Model Management

Information and Description

A product family or model is a collective term for several articles with the same technical characteristics that share information such as brand, certifications, design pattern (e.g., in the clothing sector), form/material/classification scheme (e.g., in the construction sector), or product line (e.g., in the cosmetics sector). The differences between the included articles are typically color, size, and the number of units in the consumer package.

Product family/model is used to display alternatives in e-commerce and to simplify the administration of shared product information.

Benefits

Using product families or models provides several advantages:

• Facilitates electronic data exchange.

• Enables the application of a standard for model numbers (GMN) instead of internal company-specific numbers that require explanation.

• Allows for structured filtering in e-commerce systems.

• Establishes standardized data structures within resellers’ ERP systems.

• Improves product offerings by linking similar articles together, providing customers with comparable options.

GMN and GTIN

The following illustrates the relationship between the model (GMN) and the article (GTIN):

All attributes at the GMN level are shared across all GTINs associated with that GMN.

Additional attributes specific to individual GTINs linked to a GMN may differ. If any attribute defined for a GMN changes in a way that requires trading partners to distinguish the new or modified product model from previous ones, a new GMN must be assigned. Since all GMN-level attributes are shared across all associated GTINs, this also implies changes to those GTINs according to Guiding Principle 1 in the GS1 GTIN Management Standard.

Rules for assigning and maintaining product families/models

• A GTIN cannot be linked to more than one GMN.

• GMNs must not be reused.

• The brand owner assigns the GMN to a product.

• If information describing a GMN changes, a new GMN must be assigned. This change also indicates that associated GTINs must be updated in accordance with GTIN regulations.

Responsibilities

Supplier

The supplier specifies product family/model information when grouping articles with the same technical characteristics. It is recommended to use the GS1 company prefix (the same as used to generate GTINs). If internal support for this is not yet established, an internal model number can temporarily be used. The same applies to resellers, the recommendation is to use the brand owner’s GMN.

Required information

• Model number: The model ID

• Model description: Description of the model

Finfo

Finfo performs the following checks:

• GMN control digits must be correct.

• Model names must not include PEFC or FSC, nor contain links or codes.

• Either the model number or GMN must be filled in — not both.

• If model number or GMN is filled in, the model name and variant description must also be included.

• The model name for a model number must not differ between associated GTINs and must not match another model number.

• Text lengths must comply with field requirements.

• Model and variant names must not be identical or duplicated across models.

• All variants within a model must have unique names.

Receiver

The customer uses this information to group product variants of the same article in contexts such as e-commerce. It is also used to simplify the administration of shared data across all articles (variants) within the same model.