From Barcode to Electronic Code
Start date: January 2004
Target completion: July 2004
Project status: Completed
Business Brief
The EAN.UCC barcode is the foundation of global product numbering systems and steps are currently being taken through the Global Commerce Initiative to achieve global data synchronisation around EAN.UCC standards.
New technologies offer the potential for fundamental change in product identification systems and substantial efficiency gains in business processes. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is the most promising of the new technologies and supply chain partners have already made commitments to its use throughout the supply chain. This technology offers radio frequency enabled microchips containing a unique electronic product code (or epc) on pallets, cases and individual products. Industry-wide implementation will permit identification of trade units and individual items across the supply chain without human intervention.
Open global standards are required to enable the optimum use of the technology. A new company, EPCglobal Inc, a joint venture of UCC and EAN International, has been formed to develop such standards and promote their adoption.
The Global Commerce Initiative (GCI) in conjunction with IBM Consulting has produced the 'EPC Roadmap'. This document, published in October 2003, draws on the learnings of early adopters to provide a practical framework for organisations to utilise in their knowledge gathering, architecture design, testing, and potential deployment of EPC technology at multiple levels. The roadmap also outlines an industry action plan that can be utilised by countries or regions at an industry or trade association level to remove barriers and accelerate the adoption of EPC technology by individual organisations.
In response to the actions of some privacy groups guidelines outlining how organisations should communicate with consumers over their use of EPC technology have been developed. These guidelines are, like the technology itself, evolving and will be subject to change as consumer knowledge and awareness of EPC increases or other issues arise. The guidelines will be administered and updated by EPCglobal.
The future competitiveness of Australasian companies depends on their access to, and adoption of, global epcs in the manufacture and distribution of their products.
Project Team
Board sponsor: John Bower
Project Manager: Samantha Blake
Project consultants: Accenture