Work with GTIN Item Identifiers Version

Contents

Overview

The GTIN (Global Trade Item Numbers) feature allows users to associate the GTIN codes for a manufacturer’s items with their item data.

The GTIN feature provides entry, display, and editing of GTINs on manufacturer item records. A search lets you locate vendors of each item to which you have assigned a GTIN. A new report object for GTINs used in your item data is also available.

You can key in manufacturer items' GTINs or use a bar code scanner to capture GTINs. The GTIN feature also supports SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) values.

Security

The role object "MMTables" controls maintenance of the GTIN item manufacturer data. The default setting for this role object is View.

The role object "GTINExport" controls the ability to export GTIN data via the GTIN Export option (see Export GTIN Data to External File for details). This role object must be set to ALL in order to use this export feature.

What is a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)?

A GTIN is a code assigned by manufacturers to uniquely identify their products. The GTIN (and SSCC) codes are registered with the GS1, a non-profit organization dedicated to the design and implementation of global trade standards for the purpose of improving efficiency in the supply chain.

A GTIN can be formatted as an 8, 12, 13, 14, or 18-character value. On Sourcing and Contract Management panels, you can select the associated format name: GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13, GTIN-14, SSCC-18, ISBT, or HBIC. When you don't know the exact format, use the generic format GTIN (with no numeric extension). The generic format lets you enter up to 14 characters. (Note: The GTIN field is 20 characters long to allow for future formats. For the ISBT and HBIC types, you can enter up to 80 characters.)

Except for the generic format, one of the characters in a GTIN code is a check digit. The system uses the check digit to determine that a GTIN code is valid. When you enter or scan in a GTIN code, a warning appears if the code is not valid. If the GTIN code already exists in your data—assigned to a manufacturer item—you also receive an error message.

View the List of GTIN Item Identifiers

To see a list of GTIN Item Identifiers for all manufacturers, go to the Materials Management menu and click Inventory > GTIN Manufacturer Item Identifiers.

To see a list of GTIN item identifiers associated with a particular manufacturer's items, go to the Materials Management menu and click Tables > Manufacturer. Click the Menu link for the desired manufacturer and select GTIN Manufacturer Item Identifiers. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1 - GTIN Item Identifiers for a Manufacturer

Import GTIN Item Identifiers

You can import Manufacturer GTINs from a comma delimited (CSV) file.

1. Download the CSV file from its source and save it to your local network.
2. To upload it to Materials Management, go to the Materials Management main Contents.
   - Select Imports/Exports & Financials > Manufacturer Item Identifier Import.
   The Imports - for Base Import Type GTIN panel appears.
3. Click New. A panel appears for you to upload the CSV file.
4. In the File to upload field (Figure 2), enter the network path and filename where you saved the file that you wish to import.
   Click Browse..(on Microsoft IE or Edge) or Choose File (on Chrome) to look in your directories for the file.

Figure 2 - Import GTIN Manufacturer Item Identifier

When the checkbox for Load and verify, No import is selected, PCSC implements only the loading and verifying portion of the upload.

• If you select the box, you can work through the import process in two stages. This approach first loads the CSV file and validates it. Once the file has successfully loaded, you can import the information into the system.
• If you leave the box blank, the file loads and PCSC immediately updates system data using the file records. This method is efficient if you are confident that your CSV file does not contain errors.

5. Click Submit.
   
   If there are no errors, the file uploads, and for one-step processing, imports as well. If you get an error message, inspect the CSV file for problems.
   (Misplaced or extra commas can create errors, for example.)

Manually Enter GTINs for Manufacturer Items

1. From the Materials Management main Contents, select Tables > Manufacturer. The manufacturer table appears (Figure 3).



Figure 3 - Accessing GTIN Codes for a Manufacturer

2. Locate the manufacturer of interest on the Manufacturers list.
3. Click Menu.
4. Click GTIN Manufacturer Item Identifiers.

A list of GTIN item identifiers assigned to the manufacturer's items appears. If no codes area assigned, a blank list and the list header appears (Figure 4).

5. To associate a GTIN with a manufacturer item, click New (Figure 4).



Figure 4 - GTIN Manufacturer Item Identifiers List: Clicking New for a New Entry

A panel appears where you can enter a manufacturer item and its GTIN (Figure 5).



