Content

Introduction

Chapter I: Definition of Bar-code. Common Types

Chapter II: Usage of Bar-code in Marketing

Conclusion

References
 Introduction

Mobile Barcodes (more specifically; QR Codes) have started to pop up

everywhere. We see them appearing in magazines & catalogs, on outdoor
signage, on packaged goods, on billboards, and even as artwork. Given the
increasing adoption of Smartphones and rapid advancements in their
capabilities, Mobile Barcodes are becoming a powerful advertising vehicle with
near infinite opportunities. Unfortunately, far too many Marketers utilizing
Mobile Barcodes are sacrificing its true potential – merely using them to direct
consumers to an existing website. Although the technology does in fact present
an efficient way to access websites, there is significantly more value attainable
with effective implementation.

This webinar will offer a comprehensive understanding of available

opportunities by exploring a wide range of relevant services, practices, and
techniques. Attendees will learn that marketing with Mobile Barcodes is about
more than simply delivering a message, it’s about creating an end-to-end
Mobile experience for consumers. You can expect to walk away with an
elevated appreciation for barcode integration, websites & content mobilization,
and the ability to achieve maximum revenue with mobile payment solutions and
mCommerce.

While no single standardized barcode format exists, there are a few important
specifications that define how they are designed and created. Barcode labels can
differ in their size, capacity, linearity, material, and whether or not a checksum
is required. The size of a label is often dictated by the specifications of the
scanning equipment and the intended application. In some cases, a particular
label orientation may be required to accommodate scanning hardware or other
process equipment. 

The linearity of the barcode measures the length of the scannable area and is a
function of the barcode capacity depending upon the particular style. The
capacity of a barcode, meaning the number of potential character combinations,
is based on the barcode density and the character set that is supported.
One measurement of the barcode density is referred to as the x-dimension and
in the case of a linear barcode refers to the width of the narrowest bar. For 2-
dimensional labels, the x-dimension is the size of each square. 

A checksum is a standardized portion of some barcode formats which is used to

verify that the information scanned from the code is correct. In a linear
configuration, this is always the number at the far right of the barcode and the
scanner will perform a series of calculations on the digits that proceed it and
compare that result to the last digit. If the sum is correct the scanner will often
beep to verify that the scan has proceeded correctly. Being familiar with these
similarities and differences between barcode formats can help you select the
best barcode formats for your specific needs. 
 Chapter I: Definition of Bar-code. Common Types
A barcode is a square or rectangular image consisting of a series of parallel
black lines and white spaces of varying widths that can be read by a scanner.
Barcodes are applied to products as a means of quick identification. They are
used in retail stores as part of the purchase process, in warehouses to track
inventory, and on invoices to assist in accounting, among many other uses.

A barcode, consisting of bars and spaces, is a machine-readable representation

of numerals and characters. Today, stripes as shown below on packages of
products sold at supermarkets, convenience stores and other stores are
ubiquitous. These are barcodes. A barcode consists of bars and spaces of
varying width that can be read with an optical barcode scanner.

Barcode History

The concept for the barcode was developed by Norman Joseph Woodland, who
drew a series of lines in the sand to represent Morse code, and Bernard Silver.
A patent was granted in 1966 and NCR became the first company to develop a
commercial scanner to read barcode symbology. A pack of Wrigley’s gum was
the first item ever scanned, at Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio, NCR’s
hometown.

Barcode Components
Quiet Zone (margin)

Quiet Zone is a blank margin located at either end of a barcode. The

minimal margin between barcodes (distance from the outermost bar of
one barcode to the outermost bar of another barcode) is 2.5 mm. If the
width of a Quiet Zone is insufficient, barcodes are hard for a scanner
to read.
Start Character/Stop Character

The Start Character and the Stop Character are characters representing
the start and the end of the data, respectively. The characters differ
depending on the barcode type.

Chech Digit (Symbol Check Character)

The Check Digit is a digit for checking whether the encoded barcode
data are correct .

