The deadline for moving to new barcode systems has been pushed back four years as global retailers drag their feet
The deadline for moving to new barcode systems has been pushed back four years as global retailers drag their feet on the upgrade.
The GS1 DataBar, declared the next-generation barcode, was to be adopted by 2010, but retail supply chain players now have until 2014 to change their systems for the new barcodes.
GS1 Australia CEO Maria Palazzolo says while Australia has embraced the change other countries are moving slower.
“While GS1 Australia has been working with major retail chains for the past few years to ensure that their scanning systems are ready for the new barcodes, at global level retailers in many countries are not yet ready,” she says.
The decision by the GS1 General Assembly allows early adopter nations to move ahead but provides up to four more years for adoption in all other countries, Palazzolo says.
Retailers who have started GS1 DataBar programs, particularly fresh food pilots, can continue with no interruption. Retailers who have agreements in place or wish to set up new bilateral agreements with their trading partners using GS1 DataBar standards by 2010 can also proceed as planned.
The new DataBar allows marking on small, hard-to-mark items like loose produce and can provide new barcode information like weight or date codes.
It is already in wide-scale implementation in North American groceries and is being piloted in Europe and Asia.
By 2014 the GS1 standards, including attribute information such as batch number and expiry date, can be used by all trading partners in an open environment.
At a minimum, retailers should be able to scan a GS1 DataBar and process a global trade item number (GTIN) to the database by 2014.
While most scanners purchased in the past three years should be capable of reading DataBar, retailers are being urged to continue their program to update their scanning capabilities.
Free GS1 DataBar test cards are available from GS1 Australia and free information sessions are being held in Sydney (April 21 and September 10), Melbourne (May 5 and September 3) and Brisbane (October 13) for retailers who need to find out more about GS1 DataBar. Further information is available from GS1 Australia on 1300 366 033.