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The future of coding

The advent of bar codes 30-odd years ago indelibly changed supply chains. Today, technology advances are not so radical, but the data they can offer a company can radically change how that company understands its business.

Matthews’ Identification Systems group (IDS) manager Mark Dingley, describes changes now in marking and coding as an “evolution”, rather than a “revolution”.

“Changes now increasingly facilitate integration and ease of use of equipment, ensuring different points of information application are co-ordinated. For instance, inputting information at a central point, ensures a seamless, accurate information matrix, and eliminates the possibility of human error on the production line.

“Many other benefits also flow from all devices being linked back to a central PC via Ethernet cable or wireless — and such devices can include primary coding equipment, primary scan or database lookups, generic carton coding gear, SSCC label printers and so on. Code formats can be downloaded to all devices, with all equipment set up with one action, from the same database.

“EPC – or RFID – is another area where we are seeing incremental change. The development of smart labels, for instance, and improvements within that technology, have seen their applications expand.

“For example, at Auspack 2001, Matthews demonstrated an RFID Label Print and Apply machine on our stand – Australia’s first RFID-ready printer. At the time, RFID ‘smart labels’ cost $5US each, and there was precious little interest in this technology for FMCG applications. A year later at Interpack 2002 in Germany, scouring 15 exhibition halls revealed one solitary stand displaying a smart label – the only item related to RFID – and it was locked behind glass!

“Step forward to 2004, and at Pack Expo in Chicago, an entire exhibition hall was dedicated to RFID; while at the most recent Interpack, hundreds of companies exhibited their RFID solutions.

Dingley goes on to explain that “The length of time this technology has been in the market naturally has its associated downward impact on cost. They no longer cost $5US each, which also aids in technology uptake. Due to strong demand, we recently ran a series of live demonstrations of our EPC/RFID solutions, including our fully integrated IDSnet ‘RFID-ready’ software solution.

“Pleasingly, because this is what we have always pushed, businesses are increasingly looking to these systems for the business intelligence they offer, not just for compliance. Evolution in middleware, which Matthews constantly researches, helps here too.”

Knowledge gains also expand application breadth.

“Knowing that businesses need to fully integrate their production line to their ERP systems, allows them to extract the key value from EPC.”

But don’t think bar codes are dying – far from it.

“New application areas for bar coding are most certainly still evolving,” Mark says. “Until relatively recently, most supply chain applications of bar codes had been confined to the long-life and dry goods area. Now there’s a focus on chilled and dairy products to adopt bar code identification standards for logistics and traded unit items, which have now been in place for many years within the long life food and consumer goods sector.”

Other bar code evolutions include 2D bar coding, which allows more information to be encoded on a much smaller physical area. A good application here is with small container items, where there’s the possibility to provide increased detailed data – say of ingredients in the case of pharmaceutical products.

“Matthews also works closely with GS1 to add more value in delivering innovative supply-chain solutions to members, industry and government organisations,” continues Mark. “In recent years, we have been delivering innovative implementations of the EAN.UCC system protocols – such as interfacing with major ERP systems to gather critical real-time data to use on SSCC pallet-labelling stations. GS1 has told us it sees what we are doing here as a practical application of higher-level logistics solutions.

“Our alliance with both GS1 and the Automatic Data Capture Association support our industry awareness of bar coding and what is required to deliver innovative solutions, so we’re at the leading edge of bar coding.

“We’ve also found that our research into middleware drives our work. The future of coding will be in that: the software, the automation, the engineering, the overall installation – all this enables turnkey capability. And that, allows coding to be the gateway to global commerce, through data synchronisation and information flow.”

For more information contact:

Matthews Intelligent Identification

1800 333 074

info@matthews.com.au

www.matthews.com.au

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