Explaining the Different Barcode types

There are many types of barcodes—and each brings unique opportunities and
limitations. With such a range of options to choose from, it can be tough to
determine which barcodes will best suit your products, inventory or assets.

Here’s an easy way to understand how barcodes work: think of them as a more
technologically savvy way to transfer strings of characters. They are basically a
license plate that is linked to data files. These strings of characters can
designate all types of information. Rather than manually writing and copying
this information, it becomes encrypted in barcode languages (symbologies) for
fast transfer through a scanner to computer. Each symbology follows an
algorithm for standardizing the encoding and storing of these characters.

Speaking Another Language: Barcode Symbologies differ in qualities such as

capacity and linearity, making some advantageous for particular uses and
industries. Barcode technology never stops advancing. For instance, the recent
surge of 2D barcoding has proven popular by allowing you to scan straight
from your smartphone for a wealth of data. Why not learn more about how
barcodes can better serve you? 

Code 39

This is one of the oldest barcodes around and is a common symbology found in
electronics, healthcare, and government. It is a lineal, 1D, alphanumeric code
with the ability to include the entire 128 ASCII character set and extend to any
length, only limited by the size of the label. If space is a concern, Code 128
would be a better choice to consider. Click here to learn more.

Code 128

Derived from the ASCII 128 character set (0-9, a-z, A-Z, and some special
characters), this compact barcode is used extensively in packaging and shipping
applications worldwide. Code 128 features an automatic switching setting that
allows users to optimize it for barcode length

Interleaved 2 of 5
Commonly found in warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing, Code I 2 of 5
is a numeric-only barcode used to encode pairs of numbers. Every two digits
are paired to create one symbol. The number of digits used must be even for
this format to work, so a zero is commonly added at the end of an odd set of
numbers.

Universal Product Codes (UPC)

Found on nearly every retail product, these barcodes were originally created for
grocery stores to provide quick receipt printing and inventory tracking. After
securing a UPC number, a manufacturer will receive a unique company number
to combine with their individual product numbers

International Article Number (EAN)

Considered a superset of the UPC, these barcodes are used specifically by

booksellers, libraries, universities and wholesalers for book traceability. These
13-digit codes are created from the International Standard Book Numbers
(ISBN) for each respective book tracked. Like UPCs, these are standardized for
the unique identification of publishers.

PDF417

This stacked, linear 2D barcode can be found in many types of identification

such as your driver’s license. It is the also the chosen standard by the USPS and
Department of Homeland Security due to its advanced capabilities, such as
encoding links to more than one data file. However, it can be expansive in size
– 4 times larger than other 2D barcodes such as Datamatrix and QR Codes.

Data Matrix
This has become one the most common 2D barcodes.  It is a square in shape
code and can encode large – as in huge – amounts of informaton in a very small
space; it is very popular in electronics manufacturing and healthcare for that
reason.  2D codes require sophisticated scanners, such as smartphones, to
basically “take a picture” and translate the entire image at one time. When
companies need more barcode storage capacity, 2D barcodes reign supreme
over their 1D counterparts

Quick Response (QR) Codes

The latest trend in barcoding, QR Codes are gaining popularity as marketing

tools to link to web based information.  Not as compact as Data Matrix, you
will find them often used on advertizing materials and storefronts, linking to
special promotions or details about a certain product.

Barcode labels are useful tools for tracking assets and inventory across
organizations and through the entire supply chain, but what type of barcode is
most suitable for your needs? A myriad of barcode symbologies exist, some of
which are better suited to different types of applications than
others. Additionally, some industries have standards that aim to regulate the
labeling of assets and physical inventory in order to establish universal practices
for industry-wide consistency, making it easier to transfer assets and

data to other organizations.Making sense of all this information is no simple

undertaking. We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you gain an
understanding of the various barcode types as well as the standards and the
different formats that apply to barcode labeling across a range of industries.
 Chapter II:Usage of Bar-code in Marketing

How do barcodes work?

