Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI)

The GIAI is one of the two GS1 Keys for asset identification. Companies can apply a GIAI on any asset to uniquely identify and manage that asset. This could be a computer, desk, vehicle, piece of transport equipment, or spare part.

Benefits

GIAIs enable a company to uniquely record individual assets in asset management and accounting systems across company boundaries throughout its lifecycle – procurement, maintenance, upgrade, decommissioning.

For larger, complex assets within environments the GIAI enables all of the smaller components to be managed using GTINs and other information such as batches or serial numbers, but ensure that the whole can be accounted for in both a financial (eg: depreciation) and operational (eg: maintenance, tracking).

How are GIAIs used?

Companies can quickly identify the individual asset and register relevant data such as its procurement details, commissioning, component details, warranties, location (for fixed assets)

Activities such as repair, upgrades and maintenance can also be recorded against the unique identifier within the asset register.

By attaching a barcode or EPC/RFID tag with a GIAI encoded to the asset it enables activities to be recorded using data capture technologies. Barcodes can be scanned to verify maintenance or service activities or to confirm relocation or redeployment. Use of RFID tags on moveable assets can enable them to be tracked or located in real time. One example of where GIAI is used for real time location management is within healthcare on items such as IV Pumps. When encoding the GIAI into a data carrier the Application Identifier (8004) is used.

GIAIs and Master Data

Master data related to the individual components of an asset can be sourced and managed via its GTIN and associated master data.

Creating GIAIs

The GIAI comprises the GS1 Company Prefix of the company assigning the asset identifier and an individual asset reference. The individual asset reference is alphanumeric. Its structure is left to the discretion of the asset owner or manager.

How you assign a GIAI depends on the length of your assigned GS1 Company Prefix.

GS1 Company Prefix: This will be allocated to you by GS1 Australia and will vary in length from seven to nine digits. Companies assigning the GIAI can be either the asset owner or a leasing or rental company.

Asset reference: This is assigned by you and comprises alphanumeric characters and can be up to 30 characters in length.

Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) - AI (8004)

In the GS1 System, an individual asset is considered a physical entity made up of any characteristics.

The Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) is the GS1 Identification Key used to identify a particular physical entity as an asset. It must not be used for other purposes and must be unique for a period well beyond the lifetime of the relevant asset records. Whether or not the assigned GIAI may remain with the physical item when the item changes hands, depends on the particular business application. If the GIAI remains with the physical item, then it must never be re-

used.

This element string might, for example, be used to record the life-cycle history of aircraft parts. By symbol marking the GIAI, using AI (8004), on a given part, aircraft operators are able to automatically update their inventory database and track assets from acquisition until retirement.

Assigning a Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI)

How you assign a GIAI depends on the length of your assigned GS1 Company Prefix. Currently GS1 Australia allocates seven- and eight-digit GS1 Company Prefixes to its membership, however GS1 Company Prefixes of other lengths may be allocated in the future to further conserve numbers. Please note that other GS1 Member Organizations may allocate GS1 Company Prefixes of

different lengths.

TABLE 2: Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) Structure

The GS1 Company Prefix is the one allocated to the company assigning the

Individual Asset Reference.

If you have obtained a prefix to assign twelve-digit GTINs either directly from GS1 US, GS1 Canada or via GS1 Australia, you must add a filler zero to the front of the prefix after the Application Identifier.

The Individual Asset Reference is assigned and structured at the discretion of the holder of the GS1 Company Prefix. The data can be alphanumeric, and is of variable length, ensuring that the entire GIAI is not longer than 30 characters.

The exact method used to allocate the GIAI is left to the discretion of the issuing organisation. However, each GIAI must be unique for each individual asset being identified and, for ease of administration, the GS1 System recommends that GIAIs be assigned sequentially and not contain classifying elements.

Barcode

The GS1 data carriers that can be used to represent the GIAI are: GS1-128, GS1 DataMatrix, GS1 QR Code and EPC/RFID. For medical devices, when direct part marked, only GS1 DataMatrix can be used to represent the GIAI.