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~ Lorna Leaver ~

COLUMN

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE BARCODE AND WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT TO YOUR BUSINESS?

The world has changed significantly since the introduction of the barcode in 1974 and, with it, the demands for
accurate data have increased. That is why GS1 has developed new standards to support current supply chains
and consumer needs.

S1 has been the home of the barcode for more than your customers.
45 years. But what does the barcode tell us about
Gthe products we buy? So how will this tiny black and white square change the way
you package your goods?
The linear barcode, which most of us will be familiar with as the There has been a rise in products with several different barcodes
black and white vertical lines scanned at the checkout, holds a on the packaging. For example, we have seen a Coca-Cola bottle
limited amount of product information. It actually only contains the feature three different codes on a single product.
number that sits below it in binary format. This number acts as a key
to data held by the retailer such as the brand name, the product type • One EAN linear barcode for point of sale
and variation, weight, product category and price. • One QR code for smart label nutritional information
• One proprietary Coca-Cola code to enable marketing activities
However, barcodes need to start working harder.

Shoppers are continually demanding more information about the
products they buy, from where it was farmed or made to how best to
use and recycle it. Retailers are becoming overwhelmed by the sheer
volume of data that comes from multiple sources in different for-
mats, which is increasingly tricky when it comes to product recalls.
This is where the 2D barcode comes in.

You will have seen a 2D barcode before. They look similar to QR
codes and can be found on most prescription drugs. The benefit of
a 2D barcode over a standard linear barcode is that it can encode
more data, much more data, in fact. It can carry details like the
batch and lot number of an item, which are vital in healthcare, as
well as expiry dates, making it perfect for fresh-food tracking. It can
even alert you that a product is past its expiry date when scanned at
the checkout, and the system will prevent the purchase from taking
place.

Australian supermarket giant, Woolworths, has already trialled the
use of 2D barcodes to help reduce food waste and sales of expired
products. Their general manager of business enablement, Richard
Plunkett was quoted as saying: “2D barcodes have immense poten-
tial, and we’re excited to see how they will improve safety, traceabil-
ity and stock management.”

As well as increasing the amount of data available, 2D barcodes take
up significantly less space on packaging than a traditional linear
barcode. This allows for more space on the product label, which
can be used to show off your brand credentials or provide deeper
insights on your product, helping you to build greater trust with

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