Bar code clinic shows way to avoid retailer penalties

A bar code clinic – equipped with the latest verification equipment – is being sponsored at the PPMA Show by three leading bar code technology organisations to give visitors a free health check on their own bar coding quality, avoiding risk of financial penalties from retailers.

GS1 UK, the independent supply chain standards and solutions organisation, and verification specialist Axicon are joining forces with print-apply labelling machine manufacturer Logopak, and inviting visitors to bring examples of their own bar codes to the Logopak stand for a check.

“Just because a bar code scans correctly on the production line does not mean it will necessarily read correctly at every point in the supply chain,” points out Logopak sales director Howard Jagger. “Only proper verification to ISO standards will ensure that the code will perform in different supply chain conditions.”

“Claims for consequential loss from retailers for codes that fail to read correctly can be heavy,” Bob Stevenson of Axicon points out. “Pallet or case bar codes that fail to read cost retailers considerable time and effort, reflected in penalties of over £500 per item from one major store.” Jonathan Brown, GS1 UK partner programme manager, confirms that uniform bar code quality is essential to worldwide trading.

“We have over 25,000 members in the UK who use our bar codes to identify physical things such as trade items – products and services – assets, logistic units, shipments, and physical locations and relationships, parties and locations at any point in the supply chain. It is vital that we work with suppliers, retailers and other organisations to ensure that standards are created and meet consumer demand.”

* Logopak is also demonstrating its latest labelling security software, I-Validate. This checks product, case and pallet labels back against original works documentation, eliminating risk of human error and goods with incorrect or illegible labelling entering the supply chain.

Logopak International Limited

Tel: 01904 692333

Email: salesonweb@logopak.net