European Article Number or EAN is a type of barcode symbology. It is a 13 or 8-digit Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN) that helps to uniquely identify products in the market. The EAN or GTIN is provided by GS1 to companies who want to sell their products in the market. EAN and GTIN are interchangeable terms used for the same reasons, accepted all across the globe and thus imply the same meaning. GTIN is a blanket term that is used to describe GS1 numbering codes such as EAN.
Introduction
EAN plays an indispensable role in the unique identification of products and promoting a standard based supply chain. It is encoded in barcodes and is used to identify products in the global trade when they are priced, ordered, or invoiced. The main objective of having EAN on products is to easily distinguish product types, specifications, etc. specifically at the point-of-sale.
Understanding EAN Numbers
EAN is the most common barcode symbology and is accepted globally for trading products. EAN format is used and accepted in various industries like retail, FMCG, healthcare, etc. The barcodes are internationally accepted and are composed of numbers that encode information on products. Every barcode number contains four components – the country code, the company code, product code, and a check digit.
The first three digits in the barcode is the country code where the company is registered. ‘890’ is the country code of India, all the companies registered with GS1 India which is a member organisation of GS1 Global will have ‘890’ as country code. Company code is a unique identification code that is provided by GS1 India to all the companies registering with it. Product code is provided by the company itself to uniquely distinguish its products and the last component is a check digit which is calculated based on a mathematical algorithm. Check digit is vital to ensure the barcode is valid and data is correctly collected.
In all industries, they help in unique identification of products and facilitate accurate information sharing. There are two types of EAN barcodes –
EAN-8: This barcode format is used on products which have space constraints. It has 8 digits and functions the same as any other GS1 barcode.
EAN-13: The EAN-13 barcode format consists of 13 digits and is used for all other products that do not have any space restrictions.
Why EAN Number Check is Essential
It is advised to get the unique identification number from GS1. Barcodes starting with ‘890’ are the only accepted and recognised barcode formats to trade in the global market. Retailers can utilise GTIN Validation service provided by GS1 India to authenticate the product information. Retailers can simply enter the GTIN of the product to validate the product and company information.
Consumers can also check and validate information encoded in EAN using the ‘Smart Consumer’ application, available as both mobile and web applications. Consumers simply need to add the GTIN of the product into the ‘Smart Consumer’ application and all the details concerned with the product will reflect on the screen.This empowers people in their buying journey and saves them from buying products that have no information available on them.
The data available on ‘Smart Consumer’ is directly accessed through DataKart which is the national product data repository wherein manufacturers provide information themselves. It thus eliminates any data inaccuracies and provides trusted information about the product at one place.
Tips and Tricks for Efficient EAN Number Checks
EAN is always issued by a GS1 member organisation only, no other company is authorised and can issue barcodes that are unique, interoperable, structured, or standardised. In India, GS1 India is the only body to issue barcodes to companies to empower business with unique product identities. Retailers and consumers should verify by the ways mentioned above, that the product they are selling or buying has GS1 barcode on them.
GS1 barcodes are pillars to facilitating transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain. When retailers sell authentic products and source products with correct barcodes, they do their part in improving the buying journey of the end user and drive consumer trust.
Conclusion
Barcode numbers are essential in any industry for unique identification of products and provide correct information sharing. To ensure your product’s barcode remains valid all the time, barcode check is important. Business owners are encouraged to implement the ideas discussed to mitigate any future problems concerned with barcode data and maintain their product data integrity.
