Page 55 - Packaging News Mar-Apr 2020

March-April 2020 | www.packagingnews.com.au | CODING & MARKING
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The upside of 2D
Development of data-embedded codes continues, aiming to improve their benefits for Australian supply chains, with Woolworths and Matthews part of the industry working group.
Dingley says benefits of 2D codes include: enhanced product identification; data can be embed- ded into one compact symbol; the globally unique product ID replaces the national solution for variable measure items; improved traceabil- ity; faster and more accurate recalls; product authentication; a safer sup- ply chain; and less food wastage because it’s easy to identify when products are going to be out of stock.
There are two types of 2D codes: QR codes and Datamatrix.
Dingley explains: “As already men- tioned, brands use QR codes to com- municate with consumers in say competitions and promotions, where the consumer uses their smart device to scan the QR code, and the relevant application deciphers the code and takes action, such as connecting to a webpage. Made up of square mod- ules, Datamatrix codes are read by 2D imaging scanners or vision systems and are popular for marking small items such as fresh produce.”
Dingley says last year Woolworths launched a trial in partnership with GS1 Australia, after trials in Thailand, Germany, and Belgium.
“To date, the work that Woolworths and Matthews are doing as part of the GS1 industry working group has proved good grounding for greater supply-chain application,” he says.
Woolworths has said it would work with industry bodies and suppliers to develop a phased roll out plan to ensure more suppliers can adopt the new technologies. ■
CROSS-INDUSTRY collaboration in projects to develop better data access is vital in achieving deep benefits for the entire supply chain, according to Mark Dingley, CEO of intelli- gent identification specialist
Matthews Australasia.
“The information shared between
Woolworths as a major retailer, us as a developer of ID technologies, along with other entities including GS1, means we can collectively develop leading-edge standards, guidelines and solutions that benefit not just one or two companies, but the Australian manufacturing industry and therefore, the economy as a whole,” Dingley says.
WHY 2D CODES?
Two-dimensional (2D) barcodes have many benefits and advantages over one-dimensional (1D) codes, includ- ing capacity and use, Dingley says.
“2D codes save valuable ‘packag- ing real estate’ because they can store more information and more charac- ter types in a smaller space than 1D codes. Another benefit is that they
can be more tolerant of print-quality fluctuations than 1D barcodes.”
2D codes, he says, also come with built-in error checking systems, meaning that if a code is damaged, it has more redundancy to still be read compared with a damaged 1D code.
ADVANCEMENTS
While 2D codes have been around for a while, they are mainly associ- ated with a quick response (QR) code for consumer engagement.
“Many Australian manufacturers probably aren’t aware of the full capabilities of 2D barcodes, let alone how they can add value to their business and processes, because most food and beverage suppliers rely on 1D codes, such as the EAN13 barcode, to identify products at retail POS,” Dingley says
“However, last year Woolworths announced it was going to trial GS1 data-embedded 2D barcodes with some meat and poultry suppliers in a handful of stores from August 2019, to help reduce product recall, food waste, sales of expired prod- ucts and to improve traceability.”
Woolworths launched a trial of GS1 data- embedded 2D barcodes in a few stores from August 2019, to help reduce food waste and improve safety, traceability
and stock management.
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