Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) – Pallet Identity That Powers Real Traceability

This topic is part of the SG Systems Global regulatory & operations glossary.

Updated October 2025 • Logistics Unit Identification & Traceability • WMS, MES, Distribution, Regulatory

Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) is the global, logistics‑unit identifier used to mark and track transport units—pallets, totes, roll cages, master cartons—across the supply chain. An SSCC is a single, unique number assigned at the moment a logistics unit is built; it flows on shipping labels (typically in GS1‑128 barcodes), through EDI advance ship notices, and into partner systems and regulatory feeds such as EPCIS event streams. The business point is blunt: pallet identity is the backbone of scan‑based receiving, directed storage, authenticated picking, customer verification, and recall speed. If you can’t trust your SSCCs, you can’t trust your supply chain.

“Lots tell you what you shipped. SSCCs tell you exactly which pallet carried it—and where it went.”

1) Purpose and Position in the Stack

SSCCs sit at the intersection of physical reality and digital truth. At the plant, they bind a pallet to its contents (items, lots, quantities) and to Genealogy. In the warehouse, they power scan‑based Goods Receipt, locationing, and directed picking under hard bin rules (Bin Location Management). In distribution, they connect shipments to customers through EDI ASNs and scan‑based receiving on the other side. In compliance, SSCCs become the “object IDs” within EPCIS events, shrinking recall windows from days to minutes. Without SSCCs, you are left reconciling spreadsheets, manual counts, and hope.

2) The Number—Structure, Uniqueness, and Discipline

An SSCC is an 18‑digit number built from four elements: an extension digit (1 digit), a company prefix (length varies), a serial reference (to reach 17 digits before the check), and a check digit (1 digit). The extension digit gives you room for parallel schemes; the company prefix anchors ownership; the serial reference ensures uniqueness; and the check digit (mod‑10) catches data entry errors. The rule is simple and unforgiving: never reuse an SSCC across the life of your company prefix. Uniqueness is non‑negotiable—duplicate SSCCs poison receiving, confuse EPCIS event chains, and turn recalls into chaos.

Serialization must live in controlled services, not on “increment this cell” spreadsheets. SSCC ranges, sequencing, and rollover behavior belong under Document Control with change history. If two printers can mint the same number offline, you’ve built a counterfeit factory inside your warehouse.

3) Labels and Data Carriers—Make the Scan Inevitable

The SSCC travels on physical labels. A proper shipping label prints the SSCC (human‑readable and in barcode form, typically GS1‑128) and the data needed for the receiver to put the unit away without opening it. Label templates sit under Labeling Control; verification occurs at print and pack via Label Verification and, where possible, Machine Vision Inspection to catch wrong templates or unreadable codes in real time. Print logic must refuse labels for pallets that lack contents, lot attribution, or QA status—labels are not stickers; they are decisions.

Because SSCCs pass through harsh environments, specify substrate, print resolution, and placement that survive transport and scanning at height. If your operator has to climb a rack to read a smeared label, the system failed long before safety did.

4) The Lifecycle—Assign → Print → Pack → Ship → Receive → Move → Consume → Return

Assign & Pack. At pack or palletization, the system allocates a fresh SSCC, binds items/lots/quantities, and records weight/dimensions where relevant. The pallet cannot be closed unless contents and status pass checks. Label & Verify. Printing pulls a controlled template; Label Verification confirms readability and the correct template for the job/customer. Ship. The shipment builds a hierarchy of SSCCs (e.g., master and child units), publishes an ASN via EDI, and can emit EPCIS events. Receive. The receiver scans SSCCs at the dock to book inventory instantly—no carton cutting, no guessing; putaway is directed by Bin Location rules and FEFO/FIFO. Move & Repack. When units split or merge, the system creates new SSCCs for new logistics units and maintains parent/child links for Batch‑to‑Bin Traceability. Consume. In production, scanning SSCCs into kitting and the eBMR records exact consumption. Return/Reverse. For returns, the SSCC supports inbound verification and segregation until quality disposition (Lot Release).

5) Master Data & Governance—Truth in Templates and Rules

SSCC policy (ranges, prefixes, rollover), label templates, and print rules live under Document Control with version history. Warehouse rules (what can be mixed on a pallet, acceptable overages/shortages, child nesting) must be explicit and enforced by WMS logic. Any change to label content, barcode placement, or palletization rules routes through MOC. If a customer mandates a different label standard, treat it like a configuration change—test it, version it, and verify in production with audit‑ready evidence (Audit Trail).

