Digital Product Conformity and Claims
Action: Enabling Trusted Trade Through Verifiable Certificates and Claims
Overview / Executive Summary
GS1 Australia played a critical role in the development of a national and global framework for digital product conformity, helping to digitise testing, inspection and certification records. Working with NATA, JAS-ANZ, NMI and Standards Australia - with foundational support from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources - this initiative addressed key gaps in digital trust and traceability across global supply chains.
Background / Context
In many supply chains, test and certification data still circulates in static formats such as PDFs or emails, creating risk, cost and friction. Australia’s product conformity community recognised the need to modernise how conformity data is shared across certification bodies, regulators, and buyers - both domestically and internationally.
This national initiative aligns with global trends and now informs international guidance through the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT).
Objectives
Establish a consistent, standards-based approach for sharing digital product conformity information
Support Australian businesses with tools to demonstrate compliance and quality across markets
Enable digital certificates and verifiable credentials to flow securely across global supply chains
Approach / Implementation
Contributed technical and policy leadership through the Digital Credentials Working Group
Co-authored the national discussion paper and supported the development of international standards
Demonstrated how GS1 standards can support machine-readable, verifiable certificate exchange
Engaged with government and industry to promote adoption and interoperability
🔗 Download: Digitalisation of Product Certificates, Claims and Credentials (PDF) -
Outcomes / Impact
Established a shared technical framework and vision for verifiable digital conformity documentation
Enabled alignment with global trade and conformity frameworks, including ISO and W3C standards
Influenced the adoption of the new UN/CEFACT guidance for governments and conformity bodies worldwide
Supported pilots and prototypes for digitised certificates using GS1 Digital Link and Verifiable Credentials
Lessons Learned / Insights
Foundational identifiers and shared metadata structures are key to scaling digital trust
Global alignment is possible - and essential - for reducing duplication and compliance burden
Cross-sector and cross-border collaboration builds robust, future-proof solutions
Next Steps / Future Plans
Continued collaboration with global conformity bodies to refine and implement the framework
Exploration of registry models and credential exchanges across sectors (e.g., AgVetChem, building products, medical devices)
Development of education and implementation tools for Australian exporters and certifiers
Partners / Stakeholders
NATA – National Accreditation Body
JAS-ANZ – Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand
Standards Australia
National Measurement Institute (NMI)
Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR)
GS1 Australia
For More Information - Contact Us
📞 GS1 Australian Public Policy Team
📧 publicpolicy@gs1au.org
☎ +613 9558 9559 or 1300 BARCODE