New standard
The key to success in enabling retailers and consumers to scan products from many different manufacturers on a variety of devices is standardization. Only by introducing a standardized code system companies can ensure that the information is available in the entire supply chain. The GS1 Digital Link standard fulfills all this.
Repackaging existing data
GS1 Digital Link above all is suitable for making products “web-enabled”. It is usually encoded in the form of a QR code, as this can be read by most devices. The code contains:
- Domain
- GTIN (formerly EAN or UPC)
- Batch
- Best before date (BBD)
If a serial number is added to this data chain, each product is individually serialized and can be tracked and traced along the entire supply chain (Track and Trace).
Practical implementation
As the code contains batch-specific information, it must be generated in the packaging line. A high-resolution code is printed where the best before date and batch number currently are applied to be human readable. Most of the printing technologies currently in use cannot achieve this at the required speed and quality.
In contrast to most 2D codes in use today, the digital link then becomes essential information. Without it, a product cannot be sold. It is scanned both at the supermarket checkout and with a smartphone. That is why the quality has to be flawless. Unlike the barcode, however, it is not pre-printed in the packaging design and has already been verified. The product is marked in line – and thus can only be verified in line.
Another new feature is that the code must function universally. So far, various code systems are in use: static QR codes, which are used for raffles, for example, should be readable on consumers’ smartphones. If Data Matrix codes are used for internal processes, it is sufficient if they can be read by the warehouse and logistics. And the classic barcode is, of course, scanned at the checkout. The new 2D code does all of this.
GS1 Digital Link
Specifications and Syntax
Would you like to find out more?
Here you will find all the details on the standardized representation of GS1 identification keys within web addresses for linking to online information and services: GS1 Digital Link
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