In a nutshell, a barcode is a way to encode information into a visual pattern

(those black lines and white spaces) that a machine (a barcode scanner) can
read. 

The combination of black and white bars (also referred to as elements)

represents varying text characters that follow a pre-established algorithm for
that barcode (more on the types of barcodes later). A barcode scanner will read
this pattern of black and white bars and translate them into a line of test that
your retail point of sale system can understand. 

Business Benefits
Barcodes were developed to improve the speed of sales transactions, but there
are other potential benefits to businesses, including: 

 Better accuracy 

Relying on a barcode to process data is far more accurate than relying on

manually-entered data, which is prone to errors.

 Data is immediately available 

Because of the processing speed, information about inventory levels or sales is

available in real time.

 Reduced training requirements 

Thanks to the simplicity of the barcode scanner, employees need little in the
way of training in how to use it. Additionally, thanks to barcodes, there is much
less for employees to have to learn and retain.

 Improved inventory control 

Being able to scan and track inventory yields a much more accurate count, as
well as a better calculation of inventory turn. Companies can hold less
inventory when they know how soon they will need it.

 Low cost implementation 

Generating barcodes is quick and easy, as is installing a barcode system.

Potential savings can be realized almost immediately.

 Cost savings
Barcodes can save your company lots of money. Before these tools became so
popular, employees tracked merchandise manual and to carry out that task,
companies needed many workers. Using barcodes, tracking has become easier
and organizations don’t need a lot of workers to do it. Furthermore, the barcode
system reduces employee training time because is very easy to use which makes
employee training less expensive. Overall, barcodes are inexpensive and, due
to the fact that data is obtained rapidly and accurately, they enable informed
decisions and we all know that better decision making saves time and money.

 Speed

A barcode scan is fast and reliable, and takes far less time than entering data
manually so tracking can be done quickly. Since the information is scanned
directly into the computer or database, it is ready almost instantaneously. This
quick turnaround ensures that time will not be wasted on data entry or retrieval.
At the shops, barcodes can identify immediately the cost of goods, so clerks
don’t have to type in prices and customers don’t need to wait for long time.

 Versatility

Barcodes are extremely versatile and can be used for any kind of data
collection. This could include pricing or inventory information. Additionally,
because they can be attached to just about any surface, they can be used to track
not only the products themselves, but also outgoing shipments and even
equipment.

A universal product code (UPC) is a code that’s printed on a retail product’s

packaging to help it be identified. There are two parts that make up a UPC: the
machine-readable barcode (which is a series of black bars) and the unique 12-
digit number located beneath the barcode. 

Parts of a UPC

To get a UPC to use on products, a company needs to apply through GS1

US (the Global Standards Organization), which manages and assigns UPCs in
the US. 

After paying the application fee, GS1 assigns a six-digit

manufacturer identification number; that becomes the first six digits of the
UPC for all of the company’s products and identifies the item’s manufacturer. 

The subsequent five digits of the UPC are the item number, which identifies
the product itself. Each company should have a person responsible for issuing
item numbers, ensuring that the same number isn’t used more than once and
that numbers associated with discontinued products are no longer used. 

Most consumer products have several variations based on their size, color, etc.
Each variation needs its own item number. For example, a box of medium-sized
t-shirts will have a different item number than a box of the same t-shirt in size
small.

The last digit of a 12-digit UPC is the check digit. It’s found by adding and
multiplying several of the UPC code’s numbers to confirm to the barcode
scanner that the UPC is a valid one. If the check digit code isn’t correct, the
result is that the UPC code won’t scan properly. 

What’s the purpose of a UPC?

UPCs make it easy to identify a product by its name, item type, size and color
when it’s scanned at the checkout. They were initially created to make grocery
store checkouts faster, but nowadays they’re also commonly used to help track
inventory in retail stores and warehouses. 

