From Black Box to Open Window: How 2D Codes Turn Products into Data Carriers

For decades, products have effectively been black boxes — moving through production, logistics, and retail with limited visibility. Information exists, but it is fragmented and rarely connected directly to the item itself.

That model is no longer sufficient.

Regulations such as PPWR and ESPR, along with concepts like the Digital Product Passport (DPP), are pushing toward product-level transparency. At the same time, retail initiatives like GS1 Sunrise 2027 and QR Codes powered by GS1 are redefining how products are identified and accessed across systems.

But the shift is not driven by regulation alone.

More and more manufacturers are implementing track & trace strategies to gain control, protect their brand, and improve operational performance. What was once a compliance topic is becoming a strategic capability.

• Protection against counterfeiting and grey market activities
• End-to-end visibility across global supply chains
• Faster and more targeted recalls
• Data-driven insights into quality and product flow

All of these developments point in the same direction:

Reliable product identification and accessible data at item level are becoming essential.

The shift to 2D codes in retail is more than a technical upgrade. A single code can now serve POS, logistics, and consumer interaction simultaneously. Initiatives like GS1 Sunrise 2027 and QR Codes powered by GS1 are accelerating this move toward standardized, data-rich identification.

For manufacturers, this means shifting from labeling for compliance to enabling interaction.

Key implications:

• One code for POS, logistics, and consumer use
• Dynamic, updateable product information
• Alignment with global GS1 standards

Track & trace is increasingly a strategic tool. Unique product identities and digital histories enable full lifecycle visibility — from production to end market.

This allows companies to actively manage risk, protect their brand, and optimize operations.

Key implications:

• Counterfeit protection through authentication
• Detection of grey market activities
• Visibility across global supply chains
• Targeted recall management
• Insights into product flow and performance

Sustainability is shifting toward product-level transparency. With frameworks such as ESPR and the Digital Product Passport (DPP), products are expected to carry structured information across their entire lifecycle — from manufacturing to reuse and recycling.

At the same time, this does not automatically exclude packaging.

In many real-world applications, both products and packaging can act as carriers of information — depending on their role and lifecycle. Single-use packaging may primarily serve as an entry point to digital data, while durable or reusable assets, such as refillable containers, can become persistent identifiers within circular systems.

This shifts the perspective:

It is not about choosing between product or packaging — but about identifying the right physical touchpoint for a digital identity.

In practice, this enables companies to make circular flows visible and manageable — turning physical assets into connected, traceable elements within a system. The result is not only improved transparency, but also better planning, forecasting, and operational efficiency.

What is already clear:

Digital identification will increasingly extend across both products and packaging — wherever it creates value.

Key implications:

• Product-level identification as the foundation for lifecycle transparency (e.g. DPP)
• Packaging as an entry point or, in some cases, a persistent asset
• Opportunity to digitize and optimize circular flows
• Increased importance of standardized, interoperable data structures

2D codes also create a direct channel between manufacturers and end users. A single scan can authenticate a product, provide instructions, or deliver contextual content.

What enables this is the logic behind the code. With GS1 Digital Link, one QR code becomes a structured gateway connecting different users to different information — depending on context.

This only works within a globally standardized framework. The code must be interpreted consistently across systems, devices, and markets.

And that has consequences for production:

Codes must be applied and verified according to global standards. Print quality and readability are no longer operational details — they determine whether the code works at all.

Key implications:

• Direct customer interaction via mobile
• Context-based content through GS1 Digital Link
• Authentication and brand protection
• Global interoperability
• Scalable digital touchpoints

The idea of connected products is straightforward. The execution is not.

Because all of this depends on one crucial moment: the point where data is physically applied to the product.

Unlike static packaging elements, key information such as batch numbers, expiration dates, or serial identifiers is generated during production. This makes the production line the central point where digital and physical worlds intersect.

If this step fails, everything built on top of it becomes unreliable.

A code that cannot be read consistently is more than a visual defect — it breaks the entire data chain. Whether scanned at retail, in logistics, or by a consumer, readability is the prerequisite for every downstream application.

This is why inline verification is not an add-on, but a necessity. It ensures that every code meets defined quality standards before leaving the line.

Many production environments still treat coding and inspection as separate disciplines. In reality, this separation introduces risk: delayed feedback, inconsistent data, and complex system coordination.

An integrated approach changes that dynamic. When printing, verification, and data handling operate within a single system, they form a closed loop — detecting and correcting deviations in real time.