Optimize Logistics and Inventory Management With Upc Barcodes

Are you still worried about how to accurately and quickly identify and track products? Are you confused about the differences between UPC Barcode, SKU Barcode and Shipping Barcode? 

What is UPC Barcode?

UPC Barcode, the full name of Universal Product Code, is a widely used barcode system used to uniquely identify retail products worldwide. It consists of 12 digits and is divided into three parts: manufacturer identification code, product item code and check code. It can be quickly read by devices such as scanners or smartphones, greatly improving the efficiency and accuracy of commodity circulation. It can quickly identify product information and achieve effective inventory management in the supply chain.

When to use UPC barcodes?

UPC barcodes are usually used in commodity production, wholesale and retail. It is particularly important for e-commerce sellers because it helps to identify and track products in international markets. The main advantages of UPC barcodes are their global compatibility and efficient scanning and recognition capabilities.

Main Benefits of UPC Barcodes

Product Identification: UPC uniquely identifies each product, making it easier to track and manage inventory.

Inventory Management: UPC simplifies inventory processes and reduces the risk of errors and out-of-stocks.

Sales Transactions: UPC is essential for scanning products at the point of sale (POS), which helps with efficient checkout.

Supply Chain Efficiency: UPC improves supply chain visibility and enables better tracking of products from manufacturing to consumers.

How to Get UPC Barcodes?

Creating a UPC Barcode is relatively simple, but obtaining a legal UPC number requires certain steps. Because UPC numbers are managed by GS1 (Global Standards 1 Organization) to ensure the uniqueness and legality of the barcode. In addition, UPC barcodes can also be purchased through third-party service providers, but you need to ensure the reliability of their sources.

Basic Steps to Obtain UPC Barcodes

Join GS1

First, you need to register as a member of GS1 and obtain a Company Prefix.

Assign product IDs

Assign a unique item code to each product under your company according to your business needs.

Calculate checksum

Combining the manufacturer identification code, product item code and checksum calculation rules to generate a full 12-digit UPC number.

Generate barcodes

Use professional barcode generation software or services to convert the UPC number into a scannable barcode image. After completing these steps, companies can use barcode generation software to create UPC barcode images.

How to create UPC barcodes?

To create UPC barcodes, you need to use professional barcode generation software or online tools. Enter your UPC number, select the appropriate barcode format, and then generate a barcode image. Make sure the generated barcode meets printing and scanning standards.

UPC Barcode vs SKU Barcode vs Shipping Barcode

UPC: A unique identifier for a specific product.

SKU Barcode (Stock Keeping Unit) is mainly used for internal inventory management in enterprises. It can be UPC, EAN (European Article Number) or other custom codes, which can be flexibly set according to enterprise needs. In contrast, UPC Barcode focuses more on the unique identification of goods in the market.

Unlike UPC, SKU is usually composed of letters and numbers and is not globally unique. SKU is a unique identifier for a specific product variant, such as size, color or model. SKU barcodes are mainly used for inventory management within the enterprise, while UPC barcodes are used in retail and logistics.

Shipping Barcodes are used for package tracking during the logistics process, such as the tracking number barcodes used by express companies such as UPS and FedEx, to ensure that every step of the package from shipment to receipt can be accurately recorded.

Although UPC is mainly used for product identification, SKU can be used to distinguish different versions of the same product. Shipping barcodes are specific to goods and carriers use them for tracking and delivery.

The difference between UPC and other product codes such as EAN and JAN

UPC

Mainly used in the United States and Canada, it is a 12-digit barcode.

EAN (European Article Number)

The product numbering system used in Europe has 13 digits, is a superset of UPC, and is compatible with UPC encoding.

JAN (Japanese Article Number)

The article numbering system used in Japan is similar to EAN, also 13 digits, but mainly used in the Japanese market.

Key components of UPC

Company prefix: The first six digits represent the manufacturer's unique identifier.

Product number: The next five digits indicate a specific product variant.

Check digit: The last digit acts as a validation check to ensure accuracy when scanning the barcode.

How to optimize your barcode strategy?

Unified standards: Adopt internationally accepted barcode standards (such as UPC/EAN) as much as possible to facilitate global circulation.

Internal coordination: Ensure that the mapping relationship between SKU Barcode and UPC Barcode is clear for inventory management and sales tracking.

Logistics integration: Tightly integrate Shipping Barcode with logistics system to automate order processing, packaging, delivery and tracking.

UPC barcode is an indispensable tool in e-commerce logistics. By using UPC barcode correctly, it helps to improve the accuracy of inventory management and the efficiency of logistics tracking. I hope this article can answer your doubts about UPC barcode and bring practical help to your business.

Join hands with Chinadivision to create a new chapter in logistics

Faced with complex logistics challenges, enterprises and e-commerce sellers need a reliable partner to help. As a professional supply chain management service provider, Chinadivision not only provides UPC Barcode application and generation services, but also tailors comprehensive logistics solutions for you. Whether it is inventory management, order processing or cross-border logistics, we can provide you with professional support and guidance.

Through the above content, we not only answer common questions about UPC Barcode, but also compare other related barcode systems, provide practical optimization suggestions, and encourage readers to establish contact with Chinadivision to jointly explore more efficient logistics management.