How Do I Find Product Details From Barcodes?
Barcodes are a ubiquitous way to identify products, but did you know you can extract a lot more information from them beyond just the item number? Embedded within barcodes are details that can provide insights into the origin, manufacturer, specs, and other attributes of the scanned item. Being able to decode these extra layers of data can benefit operations in many ways. Let's explore how to extract and leverage additional product intel from barcodes.
Understand Barcode Symbologies
The first step is understanding the different barcode symbologies, or types, that are commonly used in supply chains today. The most basic type is the UPC (Universal Product Code), found on most consumer products. UPCs contain the manufacturer number and product number but little else. For more elaborate data needs, consider the newer GS1 standards like EAN-13 (European Article Number) and GS1 DataMatrix.
These advanced 2D symbologies have the capacity to encode an item's Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), serial or lot numbers, expiration dates, quantities, and other application-specific information defined by the manufacturer. Different industries also leverage custom symbologies optimized for their use cases. Working with a reputable scanner provider can help decode what information may be hidden within the barcodes you encounter.
Access Decoding Software and Databases
To actually extract and make use of the embedded barcode data, you'll need decoding software and access to reference databases. Most modern scanners include decoding capabilities within their specs, and pairing them with applications developed by GS1 and other standards bodies exponentially increases their usefulness.
Plug your scanner into a desktop or integrate it with handheld devices running specialized decoding apps. These programs can automatically parse out all encoded details like GTIN, serial numbers, etc. with each scan and append relevant associated product attributes from reference databases. Connected to the cloud, they provide near real-time lookups of manufacturer names, product descriptions, countries of origin, and so on.
With scanning and decoding software in place, you can efficiently gather a wealth of otherwise invisible intel about any barcoded item simply by passing it before a scanner. This ability to transform barcodes into information has diverse applications for anti-counterfeiting, recalls, auditing received shipments, inventory management, and more.
Leverage Barcode Data for Business Insights
Taking full advantage of embedded barcode data requires not only decoding it but analyzing trends and patterns across large volumes of scans. Link decoded details with your POS, WMS, or other transaction systems to gain unprecedented visibility. Comprehensive reporting on things like top selling products per store, distribution of expiration dates across a region, or incidence of counterfeits detected helps optimize operations on multiple levels.
Manufacturers can also gain insights from aggregating scans of their products from various points in the supply chain. This visibility helps identify inefficiencies, spot issues early, and fine tune forecasting and demand planning. Leveraging the wealth of information encoded within ubiquitous barcodes is helping transform supply chain transparency as never before.
Contact us now
- Being able to fully leverage barcode data starts with selecting the right scanning partner. The experts at E.D. Systems Inc. can evaluate your specific data needs, recommended scanning and decoding solutions, as well as consult on strategies for analyzing barcode intelligence at an actionable scale. Our end-to-end barcode consulting services ensure you have the optimized hardware, software and reporting capabilities needed to transform ubiquitous barcodes into a powerful new source of information for driving business decisions. Contact us today at 555-123-4567 or info@edsystemsinc.com to discover how to optimize barcode data for your operations.