Many of the barcode labels created nowadays conform to one of the standards developed by the GS1.
The GS1 is a non-for-profit organization that develops business standards in the area of communication. Several barcodes have been established from standards developed by the GS1, including the UPC-A code, the EAN-8 code or the GS1 Datamatrix code. Some of the most important standards developed by the GS1 include:
Using barcode labels that conform to the GS1 standards has many advantages, including the following:
GS1-conforming labels must respect certain stipulations. In particular, length, including blank areas, may not exceed 165 mm.
In addition to the data designator, there may be no more than 48 user data characters. In the case of the GS1-128 barcode, there may be no more than 35 symbol characters, including all extension symbols and the check digit character. There is otherwise the risk that the information multiplication factor may become too large in the case of cross-organisational distribution.
It is particularly important to be able to track products all the way from supplier to outlet in case it becomes necessary to recall them. In the past, there have been repeated cases of recall actions in crisis situations in which it was apparent that more targeted cross-company tracking and return procedures should have been implemented.
Barcode labels are used for recall actions in order to find defective products quickly so that they can be removed from circulation, thus preventing their use and limiting any possible damage that may be caused. This allows manufacturers to manage product recalls more efficiently. In particular, barcode labels offer the following advantages when it comes to product recalls:
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