A single GLN can be used to identify a party, a location, or combination of these. What the GLN identifies will determine what information is associated to the GLN, how the GLN may be shared, and how the GLN Management Rules apply.
There are a wide variety of parties and locations that can be identified by GLNs. A single GLN can be used to identify a single party or location or a combination of the two. A separate, unique GLN is required to be allocated whenever there is a need to distinguish one party and/or location from another.
Example:
■ GLN A identifies Dal Giardino as a legal entity and Dal Giardino’s corporate headquarters as a physical location; or
When making decisions about party and location identification, it is important to understand the differences between what is new and what is a change to a party or location being identified by an existing GLN.
The GLN Management Rules provide an industry standard to create practical business value, specifically, when there is a need to identify a party or location for the first time or when pre-defined information changes that is associated to an existing party or location. The following guiding principles should be considered when developing a GLN allocation strategy or when introducing changes to an existing party or location:
The Global Location Number (GLN) provides a global supply chain solution by uniquely identifying parties and locations that are involved in business transactions.
