warehousing and distribution

  • Google +
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Request a quote
01279 452468
  • HOME
  • SERVICES
    • Freight Forwarding
    • Fulfilment Sevices
    • Pallet Storage
    • Pick and Pack
    • Warehousing
  • ABOUT US
  • OUR PEOPLE
  • Location
  • REQUEST QUOTE
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT US

How do bar codes work in warehousing and fulfilment?

January 20, 2014 By Darren Woollard Leave a Comment

0 Shares
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

warehousing barcodes

You know a bar code when you see one. Just about everything you can buy has one. But what do they do (besides make the till go ‘beep’)? Bar codes, whether UPC, EAN, or SSCC-18, are standardised by GS1, a non-profit organisation that sets standards for supply chain issues globally.

So how do bar codes assist the warehousing world?

When vendors and manufacturers send their goods off to retailers, the bar codes allow the products to be tracked at every stage of their journey through the supply chain. When a shipment is initially packed at a manufacturer’s warehouse, they usually get an 18 digit SSCC-18 code which identifies all of the pieces in the packing unit. This 18 digit code and some other key data is recorded on the GS1-128 shipping label (which can be referred to as a UPC-128 or an EAN-128 depending on the origin of the goods).

Once the goods are received by the retailer’s warehouse, they are scanned in by the GS1-128 label, and become part of the retailer’s inventory. The product’s entire history so far can be tracked, so long as the labelling process was done correctly.

If a flaw is noticed in any unit at any point in the supply chain, that unit can be traced back to its point of origin. The manufacturer will often be able to identify which production line it was produced on and at what time. This helps immensely with quality control issues, and allows faster manufacturer response time to problems.

If a product recall is necessary due to safety concerns, the proper use of barcodes throughout the process can limit the recall to just those units that may be unsafe, allowing the rest of the production run to be sold. This alone is generally worth the hassle of documenting everything carefully.

 

0 Shares
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: warehousing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Our Services

  • Freight Forwarding
  • Fulfilment Sevices
  • Pick and Pack
  • Pallet Storage
  • Warehousing
  • Quotation Request

Recent Posts

  • Warehousing is the latest supply chain issue
  • Problems with Pallet Storage and how to solve them
  • Strike-proofing your logistics
  • 2022’s riskier Christmas and how to plan your warehousing around it
  • How to work out if pallet storage is right for you

Contact Us

Registered Office
DMG Freight Services Ltd
Unit A & B Mead Park
Ind. Estate
River Way, Harlow
Essex, CM20 2SE.
Telephone
+44 (0) 1279 452468
Fax
+44 (0) 1279 415810
E-mail
info@dmg-freight.com

Copyright © 2023 DMG Freight Services · Log in