The successful standard and its limitations

The global standard and its limitations

The barcode has spread around the world since being invented in the middle of the last century. Over the past 30 years, it was the leading technology used to collect data in an automatic and contactless manner - particularly because it is economical to install and read. Even today, most global logistics systems would be incapable of functioning without the barcode. But, the barcode is increasingly reaching its limits because the storable amount of information is restricted and no longer adequate for many applications.

Examples of 1-D and 2-D barcodes

The characteristics and application areas of EDI

Barcodes are located on practically all consumer goods, and our everyday world would be unimaginable without them. The barcode is an optical and electronically readable representation of information that consists of various widths of parallel lines and spaces. The data contained in a barcode can be read and electronically processed by equipment such as scanners or cameras.

Barcode hand scanner

The standards and capabilities of the barcode

A barcode can display numeric or alphanumeric symbols and is globally standardized. One of the most widely recognized types of one-dimensional barcode (the 1-D code) is the European Article Number Code EAN code . To be able to use this barcode, a company must register at EAN International. It will then receive a special coding scheme that must be placed at the start of the barcode that it uses. Afterward, it assigns individual barcodes to its separate products.
One widely used standard of the EAN codes EAN code is EAN 128. It is primarily used at the point of sale Point of sale . Barcodes are also used by track and trace Tracking & tracing . Within a mature supply chain, the barcode facilitates the automatic recording of stock receipts, and this helps reduce inventories and improve data quality. The payment process for stock receipts can be carried out without any human activity by linking the recording process to enterprise resource planning Enterprise resource planning .
As a storage medium, the barcode is undergoing continuous refinement. To be able to show more information on less space, the two-dimensional barcode (2-D code) was developed. This code consists of stacked 1-D codes, and is arranged in rows or is displayed as a true matrix. For instance, such barcodes are used by railroad companies, airlines and concert organizers to mark tickets. In three-dimensional barcodes (3-D codes), color forms the third dimension.
Recently, 4-D codes have come into use. This new form is based on the normal (black-white) 2-D codes. But the format uses both color and animation. The colored animation sequences can be filmed by any cell-phone camera. The cell phone converts the information into letters, numbers or graphics. Using this technology, account statements can be transferred directly from automated teller machines to mobile telephones. At the moment, though, the cell phone needs extra software before it can perform this function.

The strengths and weaknesses of the barcode

The benefits of the barcode

Barcodes are precise and efficient. Their key strengths are their extremely low costs and the global use of standardized barcode technology. Added to this is a wide range of potential uses in cross-company and cross-divisional partnerships. It is an important feature especially for international trade.
Combined with plain text, the barcode is also easy to read and, as a result, well-suited for manual identification at places such as warehouses. It permits the use of advance shipping information and, especially in multi-dimensional forms, is flexible in terms of the data it contains. In addition, it increases work speed while simultaneously providing transparency about goods movements. Barcodes placed on parcels are called “identifiers.” Just like ID cards used by people, they make it possible to identify an individual package and play a major role in returns management.

The drawbacks of barcodes

As a result of the increased complexity of logistics processes, the barcode system is no longer adequate. A 1-D code contains only a relatively small amount of product information that can be used to identify a particular item. But logistics has a continuously rising need for additional information about goods. For electronic products, serial numbers are important. For consumer goods, the manufacturing and expiration dates as well as the production site are essential.
Compared with a possible successor technology like RFID Radio frequency identification , the capabilities of the barcode are limited. The barcode is a “passive form” - that is, a visual contact between the product and scanner must be created in order for the code to be read. In the process, errors occur relatively often. In addition, considerable handling is required in order to correctly point the barcode at the scanner. RFID, on the other hand, is an “active format” that enables labeled products to be automatically identified and located.

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