Stephen Gryczka, director strategy and corporate development at Markem-Imaje, explains how digital link barcodes can enhance supply chain management and help to overcome packaging obstacles
OVER the last ten years, the production and packaging landscape for consumer goods has changed. While the sector has seen phases of strong growth, businesses continue to grapple with serious obstacles —from supply shortages and rising costs to fast-changing consumer expectations and reduced spending.
With competition fiercer than ever, it’s crucial for companies to seize every opportunity to enhance efficiency, lower expenses, and strengthen brand loyalty. One solution paving the way is the next-generation 2D barcode, known as the GS1 Digital Link barcode, which offers a smarter future for consumer goods manufacturers.
Understanding barcodes
2D barcodes are graphical images capable of storing far more data than traditional UPC (1D) barcodes, which are limited to basic details like item identification and pricing. The GS1 Digital Link barcodes, a type of 2D barcode, can connect products to the internet and can host real-time data.
As global demand for greater product and brand transparency grows, manufacturers are turning to these advanced barcodes to keep pace.
By creating a digital twin of each product, they can share detailed regulatory and product data, such as nutritional facts, serial numbers, expiration dates, recycling instructions, and late-stage production details, streamlining operations and enhancing traceability and compliance.
How do barcodes help?
Improved traceability is one of the major benefits of honing data efforts. By linking each component within a final finished product, manufacturers can have a holistic view of a product’s entire history and be able to identify potential issues before they arise or take swift action once a problem is pinpointed, from the manufacturing facility to the product in a consumer’s hands.
For example, if a FMCG manufacturer notices certain product boxes are not passing end of line quality tests, they can scan the 2D barcodes to determine exactly what batches the boxes came from, when they were packed, and how many other boxes were impacted, zeroing in on certain products affected versus needing to review an entire production run.
Improved traceability also plays a critical role in addressing bottlenecks across the production process. By having access to granular data on each component’s journey through the supply chain and manufacturing stages, companies can identify precisely where delays, inefficiencies, or quality issues are occurring.
This level of insight allows for targeted interventions rather than broad, disruptive changes. In the FMCG product example, pinpointing the source of failed quality tests through barcode scanning not only helps isolate affected products but also highlights potential bottlenecks, such as a specific packaging machine or supplier batch, that may be slowing production or introducing defects, enabling faster resolution and smoother operations.
Furthermore, by integrating 2D barcode efforts with master data from enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, manufacturers can improve their data management and fully exploit information.
With consumer demand constantly shifting, influenced by social media trends and seasonal preferences, it has become difficult for manufacturers to plan inventory accurately. This challenge is compounded by data inaccuracies, poor forecasting, and unexpected supply chain disruptions. With technologies like 2D barcodes, companies can unlock opportunities and prevail in an ever-changing world.
