GS1 Discovery Service
A plug-and-play, not-for-profit data platform built on open Web Vocabularies and EPCIS standards.
What is the GS1 Discovery Service?
The GS1 Discovery Service, designed to foster data exchange in line with the EU Data Act, is an API-based Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. It enables data senders to make their data products accessible to a wider audience, while users can discover, in one single place, a comprehensive and standardized view of data products from multiple sources that are all linked to a single object.
Overview
API & API Services
How the GS1 Discovery Service works
1. Data product publication
The data sender publishes a data product to the GS1 Discovery Service to make it available to a broader audience.
2. Registration in the GS1 Registry Service
Each data product is registered in the GS1 Registry Service (a kind of telephone book for data products) including:
- The data product's source repository
- The data product’s unique identifier as per GS1 standards
- The data product’s timestamp
- The data product’s access level
3. Normalization
The GS1 Discovery Service includes a GS1 Normalization Layer, which translates the incoming data product to a JSON-LD schema, based on the following web vocabularies:
- GS1 Web Vocabulary
- Schema.org
- EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information System)
4. Temporary buffering
The GS1 Discovery Service buffers the full data product for a short time, to allow for its quick retrieval by subscribed data product users.
5. User query
A subscribed data product user with respective credentials queries the GS1 Discovery Service for a given unique identifier.
6. Registry lookup
The GS1 Discovery Service in turn queries the GS1 Registry to retrieve the data products registered for a researched unique identifier.
7. Response delivery
The GS1 Discovery Service returns all found data products from its buffer. In the future it is also planned for it to query, on request, the source repositories, provided they hold standardized data products.
What are the usage requirements?
Unique identification
For data to be captured and made available as a data product in the GS1 Discovery Service, each observed object must carry a GS1 identification key based on a lot or serial number.
Example: Rail vehicles must be equipped with RFID tags in accordance with EN 17230. The RFID tag must be programmed in accordance with AutoID in Rail.
Your local GS1 member organisation can help you identify your objects with GS1 identification keys.
GS1 Discovery Service membership
In addition to unique object identification, companies wishing to use the GS1 Discovery Service must sign up for membership. Further details are available in the Cost-Recovery Fee section below.
Cost-recovery membership fees
Fundamental principle
The annual cost-recovery fee must guarantee the self-sustainable, not-for-profit operation of the GS1 Discovery Service.
Cost-recovery fee calculation principle
In order to provide sustainable, fair and transparent cost-recovery membership fees, its calculation is based on the Discovery Service’s annual operational cost plus investment requirements and possible losses carried over from the preceding year.
Annual Operational Cost (OpCost_Total) is defined as: Budgeted annual operational cost of the GS1 Discovery Service for the current year + 1/3 of the budgeted annual operational cost (for investments, based on a three year depreciation cycle for IT investment) + loss of the preceding year. For very small companies, a fixed annual lump-sum membership fee of 490 EUR applies, in order to guarantee a low entrance threshold.
Fee calculation steps
Step 1: If a member’s annual turnover is below EUR 50 million, a fixed fee of EUR 490 per year (excl. VAT) applies.
Step 2: Members above this threshold are classified by turnover:
- Data reception small (50 to 100 Mio. EUR)
- Data reception medium (100 to 500 Mio. EUR)
- Data reception large (500 to 1'000 Mio. EUR)
- Data reception corporate (> 1'000 Mio. EUR)
Step 3: Assign a weight to each class:
- Data reception small = 0.6
- Data reception medium = 1.0
- Data reception large = 1.2
- Data reception corporation = 1.5
Step 4: Calculate the weighted sum of members per class predicted for the budget year with the weight.
Step 5: Divide the annual operational cost by the weighted sum of members, which will result in the membership base fee.
Step 6: Calculate the annual membership fee as per the following table:
- Data reception small (50 to 100 Mio. EUR): membership base fee x 0.6 = per annum excl. VAT.
- Data reception medium (100 to 500 Mio. EUR): membership base fee x 1.0 = per annum excl. VAT.
- Data reception large (500 to 1'000 Mio. EUR): membership base fee x 1.2 = per annum excl. VAT.
- Data reception corporate (> 1'000 Mio. EUR): membership base fee x 1.5 = per annum excl. VAT.
To find out the current annual membership fee please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
No repository adaptation required
The GS1 Normalization Layer automatically aligns incoming data products with the required format.
Fast, reliable queries
Buffered data products enable immediate responses, minimizing waiting times, and reducing the risk of incomplete results from multiple sources.
Modular architecture
For data products published beyond the GS1 Discovery Service's buffering time, modular expansion to data space functionality can be integrated.
API-centric scalability
Full advantage of a simple API hub with the scalability to a fully-fledged data space access point.
Not-for-profit model
Not-for-profit based financing model.
Established web vocabularies
Uses widely established web vocabularies for full semantic flexibility.
6 steps to the GS1 Discovery Service
Sign up for membership
A valid GS1 membership is required to use the Discovery Service.
Allocation of GCP
Before you can begin using GS1 identification keys, you need a GS1 Company Prefix. This globally unique code allows you to start using GS1 identification standards.
Sign up for Discovery Service
With a GS1 membership and a registered GLN you can sign up for the Discovery Service here.
Connection the API
After signing up to the Discovery Service, you will get your individual access credentials for the API, with that and the API documentation here you will be able to connect and integrate our API.
Request access rights from the information owner
With your system connected to the Discovery Service API, you can start querying data. If there is some data with restricted access, you can request data access by the discovery service.
Querying the desired data
As soon as the information owner has granted acces rights to you, you will be able to query that data by the discovery service query endpoint.