6) Warehouse Control—Make Pallet Identity Drive Behavior

With SSCCs, the warehouse becomes programmable. Directed Picking chooses units by priority (customer, carrier cutoff), freshness (FEFO/FIFO), and compliance (allergens, holds, temperature). Bin rules prevent incompatible pallets from co‑locating. Cycle Counting can be SSCC‑driven, scanning whole pallets instead of item‑level counting. Dock operations speed up with “scan once, book once” receiving; Dock‑to‑Stock metrics improve because data rides on the label, not on emails.

When a lot is placed on Hold, linked SSCCs become unpickable; attempts to move or ship prompt reason codes or blocks. That is the point: identity that changes behavior is control; identity that merely prints is decoration.

7) Manufacturing & eBMR—Exact Consumption, Zero Guesswork

In MES, kitting and issuing materials by SSCC removes ambiguity. The eBMR records which pallets fed which batch, enabling precise Genealogy. If a supplier recall hits a specific lot, you can isolate which batches consumed SSCC‑bound units in seconds. Issuing by SSCC also reduces “right item, wrong lot” errors; the scan knows both. For pack out, finished goods pallets get their own SSCCs and become the transaction unit for Finished‑Goods Release.

8) Quality, Disposition, and Events

SSCCs accelerate investigations and containment. A Deviation/NC can target SSCCs directly, locking movement in WMS. Lot Release flips pallet status from Quarantine to Released, which immediately unlocks directed picking. If a label is incorrect, Labeling Control suspends printing and Label Verification rejects the pallet until reprint under controlled template. Durable fixes route through CAPA with changes reflected in label content and WMS rules.

9) Traceability, KDEs, and Partner Signaling

End‑to‑end traceability demands more than lot numbers. Publishing SSCC‑keyed ship/receive/transform events using EPCIS lets partners reconcile what you shipped with what they scanned. For high‑risk foods, maintaining FSMA 204 KDE is easier when each movement ties to a single pallet identifier. On the commercial side, EDI ASNs carrying SSCCs cut receiving times and chargebacks. This is also good GDP practice: identity and conditions are observable, provable, and shared.

10) Data Integrity & Audit—Prove Numbers Came from Where You Say

SSCC generation and printing are controlled operations that must meet Data Integrity expectations: unique credentials, time‑sync, and computer‑generated audit trails. Each label print should be attributable to a user, work order, and time; reprints must record reason and invalidate the old label. If an SSCC is voided, the system should never allow reuse. Keep evidence under Document Control, and trend print quality and scan rates so you spot drift before customers do.

11) Metrics that Matter

• Scan success rate at dock, rack, and pack (first‑pass read rate).
• Duplicate/invalid SSCC attempts (should be zero; spikes = control failure).
• ASN vs. receipt match rate (SSCC lines reconciled automatically via EDI).
• Recall isolation time from trigger to full SSCC list with locations via Genealogy and Batch‑to‑Bin.
• Dock‑to‑stock cycle time improvement attributable to SSCC scan booking (Dock‑to‑Stock).
• Customer chargebacks for mis‑shipments pre/post SSCC program.
• Label defect rate (print quality, wrong template) caught by Label Verification/Vision.
• Stock accuracy deltas for SSCC‑managed zones vs. legacy zones (Cycle Counting).
• APR/PQR signals: SSCC‑enabled investigation time reduction in APR.

Report these as part of continuous verification (CPV). If SSCC hasn’t cut dock time, reduced errors, and accelerated recalls, you implemented labels, not control.

12) Common Failure Patterns (and Antidotes)

Free‑range printing. Operators print labels without pallet data. Antidote: lock printing behind work orders and content checks; no data, no label; reprints require reason and old label voiding.

Duplicate SSCCs. Two lines share a counter. Antidote: centralized serialization service; ranges per site; audit alarms on duplicates.

Unreadable labels. Low‑contrast, poor placement, wrong orientation. Antidote: controlled templates; vision/verification; placement SOPs; reject at pack.

