Do you think barcodes are meant only for retail products? Think again. Behind every product on the shelf is a complex logistics supply chain, and barcodes play a key role in expediting and simplifying their journey from farm to fork or from shelf to patient care. By enabling standardised and structured data capture, GS1 barcodes make it possible for freight forwarders and transporters to move goods efficiently across cities, countries, and continents. In this blog, we will learn all about the GS1-128 barcode – its usage, structure, and application in the real world. We will also discuss how businesses can get a GS1-128 barcode and streamline their supply chain.
Unlike what we see on retail shelves, products are rarely shipped one at a time. They are supplied in bulk. Just like EAN barcodes are imperative for ensuring unique unit-level product identification, stakeholders require a barcode to uniquely identify the package containing products in bulk. And this is where the role of the GS1-128 barcode comes in. It facilitates the unique identification of each logistic unit with a GS1 ID key.
GS1-128 is a high-density linear/1D barcode type. Unlike retail-facing barcodes, such as EANs & UPCs, the GS1-128 barcode is not intended for point-of-sale (POS) scanning. It is a versatile barcode and is typically applied to higher-level packaging units, such as pallets and cases. Similar to other barcode types, the GS1-128 barcode standard is developed and managed by GS1, a global supply chain standards organisation, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. GS1 has 116 member organisations affiliated to it, and GS1 India is one of them.
Formerly known as UCC-128, GS1-128 barcode encodes variable data using a combination of Code 128 Symbology and Application Identifiers (AIs). It is made up of black and white parallel lines with spaces in between and towards the end, referred to as quiet zones.
The barcode is capable of encoding important product data, including batch/lot number, serial number, expiry date, manufacturing details, country of origin, sell by date, count of items, and more.
Additionally, the GS1-128 barcode can carry all the identification keys beyond just GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), such as GLN for unique location identification, SSCC to identify logistic units, and others.
Application Identifiers (AIs) are a finite set of defined identifiers used to connect physical things and logical things to information or business messages related to them. These are numeric prefixes that are used in barcodes and EPC/EFID tags to define the meaning and format of encoded data. GS1 has over 100 Application Identifiers (AIs), and more than one AI can be encoded in a barcode. This happens by placing AIs with a fixed length, such as SSCC, GTIN, etc., at the beginning and with variable length toward the end.
An example of a GS1-128 barcode string is mentioned below –
(00) 890123456789123458 (13) 20020212 (15) 20020418
Pallets, lots, or cases labelled with a GS1-128 barcode typically contain multiple product units. These units may be either homogeneous (all of the same type) or heterogeneous (a mix of different types). Each product unit inside a pallet is uniquely identified using an EAN-13 or EAN-8 barcode. The pallet’s packaging features a GS1-128 barcode, which encodes the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) and/or the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) along with other shipment attributes.
Multiple industries, in India and abroad, apply GS1-128 barcode labels on their shipments. These include adoption in the pharmaceuticals, logistics & transportation, retail, and other sectors.
Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, has directed its drug suppliers to affix a GS1-128 barcode at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of the shipments. PMBI suppliers are required to have two barcodes in GS1-128 format at the tertiary level, in the tenders released by the nodal agency. The first GS1-128 barcode on the tertiary packaging has to have a unique product identification code (GTIN - Global Trade Identification Number), b) manufacturing date, c) expiry date, d) batch no. e) quantity, whereas the second barcode is required to encode the SSCC.
Outcomes being achieved
Like any GS1 barcode, a GS1-128 barcode can also be generated by getting registered with your country’s GS1 MO (Member Organisation). Indian organisations can get registered with GS1 India to obtain their GCP (GS1 Company Prefix) to apply for and generate GS1-128 barcodes for their secondary and tertiary level packaging.
Step 1 – Visit ‘Register for Barcodes’ page of GS1 India's website.
Step 2 – Fill the registration form - ‘Click here’
Step 3 – Submit all the required documents as and when asked.
Step 4 – Carefully select the number of barcodes you want. Barcodes, once selected, cannot be changed or upgraded. Please consider your current as well as future business needs while making any decision.
Step 5 – Pay the registration fees and the subscription fees through any of the provided payment gateways.
Step 6 – You will receive your GCP number in a few working days after you make the payment. Once received, this GCP number can be used to generate barcodes (EAN and GS1-128).
Once brand owners receive their GCP number, they can use it to log in to our DataKart portal. DataKart is the national product data repository that contains information on millions of products uploaded by thousands of brand owners. It is a cloud-based service that allows brand owners to manage, store, share, and update product information all in one place, in near real-time, and with 100% accuracy.
On DataKart, you can generate SSCC or GTIN for your logistics unit. This identification can further be encoded in a GS1-128 barcode type online. You can then generate an image of your barcode label and send it for bulk printing for further use. GS1 India has several barcode solution providers registered with it under its Solution Provider Program. You can select from several barcode printing solution providers, depending on your requirements.
The GS1-128 barcode is very different from other GS1 linear barcode types and other non-GS1 barcodes. In addition to their different usage, they have distinct compositions as well. Let’s understand the key differences of the GS1-128 barcode using a table.
GS1-128 is a barcode, whereas GTIN-14 is an identification key which is encoded in a barcode.
When used in general distribution, the minimum width of the X-dimension (that is, the width of the narrowest bar or space) is 0.495 mm.
The EAN-13 barcode is used primarily for unique product identification at the point of sale, whereas, GS1-128 barcode is used to uniquely identify higher packaging units like shipments and pallets.
Details encoded in a GS1-128 barcode can be read using a barcode scanner.
A GS1-128 barcode can encode a maximum of 48 characters.
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