Figure 5 - The Edit Panel for Entering a GTIN Code for a Manufacturer Item

The Manufacturer ID is populated by the system, but you can click the prompt to select another manufacturer.

6. On the panel, enter information in fields as follows:

Enter the Manufacturer Item Number of the item.

Enter a Unit of Measure and a Conversion Factor for the item. Some manufacturers create GTIN codes for each unit of measure of a particular item, so in that case, you will not need to specify a unit of measure; but, you can if you wish.

In the Identifier Type field, select the GTIN format.

Click the down arrow (Figure 6) to display the different formats. The user in Figure 5 and Figure 6 has chosen the "generic" GTIN format.

In the Identifier Number field, key in the GTIN number or scan the barcode printed on the manufacturer's packaging/catalog page.



Figure 6 - Selecting the Generic GTIN Format: "GTIN"

7. Click Save periodically, if you wish to save your work.
   Note: When you click Save, the system displays a message if there are errors. For example, if the GTIN code that you enter is too long for the format you selected, an error message appears. In this case, edit the Identifier Number to correct the code, and click Save again.
8. Click Submit when you are finished. The manufacturer item and the GTIN code are added to the item list (Figure 7).
   

• From the menu (Figure 7), you can edit the GTIN record for the item, delete the GTIN record, or add and view user notes.
• The Position To: Identifier Number field searches for an item associated with a particular GTIN. (The Position To field is the standard search that you can set to any of the other underlined columns.)

Figure 7 - An Item on the GTIN Manufacturer Item Identifiers List

Export GTIN Data to an External File

The GTIN Export option within Imports/Exports & Financials is available to export GTIN data to external systems. The contents of the exported file are based on changes made to GTIN data only, and the export includes only those items that are accurately matched to GTIN data. If the system cannot match GTIN data to an actual item, then any unmatched rows of data are not exported.

The GTIN Export creates a comma delimited (CSV) file that includes all fields currently in the standard Item Export as well as these additional GTIN fields:

• Identifier Number
• Identifier Type
• Mfr ID
• Mfr Item No
• UOM
• Conversion Factor

Parameters are available to define the export of all GTIN data, or GTIN data for a given date or timeframe. The primary export selection parameters include Organization, Asset Location, and Changed Date Option. The Changed Date Option is based on when changes or additions are made to any of the GTIN fields noted above.

Important: In order to use this export feature, an administrator must update the security role object "GTINExport" in a user ID profile to ALL. Users cannot export GTIN data until this setting is updated. Each use IDs data profile determines which organization and asset location data the user is able to work with.

To create a new GTIN Export:

1. In Materials Management, go to Imports/Exports & Financials > GTIN Export.
2. On the GTIN Export List, click New in the top right corner.
   The GTIN Export Selection Parameters panel appears (Figure 8).



Figure 8 - GTIN Export Selection Parameters

3. On the GTIN Export Selection Parameters panel, fill out the fields for your export and click Build (red box, Figure 8) to create a downloadable file.
   
   Click Help for details on the fields in the selection parameters panel.
   
   Your export is automatically assigned a Transmission ID (green box, Figure 8), which you can use to locate your export on the GTIN Export List once the export is complete.
4. On the GTIN Export List, click Menu (Figure 9) at the left of the export row that matches your Transmission ID and select one of the following options:
   • Click Download File to download the export file to a local or network location.
   • Click Rebuild to open the GTIN Export Selection Parameters panel, make modifications to the information you entered in the fields, and build the export file again.

   

   Figure 9 - GTIN Export List Page with Menu Options

Searching for Item Vendors by GTIN Value

On the GTIN Manufacturer Item Number list (Figure 7), the menu entry View Matching Item Vendors searches for vendors that match a GTIN entry. The search uses the Manufacturer ID and Manufacturer Item Number to locate vendors for the item.

Figure 10 is an example of search results for the item in Figure 7.

Figure 10 - Results of Searching for Vendors of a GTIN-Assigned Manufacturer Item

Report Objects

The "Manufacturer Item Identifiers" report object can be used to create reports for GTINs associated with manufacturer items in your data tables.

The "Manufacturer Item Identifiers (GTIN) Discrepancies" report object lists items for which the Item Vendor UOM and/or conversion factor does not match the GTIN UOM and/or conversion factor.

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