Traceability: On bar code’s 40th birthday, experts calling for change

The bar code turned 40 this year, but many are calling for it to be retired as supply chain management and label traceability needs evolve.

In 1974, the first retail product was sold with a bar code attached, though it took several years for the technology to catch on. According to The Globe and Mail, the bar code was even protested by some consumers, followed by becoming a symbol for anti-establishment artists and critics. 

However, by the early 90's these concerns, if not the criticism, faded, and today millions of bar codes are scanned across the planet before lunch time.

"Today, that bar code on the back [of a product] is one of the most trusted marks in the world," said Art Smith, the chief executive officer of GS1 Canada, according to the news source.

However, the bar codes versatility is limited, and not much more can be done with it beyond its current uses.

In order to bring supply chain management and product traceability to new standards, many companies are turning to RFID and QR codes to replace bar codes, due to the expanse of information they can provide about a product beyond the 2-dimensional code from the 70's. As GS1 and other global standards groups explore new product labeling solutions, it is important for businesses to keep up with trends that will boost consumer trust and brand reputations. Migrating away from the bar code to solutions that can offer detailed information when scanned allows these efforts to be realized more easily, and GS1 has begun exploring these opportunities.

The migration from bar codes to more advanced labeling standards has already begun, it's time to keep up.

Source: http://enterpriselabeling.com/on-bar-codes-40th-birthday-experts-calling-for-change/