied in specification.
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