Join GS1

The Global Language of Business

Small BusinessCheck digit calculatorContact Our Expert Team for GS1 Support
Services LoginJoin GS1

Our history

Figure Image
Figure Image
Figure Image
Figure Image
Figure Image
PreviousNext

Since it was formed in the 1970s, the organisation that is now GS1 Australia has been helping businesses to refine and streamline their supply chains. Here are some key dates in our history:

2015

  • Hosted Global General Assembly in Sydney with delegates from over 60 countries

2014

  • National Product Catalogue contains over 300,000 healthcare records

  • Freight visibility pilot with ALC wins the Australian Transport and Logistics Shaun Owen Memorial Technology Award

  • Membership reaches 17,000

2013

  • Launch GoScan in partnership with Australian Food & Grocery Council

  • Launch Smart Media

  • GS1 Institute is formed

  • GS1net Webforms is launched providing a simpler solution to load and manage data

2012

  • We host Global GS1 Healthcare Conference

  • We develop new industry case study based GS1 Certificate for tertiary education institutions

  • Record breaking attendances for Supply Chain Week (September 2012)

  • Key retailers and suppliers to the Australian agribusiness industry call for adoption of GS1 standards in numbering and barcoding

2011

  • GS1 Australia launched GS1 Recallnet – our online recall and withdrawal notification service

  • Supermarket chain Woolworths implements GS1net with their suppliers

  • Our Logistics Labelling Service launches - offering an onsite service for suppliers to assess logistics (pallet) label quality

  • For the first time, vocational training is included in our education program

  • GS1works is launched in our Supply Chain Knowledge Centre, Melbourne, offering a brand new interactive and multimedia supply chain experience

2010

  • We launch Locatenet - a low-cost, single source of Global Location Number (GLN) data

2009

  • Our membership grows to more than 16,000 members

  • We launch Global Upstream Supply Initiative (GUSI), a global effort to improve integration between manufactures and their raw materials and packaging suppliers

  • Use of National Product Catalogue (NPC) grows with private sector data recipients signing up. Health Purchasing Victoria (HPV) piloted use of the NPC and NPC browser template, for a tender

  • Australia's Consumer Electronics sector and GS1 Australia form an industry working group, the Consumer Electronics Working Action Group (CEWAG)

  • GS1 Australia and Efficient Consumer Response Australasia (ECRA) - supported by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) – begin work to establish a portal for all product recalls and withdrawals

  • Australia's office supplies sector, working with GS1 Australia to make their merchandising and supply chain processes more efficient, set up Office Supplies GS1 Action Group (OSGAG)

2008

  • GS1 Australia introduces new equitable turnover based fee structure across the membership

  • Migration to GS1net from EANnet complete with more than 1,200 companies

  • MOU signed with Melbourne University

  • GS1 GO Green campaign launched to reduce GS1 Australia's carbon footprint and minimise use of resources

  • Mentoring award for GS1 Australia's work supporting the Asia-Pacific region

  • Monash Pharmacy Project Phase 2 (Healthcare eCommerce) results released. Phase 2 is one of three winners of GS1 Global Business Case Awards.

  • Launch of Data Quality guidelines in collaboration with Australian Food and Grocery Council FMCG sector

2007

  • Meat and Livestock Australia launch eMTC standards based on EANCOM.

  • RFID pilot 'National EPC Network Demonstrator Project Extension' completed

  • NEHTA chooses GS1 XML

  • GS1net goes live

  • Scientific field tests show feasibility of using RFID at up to 4 watt

  • GS1 Australia has MOUs with ten universities and TAFE colleges

2006

  • NPC for health sector products roll-out begins

  • GS1 Community Management Tool release

  • GS1 Australia opens training facility in Sydney

  • First Coles supplier begins full electronic trading using GS1 standardised B2B rules

2005

  • EAN Australia undergoes re branding to GS1 Australia in line with global initiative to reflect one global organisation, one global system and one global standard

  • Eighty-six full time staff employed

2004

  • EPCglobal Australia launched

  • EAN celebrates 25 years of servicing Australian businesses

  • 12,815 EAN Australia members

2003

  • EAN Australia awarded its first scholarship in Graduate Certification in supply chain management

  • UCC and EAN International became a single organisation

2000

  • EAN Australia celebrated its 21st birthday

  • 11,590 EAN Australia members

1997

  • Australia's Deputy Prime Minister, Tim Fischer, officially launched EANnet®

1996

  • Mobile EANWORKS was launched

  • Government IT head backed the EAN•UCC System

1995

  • EANWORKS, a life size supply chain model, as an education aid was launched at Mt Waverley

  • 5,860 EAN Australia members

1994

  • EAN's Sydney office opens

1993

  • APNA changes name to EAN Australia

1990

  • Franklins became the first supermarket chain to introduce scanning in all of its 191 stores around Australia

  • Retail scan code received federal endorsement

  • The pharmacy industry adopted APN barcoding

1988

  • Grace Bros became the first scanning department store in NSW, while Kmart was the first in Victoria

  • 2,989 APNA members

1986

  • 500 stores now using scanning technology throughout Australia

  • 90% of grocery items sold in Australia carried EAN•UCC numbers and barcodes

1984

  • 962 APNA members registered

1982

  • SIMS Supermarkets becomes the first scanning store in Australia

1979

  • Rowntree Hoadley become first APNA's member

1978

  • The Australian Product Numbering Association (APNA) was formed

  • Mr Bill Pratt, owner of the Safeway chain of stores in Victoria and representative of the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) was elected Chairman of the Australian Product Numbering Association

  • The Grocery Manufacturers of Australia (GMA) guaranteed a loan to provide initial funding for APNA