The concept of barcodes was introduced in the year 1973 to address widespread issues like inventory mismanagement and manual entries. Since then, barcodes have become an integral part of the modern supply chain. Today, no product can be sold in the market without a barcode. In this blog we will delve into the complete history behind the barcodes, the types of barcode formats, their purpose and explore the future possibilities.
The Early Days of Barcodes
Today businesses around the globe have interoperability and a structured approach of selling products; however, it was not always like this. This level of standardisation was only introduced after the application and adoption of barcodes. The history of barcodes dates back to 1974 when the first product – a Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum – was scanned at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio using UPC barcode symbology. This sparked a global breakthrough that eventually led countries around the globe to adopt the barcode technology in their industries.
To streamline operations and avoid complications between the two widely accepted symbologies (EAN & UPC), GS1 was formed as a global authority. Today, GS1 has 116 member organisations, including GS1 India. What began as a system for uniquely identifying products has since evolved into a powerful tool for enhancing transparency, traceability, and efficiency across the supply chain. Let’s now understand a detailed history of how GS1 and the global barcoding standards.
The Development of Barcode Standards
EAN, UPC and GTIN are all barcoding symbologies which we will try to understand brick-by-brick in this section. At first UPC and EAN were used separately depending on different regions. UPC is predominantly used to identify products in North America. Globally, two different codes were being used to sell products which caused significant problems for the manufacturers and retailers. To simplify processes, in 2003 EAN International (European Article Numbering) and UCCA (Uniform Code Council Association) discussed a merger to establish an image of a global supply chain standards entity.
By January 2004, retailers were asked to make their systems compatible for accepting and scanning products carrying both codes. In 2005, GS1 was decided as the global name and GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) was introduced as a common barcode standard. Today, EAN/GTIN and UPC are being used as the barcoding symbologies by countries worldwide to uniquely identify their products. Let’s decode them and try to understand their types and purpose.
EAN/GTIN are used synonymously to each other, below listed are their two types –
EAN-13/GTIN-13 – It is a 13-digit unique identification code that is used on products. They both are accepted and used worldwide.
EAN-8/GTIN-8 – It is an 8-digit unique identification code used on products that have limited space. It serves the same purpose as a GTIN-13/EAN-13.
Similar to EAN/GTIN, UPC barcode symbology also has two types –
UPC-A – It is a 12-digit unique identification code used on products. The UPC symbology is used specifically for the products being manufactured in North America.
UPC-E – It is an 8-digit unique identification code used on products being manufactured in North America.
Modern Barcode Systems
In the past linear barcodes were the most used data carriers; however, with fast technological progressions, 2D barcodes have also been introduced. Let’s explore the key differences between linear barcodes and 2D barcodes and understand their types.
Linear barcodes are composed of a set of black and white parallel vertical lines with spaces in between. They have quiet zones at each end to ensure readability by scanners. You may locate linear barcodes at the back of every product, the number written below these barcodes – starting with ‘890’ is the GTIN of the product.
GTIN is formed of four components; the country code, company code, product code and check digit. Each component has a specific role to play to facilitate unique product identification. Country code is the code allotted by GS1 Global to each member organisation, ‘890’ is the country code for India. The next few digits denote the company code – provided to the company by the GS1 member organisation of the country. Moving on we have the product code and lastly check digit – a numerically calculated number to validate the GTIN formation.
2D barcode format is a more upgraded and advanced data carrier of the unique identification number. In comparison to a 1D barcode format 2D can encode more product information. It can also carry product or website links to provide more detailed product information and ultimately strengthen customer trust. Below listed are the types of 2D formats –
-    GS1 DataMatrix – This type of 2D barcode is used specifically in the healthcare industry. It is not scanned at point-of-sale and can store data in a limited space.
-    QR Code – A type of 2D barcode that can encode URLs to product or company websites and can also be scanned through mobile phones.
Conclusion
Barcodes enforce seamless and transparent business communication which results in driving faster process efficiency and maximized revenue. Their adoption in different industries has streamlined supply chain processes and have continuously nourished healthy stakeholder relationships. Please note only GS1 barcodes can provide unique identification to products in the country and only GS1 India is authorised to issue these barcodes.
For more information please visit – https://www.gs1india.org/content/register-for-barcodes/.
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