The impact of IT on logistics – part 13
Although I stipulated that I would not discuss matters related to the EAN.UCC system, considering that it is described on the website www.ean.pl, I believe it is worth at least touching upon this issue so that the Reader can better understand the issues discussed in subsequent columns.
EAN.UCC standards, if implemented in a WMS system, have a huge impact on logistics, essentially determining its functioning in the enterprise. For this reason, I cannot ignore or omit this issue, especially since the participants of the EAN.UCC system include over 1,000,000 enterprises worldwide and about 16,000 in Poland (as of the end of 2003). Therefore, it is worth looking at the features of this information exchange standard, because everything indicates that it is and will remain a stabilized global “language” used to conduct business in the field of logistics through IT solutions.
The global identification and communication system for supply chain management, EAN.UCC, was created as a result of years of cooperation and the merger of two organizations initially dealing exclusively with barcode standards: Uniform Code Council in the USA and EAN International based in Brussels. The beginnings date back to the 1970s, when the foundations for both the EAN (European Article Numbering) and UPC (Universal Product Code) systems were developed. First, the UPC system was created (in the USA and Canada), which is based on 12-digit codes, and shortly after, the EAN system was created (in Europe), which was designed as a variation and development of the UCC system (essentially using 13- and 14-digit numbers). Trade globalization and the growth of international operations of many companies created the need for closer cooperation between EAN International and UCC. In 1998, these organizations decided to comprehensively merge the UPC system with the EAN system, thanks to which a single global EAN.UCC system currently operates. A year later, a new version of the EAN/UCC General Specifications was developed, which constitutes a global reference document covering all technical aspects of the EAN.UCC system, defining the international and cross-industry standard. The merger of both organizations finally took place in 2003, when UCC joined EAN International as a national EAN organization. Due to its fully global nature, it was decided to change the name of the association, and from 2005 the association will operate under the name GS1 (Global System the First).
The dynamics of conducting business activity has changed faster in recent years than in the entire post-war period. The rapid growth of supply chain functionality, new distribution channels, changes in demand patterns, and growing customer service expectations have given decisive importance to information technology in economic processes. EAN.UCC standards have facilitated domestic and international communication between all trading partners participating in the supply chain, including raw material suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, hospitals, and end customers or consumers.