El acrónimo NSN significa la OTAN Número de inventario, es un número de 13 dígitos que identifica un artículo único de la oferta, el último número 9 son llamados NIIN, de artículos de la OTAN número de identificación, que es invariable y permanece asociado con el elemento de suministro de todo su ciclo de vida.

El NSN se divide en 3 partes:

• Los 4 primeros dígitos son el código de clasificación de suministro de la OTAN y se relacionan el IOS para el grupo y clase de artículos similares de suministro.

• Los siguientes 2 dígitos indican el BCN asignar el NSN.

•  Los últimos 7 dígitos de un NSN se asignan equipo y no tienen significado inherente que no sea para identificar de forma exclusiva el IoS a los que están asignados.

With all those references, the NATO has a catalogue, The NATO Master Catalogue of References for Logistics, with descriptions and technical data, designed to achieve the maximum effectiveness in logistics support and to facilitate material data management. It is necessary to record manufacturers' names against codified Items. To meet this requirement, a 5 character NATO Commercial and Government Entity Code (NCAGE), is assigned to each manufacturer. Every part number listed on NSNs in the NCS is accompanied by a NATO Commercial and Governmental Entity (NCAGE) code. These five character codes identify exactly who the manufacturer or other organization is.

Military inventories are complex and comprehensive in their content. To enable efficient management of these complex inventories in the NCS the components of the inventory are split into a hierarchical structure of discrete Groups and Classes. Each Group is formed by Items of Supply of the same physical or performance characteristics or utilization in the same application, and is indicated by a 2 digit code (NATO Supply Group) NSG.

Within each Group, Items of Supply are further divided into Classes. These Classes are indicated by an additional 2 digit code forming, together with the Group code, a 4 digit NATO Supply Classification (NSC). The NATO Supply Classification System is uniform throughout all nations and each IoS concept identified using this System will be assigned a unique 4 digit Classification code.

El NSN es un uniforme, adaptables, simple, estable, y el número compatibles, que en realidad registra más de 10 millones de diversos artículos de suministro