In three consecutive articles from the series on effective electronic economy tools that improve company operations, we will discuss, among other things, the purpose of implementing logistics labels, and provide tips on how to print such a label and what tools to use to implement it.
In the first part of this series, we will justify how important the electronic economy is in industry and trade, specifically – tools that improve business processes related to the flow of products within logistics supply chains, which are increasingly controlled by IT systems. We are referring here particularly to systems used in finished goods and distribution warehouses, which utilize technologies such as: automatic identification and data capture (ADC) via barcodes from unit, collective, and logistics packaging, as well as electronic document exchange (EDI/ebXML), according to the global GS1 system (formerly known as EAN.UCC).
These improvements are currently being used, and will be used by an increasing number of companies in the future, not only by manufacturers but also by wholesale and retail distributors, both domestic and foreign. The basic condition for using these systems is universal labeling: of raw materials, goods, and the coding of recipients and suppliers, as well as the labeling of retail, collective, and logistics packaging with barcodes. In the case of logistics units, which most often consist of goods on a pallet, the condition for using ADC systems is to label these units with GS1-128 logistics labels (formerly known as UCC/EAN-128), in accordance with the requirements of the global GS1 system. In the case of the food sector, an additional argument in favor of popularizing these markings is their enormous utility for implementing tracking processes, i.e., so-called traceability, which is so important in light of current European Union requirements.
Why a GS1 logistics label
The purpose of use and basic features of a logistics label.
The purpose of using a label is to convey unambiguous and error-free information about the unit on which it is placed, in a machine-readable and visually readable form. The GS1 logistics label enables the identification of every logistics/shipping/transport unit at different points and at different times throughout the entire supply chain. It is used for all types of units in logistics and transport applications where it is necessary to control individual units and groups of units that, for example, constitute part of a single delivery. The label standard was developed by GS1 in cooperation with representatives of manufacturers, retailers, carriers, and national GS1 organizations. It is based on the Application Identifier standard and uses the GS1-128 barcode symbology.
The GS1 logistics label contains information about: the unit, transport, and the customer, and the SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) – a serial number for a shipping unit in the GS1 system, enables individual identification of every single shipping/logistics unit on a global scale. We will write more about the benefits of using such labels. Let us learn how to create such markings. First, let’s trace the possible ways of printing and applying barcode markings.
Methods for printing and applying barcodes
In practice, the methods for printing barcodes and applying these markings to objects depend on many factors that determine, among other things, who creates such a marking and on what equipment. Barcode markings are made to identify goods in various packaging forms, at physical locations, or on logistics units, according to fixed and variable data, and taking into account different barcode symbologies as well as various techniques and technologies for printing and protecting these markings from damage.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 6/2008.