Identity without behavior. WMS ignores SSCC; hand‑keys item/lot. Antidote: make SSCC the transaction unit for receive, move, pick, and ship.

Break in genealogy. Repacking loses parent/child links. Antidote: enforce re‑SSCC on splits/merges and maintain hierarchy for Batch‑to‑Bin.

ASN mismatch churn. Partners don’t receive SSCCs on the ASN. Antidote: update EDI maps; test with AQL sampling on inbound labels (AQL).

13) Implementation Playbook—From Pilot to Network

• Decide policy and ranges. Extension digit strategy, prefix use, serial length; document under Document Control.
• Centralize serialization. One service generates, reserves, and audits SSCCs; handle offline buffers with reconciliation.
• Lock printing to truth. Integrate pack stations so labels print after contents and QA checks exist; add verification and reject lanes.
• Make SSCC first‑class in WMS. Receive, move, pick, and ship by SSCC; enforce bin rules and FIFO/FEFO.
• Fix the ASN. Add SSCC segments to EDI; pilot with one customer; measure receiving time and errors.
• Publish EPCIS. Ship/receive events keyed by SSCC; start with internal hops; extend to partners (EPCIS).
• Prove improvement. Baseline metrics; report deltas in APR and operations reviews.
• Harden change. Route label/template edits through MOC; train; audit reprints and duplicates monthly.

14) How This Fits with V5 by SG Systems Global

V5 Solution Overview. The V5 platform treats SSCC as a native identity across warehouse, manufacturing, and quality. Configuration is versioned, identities and signatures are attributable, and cross‑module interlocks (status, label version, genealogy) are testable and reportable.

V5 WMS. In the V5 WMS, SSCCs are the transaction unit. Receiving books inventory by scan; Directed Picking selects pallets by FIFO/FEFO and QA status; bin/location rules enforce segregation; Batch‑to‑Bin maintains parent/child links as pallets split or merge.

V5 MES. The V5 MES gates job release on correct kits by SSCC and records consumption into the eBMR. Finished pallets receive SSCCs at pack; shipping jobs can only stage pallets that are Released.

V5 QMS. Within the V5 QMS, label templates live under Labeling Control; print, reprint, and void actions are captured with audit trails; and issues route through NC/CAPA. V5 Connect can publish EPCIS events and support EDI ASNs with SSCC content.

Bottom line: V5 turns SSCC from a barcode into plant control and partner trust—if a pallet is wrong, the move fails; if it’s right, the scan makes work instantaneous and provable.

15) FAQ

Q1. Do we need SSCCs if we already track lots?
Yes. Lots answer “what material”; SSCCs answer “which logistics unit.” For receiving, storage, picking, and recalls, you need both. SSCCs shrink scope and time because you isolate pallets, not entire lots.

Q2. Where should we generate SSCCs—ERP, WMS, or the label system?
Generate where you can enforce uniqueness and state checks before print. In practice that’s your WMS or a centralized serialization service integrated with print; the label engine should not invent numbers on its own.

Q3. What happens when a pallet splits?
The original SSCC remains with the original unit (or is closed); new child units get new SSCCs. Maintain parent/child links for Batch‑to‑Bin Traceability so investigations remain precise.

Q4. How do we handle reprints or damaged labels?
Reprint only after scanning the pallet and verifying state. Invalidate the prior label, record reason under audit trail, and never reuse the same SSCC for a different unit. Use Label Verification at the reprint station.

Q5. Which customers or regulators require SSCCs?
Many retailers and 3PLs require SSCCs on ASNs and labels for scan‑based receiving; traceability programs and EPCIS pilots assume object identifiers like SSCCs. Even when not mandated, SSCCs pay for themselves in dock speed and recall precision.

Related Reading
• Identity & Partner Data: EDI | EPCIS | GS1 GTIN
• Warehouse Control: WMS | Bin Location Management | Directed Picking | FIFO | FEFO | Dock‑to‑Stock | Cycle Counting
• Execution & Release: MES | eBMR | Finished‑Goods Release | Lot Release
• Traceability & Quality: Lot Traceability | Batch‑to‑Bin Traceability | FSMA 204 KDE | GDP | Label Verification | Machine Vision Inspection
• Governance & Evidence: Document Control | Audit Trail (GxP) | Data Integrity | MOC | Deviation/NC | CAPA | APR | CPV