Retail Bar Coding Basics

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Retail Bar Coding Basics

• a Tutorial

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Is bar coding necessary?

• Reasons for UPC bar codes.
• Want to sell your products via retail stores.
• Products are sold at checkout counters.
• Product is a food item or consumer retail item.
• Reasons UPC bar codes not necessary
• Bar codes are only for internal use such as
  inventory
• Products are not sold via retail stores.
• Products are not sold at checkout counters

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History of Retail Bar Codes

• 1932 Wallace first to suggest automated checkout
• 1948 Drexel University begins research into auto
  ID method
• 1949 Woodland Silver build prototype scanner.
• 1952 Patent granted Woodland Silver for Auto
  ID method
• 1966 First commercial use of bar codes
• 1970 First commercial Auto ID product
• 1972 Kroger stores begin using bulls-eye bar
  code
• 1973 Uniform Product Code standard adopted
• 1974 First UPC scanners commercially marketed
• 1974 First product (Wrigley Gum) UPC bar coded.

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What is a Bar Code?

• A bar code (barcode) is similar to Morse Code
  in that they both encode character information.
• Morse Code was developed in 1935 and consists of
  s code based on short and long electrical
  impulses.

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What is a Bar Code?
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What is a Bar Code?
EAN-13 Symbology Encoding
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What is a Bar Code?
Check Character Calculation (UPC)
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How a Bar Code Works

• Light from the scanner (laser, LED, or other)
  reflects off the label back to a sensor in the
  scanner

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Bar Code Symbologies

• The manner in which the bars and spaces are
  encoded define the bar code symbology

• Codabar
• Code 128
• Code 3 of 0
• Code 93
• EAN 13
• EAN 8
• ISBN

• Interleaved 2 of 5
• MSI / Plessey
• Postal / Postnet
• UPC A
• UPC E
• PDF-417

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Global Trade Identification Numbers

• A GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the
  EAN.UCC System identifier used for the unique
  identification of trade items worldwide within
  the EAN.UCC System.

Trade Items refers to any product or service upon
which there is a need to retrieve pre-defined
information this product or service may be
priced, ordered, or invoiced at any point in the
supply chain.
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Uniform Code Council EAN

• EAN.UCC is worldwide system
• EAN.UCC is comprised of member organizations
  (M.O.).
• U.C.C. is the U.S. member organization.

EAN.UCC
U.C.C.
M.O.
M.O.
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Key Benefits

• Supports worldwide flow of trade goods and
  services
• Uniquely identifies trade items at all levels of
  packaging.
• Delivers trade item data in a consistent format
  and structure.
• Simplifies supply chain management.
• Employs the globally accepted and utilized
  EAN.UCC System whose language is understood by
  the global marketplace.

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Why GTINs?

• Allow system-to-system interaction
• Speed processes by enabling end-to-end automation
• Lower costs, while reducing errors
• Reduce the risk of system incompatibility
• Protect technology investments by removing the
  limitations of closed, proprietary systems and
  solutions
• Enable the optimization of supply chain
  management practices
• Eliminate supply chain roadblocks and bottlenecks

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Data Structures
A GTIN has a 14-digit data structure though its
data carrier (bar code) may contain only
12-digits (the U.P.C.), 13-digits (EAN-13) or
8-digits (EAN-8). The GTIN is defined as a
14-digit number to accommodate all the different
structures.
0 leading zero D digit, C check digit
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Bar code labels

• EAN-13
• International business
• Sell to national chains

• UPC-A
• local business

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Outsource?

• Outsource
• Large quantities
• Special materials
• Color, coated, durable
• Large budget
• High quality, hardware verifier required

• Do it yourself
• Small quantities
• Std. paper labels
• B/W, stock labels
• Small/No budget
• Reasonable quality, standard scanner verification

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UPC Bar Codes

• Used in US markets
• 1st 6 digits are company prefix
• Next 5 digits are trade item number
• Last digit is calculated check digit

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EAN-13 Bar Codes

• EAN-13 bar codes used in European markets
• Leading zero affixed to 6-dit company prefix
• Next 5-digits are trade item number
• Last digit is check digit

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EAN/UCC-128 Bar Codes

• Used for cases and bulk quantities
• Can include other info such as weight and quantity

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Compliance Labeling
ITF-14
IndicatorDigit
ItemNumber
CompanyPrefix
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ITF-14 Bar Codes

• Used for shipping containers

1 0 6 1 4 1 4 1 0 0 0 4 1 5
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U.C.C Membership?

• Membership
• Manufacturer
• Large business
• Multiple products
• uc-council.org
• 500/yr

• Alternative
• Reseller
• Small Business
• Single product
• www.aureamedia.com
• 25/yr

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Radio Frequency ID Tags
RFID tags are thumbnail sized devices that emit a
radio frequency and can be attached to a wide
range of products. pallets or cases of product

• Fast, Reliable
• No contact required
• Company assets
• Apparel, luggage, laundry
• People, livestock, or pets
• High value electronics such as computers, TVs,
  camcorders
• Books, DVDs, Games

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RFID Technology
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RFID Applications
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Summary

• Your POS solutions success is dependant on a
  good barcode label / Automatic Data Capture
  solution.