The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) have endorsed GS1 Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) for end-to-end identification for all parcel deliveries. What this means in plain English is that a standard has been agreed for a common shipping label across Europe to make cross broder tracking easier than it is today.
There’s little more frustrating than checking tracking on an international parcel to find something along the lines of “Your parcel has been handed to XYZ carrier” and not have a clue if it’s on the way, been delivered, or the recipient was out and needs to collect it.
A single standard tracking solution will enable retailers and logistics service providers to work more smoothly together and with more partners and both consumers and online retailers will be able to track all their orders the same way based on SSCC.
GS1 have specified two label sizes – a standard 4″ by 6″ label and a larger 6″ by 8″ label if additional data such as trade item data is needed. Most online retailers are likely to make use of the 4″ by 6″ label and you’ve probably already got suitable thermal printers that can handle this size label stock.
In reality there’s probably little you can do until carriers start to adopt the new SSCC label standards but as soon as they do then many of the biggest pains in tracking parcels across the continent will be eliminated, as will the need for carriers to relabel parcels when they arrive in the destination country.
