APBA adopts GS1 Standards to make our supply chains more efficient

29 November, 2019

At APBA, we have partnered up with AECOC-GS1 Spain, the Spanish delegation of the worldwide GS1 corporation that pioneers the main technological development and promotion standards.

In an ever-increasing realm of data volumes, GS1 Standards enable everyone to share the same language to identify, harvest and share product, asset, service and positioning data throughout the supply chain in our sector.  This is how interoperability among the various data systems and digital platforms can be guaranteed throughout: organisations can be assured that their essential information is accessible, accurate and easy to understand, and lends end-to-end visibility all along a much more efficient and competitive value chain.

In particular, we have adopted GS1 Standards towards the following aims:

1. To identify main locations within our port, along with the players involved in port-logistics processes, in a single, universal unambiguous way by means of standard Global Location Numbers (GLNs). This will enable us to gain fully-automated EDI communications without the need for using more complex, costly tools due to the fact that GLNs identify not only products, but also companies in a uniform way.
2. To monitor and control port-logistics operations physically and documentarily as a prelude to improving cargo visibility and tracking by Core Business Vocabulary (CBV) means. These define an Electronic Product Code Information System (EPCIS) record of events.
3. To share the actual end-to-end traceability and status of cargoes among supply chain players until they reach the final consumer in a B2B framework that employs an EPCIS data warehouse as a tool to guarantee interoperability. Standard EPCISs assist in responding to the “What? When? Where? How? and Why?” queries that makes a value chain completely transparent both to consumers and businesses.

GS1 Standards were implemented for the first time during the development of a pilot scheme that took place under the auspices of one of our innovation projects: Container Value Chain Streamlining at the Port of Algeciras Bay (CVCH), whose aim was to improve the container value chain’s visibility and predictability and speed up cargo throughput at our port.  During the pilot scheme, a series of data and events were shared among our CVCH platform and other data systems, like a container terminal’s TOS and the Port of Algeciras Bay’s PCS.

This all contributed to the Port of Algeciras Bay becoming the first Spanish port to adopt GS1 Standards, aligning us with other ports like Rotterdam (in the Netherlands) and Klang (in Malaysia), and supporting international best practice initiatives such as the Port Call Optimisation Task Force.