The advantages of a UPC

There are several advantages, both for businesses and consumers, for using
UPCs. Since UPCs help barcode scanners identify a product and its cost, UPCs
help improve checkout speed. They effectively remove the need to manually
input a product’s information. 

UPCs also improve inventory tracking and management. They help merchants
know when they need to stock more of a particular product either on their
shelves or in stock more in their warehouse. 

If ever there’s an issue with a product, UPCs also help merchants find the
customers that purchased that product, contact them and issue a recall. 

A UPC is a universal product code; it’s meant to identify a product regardless

of where it was sold. For example, if you buy a t-shirt online or through a local
retailer that also sells the same product, that t-shirt will have the same UPC. 

A SKU, however, is an internal product inventory code that’s unique from one
company to the other. If you were to compare the SKU of the same product at
two different stores, you’d see that they were different. 

If you’re confused as to whether you’re looking at a UPC or SKU, the UPC

symbol is the barcode label or bar coding on the back of a product, whereas the
SKU is typically found on a store’s unique shelf pricing. 
If you were to try looking up a product online, using the product’s UPC will
help you find it across numerous retailers, whereas the SKU would only find
the product under the business using that specific SKU. 

UPCs can be valuable for suppliers and manufacturers to track the inventory
they sell to different retail merchants, whereas SKUs are valuable for merchants
to track and manage their inventory in a way that’s unique to their business. 

Both SKUs and UPCs are advantageous for retailers: SKUs for their
customizability and UPCs for their universality. Many businesses use a mix of
UPCs and SKUs. To learn how to add items to your inventory with UPCs and
SKUs in Lightspeed POS, check our retail support page that covers the topic in
greater detail. 

Usage of Barcodes

Events, travel, and movies

Barcodes are used in admission tickets in movie theaters and other events
to uniquely identify and verify the validity of the ticket before the
customer can enter the theater or the event. They’re also used to count
sales generated from the event, and makes it a lot more convenient to keep
track of revenue. Sometimes it even costs less for event organizers because
they don’t have to spend money producing actual tickets – those who want
to attend the event or watch the show can print the barcode anywhere and
present it upon arrival at the venue.

Similarly, with the use of online booking systems for travel (flights, trains,
and buses), travelers can even print out their own boarding pass and check
in by showing the code using their smart phone.
Advertising

Advertisers are taking advantage of barcodes by using them to reach out to

customers in a more interactive, interesting, and unique way. With the use
of smartphones, just by downloading and installing an app that can read
barcodes you can discover a lot more information about the product being
advertised.

While not as popular in the US, the use of 2D barcodes is very popular in
Japan, where it was invented. They have 2D barcodes almost everywhere:
retail stores, fast food chains, and train stations.

Japan’s use of these barcodes is actually pretty creative, and also provides
a lot of help since some of them contain information about your location,
direction, and contact information. After the 2011 earthquake and
Tsunami, QR codes were especially helpful in spreading information about
how to donate to the relief efforts [So barcodes are useful for disaster
relief; might want to pitch that to the government…].

Games
Games that needed the use of barcodes have been around since the 90s.
There are actually consoles created specifically for these games. You may
have heard of Skannerz, which was released in 2000. The general premise
was to capture monsters by scanning them and then battling with other
players.

Tracking food intake

There are actually some apps that help you keep track of the food you eat
through barcodes. All you have to do is take a picture of the barcode on the
food you’re eating, and the app will use the nutrition information indicated
on the item to track your food intake. It’s actually pretty convenient, and
you’d have a more detailed food diary.

Art and pop culture

Barcodes have become so popular that they have been used as inspiration
for art and architecture. 

Tracking products

Just because you have a very small product doesn’t mean you can’t come
up with a creative way to track it using barcodes.

Mobile coupons

More and more, today’s tech-savvy shoppers expect to find discounts online
in the form of mobile coupons – mobile coupons that can be read by an
imager.

