Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

What is a bar code

A bar code is a way of representing a series of numbers of letters. If you learned Morse code in scouts, you already know one bar code. There are many different kinds of bar codes, but most of them, like Morse code, represent each character by a different combination of wide and narrow (short and long) bars. Unlike Morse code, bar codes usually carry information in the white space between bars, as well as in the black bars. Another way to think of a bar code is like a font. Each character is represented by some dark shapes on a light background. In the case of bar codes, the shapes have no relationship to the familiar letters and numbers; they are chosen for ease of recognition by an optical device, instead of by human.

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What are the different kinds of bar codes

The most common codes, called symbologies, are UPC, Code 39, and Interleaved 2 of 5. A great deal of time is wasted by committees assigned to choose a corporate standard symbology. There is no one symbology that is "the right one" for an organization. Each one has different advantages and disadvantages, and the choice should be based on the details of the application. Any modern bar code scanner can automatically recognize and decode all the common symbologies.

Every one is familiar with UPC. It is the common bar code used in retail trade. Its advantage is standardization, in a form that allows many organizations throughout the world to interpret the same data. UPC has numerous disadvantages that keep it from being applied in other uses. It can only record numbers, not letters. UPC and its variants, such as EAN, can only record certain lengths of numbers. It only uses space efficiently if you want to record that same length of data it wants record.

The most common industrial bar code symbology is Code 39. It is sometimes called Code 3 of 9, because each character is represented by 9 bars, of which 3 are wide and 6 are narrow. A Code 39 bar code can represent a mixture of letters and numbers, and even some special characters. There is enough redundancy in each character to make scanning accurate and fast. For additional reliability, a check digit can be added in some applications, to be verified by the scanner. Code 39 is not very efficient in use of space. A typical density is 6 characters per inch. Higher densities are possible, but are more demanding of both the printing and the scanning equipment. A Code 39 bar code can be any length, limited only by the available space.

Interleaved 2 of 5, or I 2 of 5, is very compact code. The sacrifice is that it can only record numbers. Odd positioned digits are represented by the black bars, and even positioned digits are represented by the white spaces between the bars. An I 2 of 5 bar code must represent a number of even length. It is possible to scan only part of an I 2 of 5 bar code and get something that looks like a valid result, so scanners are often programmed to accept only a certain length, thus ensuring that the whole bar code gets scanned.

There are several two-dimensional bar code symbologies, which can store large quantities of data in a small area are, however, they slow to scan, and most printers and scanners lack the ability to handle them. In most applications, it is possible to avoid the need for large quantities of data in the bar code, and thus avoid the need for two-dimensional bar codes. For example, the bar code might contain a short identifier that is a link to a larger body of information in the computer's database.

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How can CheckMate and bar codes save me money?

A CheckMate system and bar codes can save you money in many ways:


More Timely Information

Information must be timely to be valuable. While with manual data collection there are delays in making the data available, data scanned from bar codes can be available almost instantly. Information can be kept completely current at all times. This supports strategies such as Just-in-Time and Total Quality Management.

Increased Accuracy

Studies have shown that with manually collected data the substitution error rate--the percentage of errors that creep in during data collection--is 1 in 300 characters. With automated data collection, users can reasonably expect an error rate less than 1 in 3 million characters.

Lower Fixed Labor Costs

Automated data collection eliminates time-consuming manual data entry.

Greater accuracy saves managers the trouble of deciphering erroneously entered data.

More accurate data reduces administrative time wasted correcting errors.

Reduced Inventory Costs

More accurate physical inventory allows better inventory management. One source has estimated that the annual cost of carrying inventory amounts to at least 25 percent of average inventory value. Better data can help users to avoid both inefficient excess inventories and damaging shortages.

Intangible Improvements to Income

More satisfied customers are the result of better information and better service. Automation increases the accuracy of shipping and billing by reducing the errors and delays resulting from faulty data. More accurate information provides a better basis for accurate bidding and pricing.

Greater Competitiveness

Your competition may have a sophisticated data collection system that allows them to respond better to customer needs and at less cost. Such a competitive advantage can result in loss of market share for you.

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How do I get a UPC number for my product?

The short answer is, in the USA call 1-937-435-3870, the Uniform Code Council. Outside the USA, contact the equivalent organization for your country.

If you want to know more about it before you call, read on.

UPC (Universal Product Code) numbers are controlled in the USA by the Uniform Code Council in Dayton, Ohio. The system is designed to avoid letting two manufacturers happen to market products with identical codes. The left half of a UPC code includes a company number, which is issued by the Uniform Code Council. The right half is then up to the manufacturer to assign at will. Other countries use similar systems managed by corresponding organizations.

For a small fee, the Uniform Code Council will issue you a company number and send you a packet of information about how to use it. Generally, the printing of the bar code is part of the art design of your product's packaging. Once you have the entire UPC code worked out, the company that prints your packaging should know how to get it into bar code form.

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What support can we get?

You pick up the phone and dial our number. (E-mail is OK up to a point, but sooner or later we need to talk.)

Our sales consultant answers your questions about us and asks you to describe your application.

If there is a good fit between our software and your need, the software consultant outlines the combination of hardware, software, and services that is appropriate. If there is not a good fit, he tells you.

The consultant follows up with a detailed quote.

Your management enthusiastically signs off on the quote and sends it to purchasing.

Our programmers carry out any customization included in the package. Our technical staff assembles and tests the hardware and software.

At this point there are two possibilities.


You call us whenever you need us. The software price includes one year of telephone support.

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What is the procedure for the Federal buyers?

Federal buyers can buy Intermec hardware from ESSI using EC America's GSA contract. The contract number is GS-35F-0414K. This is an IDIQ MAS type contract, in effect from May 18, 2000 until May 31, 2007. To use this contract, the order should be directed to:

                        EC America
                        c/o EDP System Services, Inc.
                        19905 Scriber Lake Rd, Suite 201
                        Lynnwood, WA 98036

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