Key Takeaways
This guide helps you learn the differences between barcode verification and reading, why code quality matters, and how verification affects a wide range of industries. You'll also learn about the specialized tools used for verification and the benefits they offer, like:
- Verification vs. reading: Verifiers assess code quality, while readers focus on decoding information.
- Code quality: Verification makes sure printing, readability, and compliance with ISO and GS1 standards, is accurate
- Industry applications: Used in healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and more to meet regulatory requirements.
- Verification tools: Specialized tools evaluate 1D, 2D, and DPM codes for quality and conformance.
- Benefits: Improves traceability, reduces errors, and ensures compliance with global standards.
The basics of barcode verification
Barcode verifiers evaluate 1D and 2D barcodes against guidelines set by organizations like ANSI/ISO and industry groups like GS1 and HIBCC. These standards make sure barcodes print and scan correctly, no matter where they’re used or produced.
Verification lets you confirm that barcodes will scan anywhere, with any reader, while finding and fixing errors before they disrupt operations.
Barcode verification grades barcode quality to make sure codes can be scanned anywhere, with any reader.
Why barcode verification matters
Grade barcode quality
Barcode verifiers analyze codes and assign letter or number grades (A–F or 4–0) to measure the quality of a barcode. Codes that score a C or higher are considered passing codes and 100% scannable.
Diagnose and fix errors
Verification tools find issues such as poor print quality or bad formatting using the ISO/IEC 15415, ISO/IEC 15416, and AIM DPM (ISO/IEC TR 29158) guidelines. This process helps catch and fix impassable barcode issues early in the process, preventing problems further down the line. Barcode verification software also gives information needed to improve a code to make it passable.
Verification can catch barcode issues and prevent problems down the line.
How barcode verification works
From brand owners and manufacturers, people across industries use barcodes to track products and parts from production to the point of sale. Barcode verification also guides producers throughout the marking process – providing a formal grading process, ensuring compliance with industry and regulatory requirements, and improving supply chain workflows.
Ensure readability across the supply chain
Barcode verification checks quality as codes are printed, grading parameters like contrast, clarity, and data accuracy. This is done using a barcode verifier to grade a code based on several quality parameters and measurements – making sure barcodes remain scannable throughout the supply chain.
Meet industry standards
Many regulated industries require barcode verification for compliance, including government agencies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Defense (DOD).
These industries require barcode verifiers to generate reports, certify barcode quality, and meet industry ISO standards to conform with the following guidelines:
For the defense, pharmaceutical, or medical device industries, manufacturers may be required by law to verify codes with a barcode verifier. These industries need reports to prove compliance with ISO and application standards like UDI, GS1, and UID or MIL-STD-130.
Benefits of barcode verification
Unscannable barcodes can cause serious problems like production downtime, reprints, wasted materials, product returns, and fines. Barcode verification is a solution that helps anyone printing or marking codes prevent issues from happening – improving code quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Build up customer satisfaction
Major retailers are known for issuing costly chargebacks and rejecting material that does not meet barcode readability standards. Rejected material is a serious expense that can cut into profitability and customer satisfaction. Scannable barcodes prevent rejected shipments, chargebacks, and manual entry errors. For this reason, barcode verification is essential to supply chain management.
Who needs barcode verification?
Quality assurance managers, engineers, and line technicians need barcode verification when tasked with requirements such as:
- Generate barcodes in a regulated industry like medical devices, pharmaceuticals, automotive, aerospace, packaging, retail, and printing
- Generate barcodes in a highly controlled “open system”
- Need to produce reports confirming barcode quality
Stay compliant, stay efficient
Barcode verification, as a quality control tool, is a necessity for modern supply chain management. Make sure your barcodes meet standards, avoid errors, and maintain compliance with advanced barcode verification tools.