GS1 Data implementation

GS1 Data is GS1 Finland’s new product information management service that brings together the current GS1 Synkka and GS1 Rekisteri services into a single entity.

The reform is being carried out to make the management of product-related information smoother, clearer and better aligned with our customers’ future needs. GS1 Data provides one centralised service where information can be maintained, updated and shared easily.

The service is based on GS1’s global standards and data models, which ensures the consistency and international compatibility of information.

Customer feedback and the changing needs of product information management have shown that it makes sense to bring all product information into a single service.

The objectives of the reform are to:

• make users’ everyday work easier by removing overlapping work phases
• provide a clearer and more visual user interface
• combine product information and product code management into one entity
• improve the performance and usability of the service
• ensure that the service continues to develop in line with future needs

GS1 Data has been built in a user-centric way based on customer feedback and wishes. The new service makes maintaining product-related information smoother and faster.

Key improvements include:

• logically structured data entities that make product information easier to understand and maintain
• visual elements and automated assistant features that support users in entering information and making selections
• a faster and clearer user interface with simple navigation and easily accessible functions
• versatile search and filtering functions that enable quick searches for specific products or packaging levels
• modern interfaces that enable more efficient data transfer in integrations

Overall, the GS1 Data product information service makes work faster, reduces errors and improves data quality.

The data content will not change as a result of the service transition. However, we have grouped the data into clearer entities to make entering data more straightforward.

Transitioning to the use of GS1 Data will not affect the price of the service or billing practices.

As this is a service transition, we will update the agreement. We will send the GS1 Data service description and terms of use to the GS1 Synkka admin user for approval before implementation. There will be no changes to the key contractual terms, but we have clarified the service description and terms of use.

We will publish additional information about the GS1 Data service, the schedule and the implementation in phases. Information will be updated on our website and in customer communications. Please also follow our newsletters.

Customers can also contact GS1 Customer Support by email (asiakaspalvelu@gs1.fi) or by phone on weekdays from 10 am to 2 pm (+358 60 004 299, €1.90/min + local/mobile rate, queuing free of charge).

The implementation will take place in phases during 2026.

For interface users:

• The transition will mainly take place in May–August 2026. If you publish product information to markets outside Finland as well, the transition will take place from September onwards.
• Your company’s admin user will receive a separate message with the more detailed schedule for your company closer to the transition date.
• Before the implementation, customers will receive training recordings on using the GS1 Data interface. We will publish the recordings on our website on 23 April.

For integration users:

• For integration users, the transition to the new service will take place according to a company-specific schedule agreed in advance, by the end of September at the latest.

The test environment will open:

• 22 April 2026 for customers sending product information
• 1 June 2026 for customers receiving product information

In the test environment, customers can test integrations and ensure system functionality before implementation.

We will inform your company’s GS1 Synkka admin user approximately three weeks before the service transition.

We want to ensure that the transition to the new service is as smooth as possible for our customers. We will provide training recordings and instructions to support the implementation.

All current GS1 Synkka users will be offered a three-part training recording package:

• Part 1: Navigation, product creation and image upload
• Part 2: Creating transport packages and pallets, hierarchies, copying products and packaging hierarchies, and product publication
• Part 3: Updating product information, corrections and discontinuations

The recordings will be published on 23 April.

The service interface includes comprehensive field-level instructions, and user guides will be published on our website.

Companies using integrations can test message transmission in the test environments. For data providers, the test environment will be available from 22 April, and for data recipients from 1 June.

GS1 will transfer the product information stored in GS1 Synkka, the information stored in GS1 Rekisteri, as well as users and access rights.

From GS1 Synkka, all product information will be transferred that is in the following statuses:

• Published
• Live
• Cancelled
• Discontinued

For published and live product information, it is important that you ensure there are no errors, as errors may cause problems during the transfer or when republishing product information and, in the worst case, interrupt the entire transfer in the GS1 Data service.

The following will not be transferred from GS1 Synkka:

• Products with the status draft will not be transferred to GS1 Data.
• Review your drafts and publish those products that you want to be transferred to GS1 Data.

From GS1 Rekisteri, the following will be transferred:

• All information except product codes that were transferred from GS1 Synkka.

The admin user can add users to GS1 Synkka in the Oma GS1 portal until the service transition. GS1 will transfer users and their access rights to GS1 Data. The admin user should review the company’s users and remove any unnecessary users before the transition.

GS1 Synkka and GS1 Rekisteri will remain in normal use until the start of the company-specific transition. However, they will no longer be available once the data transfer process begins. We will inform customers in advance about the end of use of GS1 Synkka and GS1 Rekisteri and when GS1 Data will become available. The service interruption will last approximately one week, during which neither services will be available. 

User credentials will remain the same, meaning you can log in to GS1 Data with your existing credentials. Your access rights will also remain unchanged.

GS1 Data includes different access rights, which the company’s admin user can manage in the Oma GS1 portal.

Service development is continuous, and we take our customers’ needs and wishes into account whenever possible.

We are happy to receive feedback on the new service. You can submit feedback via our customer support by email at asiakaspalvelu@gs1.fi. We will also ask for users’ views and wishes more broadly in a customer survey thet will be conducted in autumn 2026.