Mobile loyalty

Given the successful use of mobile loyalty programs by several large retail
chains, restaurants and hotels are increasingly offering customers the ability
to sign up for and track purchases through a mobile application and be
rewarded for their loyalty. To redeem their rewards, they must have a worker
scan the barcode on their mobile device.

Mobile payment
Some stores enable customers to upload their gift card on their mobile app
and then use that card as a way to pay for purchases. Very often, this type of
mobile payment is tied to the mobile loyalty program as a complete solution.

Multiple barcodes capture

Some situations call for the ability to capture multiple barcodes in a single
trigger pull and simultaneously populate a database with the information.
For example, retailers are able to extract the UPC, manufacturing date and
serial number information from an item to improve records and better serve
the customer.

Images and signatures

There are certain scenarios where a retailer can use a 2D imager to take a
picture of an item, a person, a document or a signature.

Optical character recognition (OPR)

Businesses that have invoices with customer names and account numbers in
OCR fonts, such as OCR-A and OCR-B, can use an imager to decode and
populate the information into an application. Other fonts supported include
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) and U.S. Currency.

Driver’s licence parsing

Many driver’s licenses contain a PDF417 barcode embedded with the

personal identifying information that is written on the front. With available
parsing software, retailers can use this information for autopopulating forms
for credit card and loyalty card applications, as well as identifying serial
returners and managing the sale of restricted items such as alcohol or
tobacco.

Positive patient ID

A 2D barcode is printed on a patients’ wristband and is scanned prior to any

clinical interaction.

Specimen collection

A Clinician scans wristband and vial or specimen collection container.

Medication administration

A Clinician scans the barcode on the wristband and then the medication,
prior to administering to the patient.

Dietary

Clinician or hospital worker scans wristband and menu.

Prescription imaging

Scan an image of the paper prescription for digital document storage.

Track and tracing

A 2D barcode is placed on components throughout the manufacturing

process to identify the component.

Work in process (WIP)

Barcodes are placed on partially manufactured goods to track all materials
and partially finished products at various stages of the production process.
WIP excludes inventory of raw materials at the start of the production cycle
and finished products inventory at the end of the production cycle.

Shipping/receiving

Shipping labels utilize 2D barcodes that contain more information and

enable better data accuracy. As an example, PDF417 can incorporate many
data points such as the part number, plant location, lot number, weight, pack
date, revision and quantity. Shipping labels may also use a mix of both 1D
and 2D barcodes.

 
 Conclusion

Barcoding originated in grocery stores and has since extended to use in

doctors offices, law firms, post offices, retail stores, security applications,
car rental returns and countless others. Barcoding and related technologies
have been used in manufacturing companies for shipping and receiving
operations for more than 40 years. But even in these more traditional
settings, barcode applications have spread throughout the enterprise to
include warehousing, accounting and customer service functions, time and
attendance, and package delivery, as well as the assembly line operation
itself.

The widespread acceptance of barcoding over the past four decades has led
to the development of numerous industry standards by major industry
groups, such as AIAG (automotive), EIA (electronics), HIBCC (healthcare)
and HAZMAT (chemical) to name a few. Such standards ensure universal
compliance and easy identification of product shipments among trading
partners in the supply chain as well as ensure that product (such as
hazardous chemicals) is handled properly to prevent injury or loss of life.

This technology is available now and can be implemented by anyone. The

earlier your business adopts a barcoded inventory management system, the
better it will be because it will save your company time and money in the long
term.
Barcodes are not just for use at the check-out counters at the groceries. This
system can help any type of organizations from retailers to health care and
transport and logistics.
 

References

https://datascope.io/en/blog/5-reasons-to-use-barcode/

Cranstone, Ian. "A guide to ACI (Automatic Car Identification)/KarTrak"

"How Barcodes Work". Stuff You Should Know.

Seideman, Tony (Spring 1993), "Barcodes Sweep the World", Wonders of

Modern Technology, 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcode

"A Short History of Bar Code". BarCode 1. Adams Communications.

"Global Research Solutions – 2D Barcodes