Barcode Systems Used in Traceability

In today's rapidly digitalising world, barcode systems have become indispensable for enhancing efficiency in production and logistics processes, ensuring product traceability, and streamlining operations.

The history of barcode technology began in 1948 with the development of the first optical scanning system by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver. The first barcode scanner was used in a U.S. supermarket in 1974, marking the beginning of widespread commercial adoption. In Turkey, barcode technology was first implemented in 1988.

Commonly Used Barcode Systems

• EAN-8 / EAN-13: Small and retail products — globally used for product identification.
• UPC-A / UPC-E: Widely used in the United States for retail product identification.
• Code 39 / Code 128: Industrial applications, logistics — support alphanumeric characters with variable-length data.
• QR Code: Mobile payments, product information — high data capacity, fast reading.
• Data Matrix: Electronic components, pharmaceuticals — stores large amounts of data in small spaces.
• PDF417: Identification cards, travel documents — capable of encoding large datasets.
• ITF (Interleaved 2 of 5): Carton boxes and logistics — high reading speed and accuracy.
• GS1-128: Logistics, transportation, warehousing — high data capacity with application identifiers.
• Aztec Code: Travel documents, mobile ticketing — fast reading with robust error correction.
• MaxiCode: Package tracking — primarily used by UPS for fast logistics scanning.
• GS1 DataBar Expanded: Fresh produce, variable-weight products — encodes serial numbers, lot numbers and expiry dates.
• Pharmacode: Pharmaceutical industry — used for error detection in drug packaging.

The barcode technologies we extensively use in our traceability solutions are critical for ensuring products are traceable at every step from production to consumption.