Superior to GS1 Page 3 NuEra-ID, BALLINA, AUSTRALIA

THE REASONS WHY NuEra-ID's SYSTEM OF UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION IS SIGNIFICANTLY SUPERIOR TO GS1 (Continued)

NuEra-ID's solution requires 60% less effort when applying barcodes (Continued)

Barcoding all items in a store with GS1. Consider a situation where it is decided that all items in a store will have barcodes placed upon them, regardless of whether they are serial or quantity-tracked: With the GS1 system of identification, tags and labels are printed out such that, in the case of serial-tracked items, only a specific tag or label can be used on a specific item. In performing this process, there are a number of possibilities that can be used. The first is to print out all the tags and labels before entering the store. The other is for the person, performing the task, to take with them, on a trolley, a self-powered printer or variety of printers to print tags and labels of different sizes to match the items being marked. When this latter option is chosen, the person must firstly indicate to the software the tag or label to be printed, the printer to which the print is to be sent and then wait for the tag or label to be printed. The expense, the impracticality of moving around a stores area with a trolley full of printers, tags and labels, and the time taken printing labels and tags on demand, makes this approach unacceptable. In the case of pre-printed tags and labels, the storeman must locate that item and then place the tag or label on it. As can be appreciated, unless the items to be marked are laid out in a precise order, locating them and then finding the right tag or label for each item is laborious and time-consuming. If the label is damaged or doesn't stick, a new label, with exactly the same ID has to be reprinted. Similarly, in the case of quantity-tracked items, if surplus items are found, additional tags with the same identifiers have to be printed. This, too, consumes labour and disrupts the barcoding process. If an item is found in the store that does not exist on the inventory list, it is necessary to firstly determine if it is serial or quantity tracked. If it is serial-tracked, and the serial number is not present or is unreadable, a new serial number has to be obtained from the registry maintained by the NATO stocknumber originator or from the manufacturer. It is necessary to know the NATO stocknumber or the manufacturer's part number to do this and that can be a problem4. It certainly will disrupt the process of barcoding and will cost time and money.

Barcoding all items in store with NuEra-ID. Consider now the same scenario wherein the aim is to barcode all serial and quantity tracked items in a store using NuEra-ID's system of individual identification:

A variety of tags and labels of different sizes are pre-printed, each with a different NuEra-ID identifier. (It is also possible to directly etch, print or peen a NuEra-ID identifier onto virtually any object; the identifier being represented by either a DataMatrix or QR Code barcode comprised of dots. This obviates the necessity to have tags or labels. Further to this, if the NuEra-ID identifier were to be used by all suppliers, then the goods would already come with a unique identifier, eliminating the need for the storeman to etch the item.)
The storeman goes to the first item in the store and locates it on the inventory list contained in the barcode reader. (At the Defence National Supply and Distribution Centre, NuEra-ID wrote an application, to run on barcode readers, that would locate an item from a list of 10 million items in half a second. The storeman only had to type in a string of letters that was unique to that item. Usually three letters were sufficient to locate an item in most instances.)
The storeman applies the tag or label to the item and scans the identifier's barcode, thereby “associating” that item on the inventory list with the unique identifier that has now been attached to the item. From that time onwards, whenever the item is scanned, the unique identifier will bring up that item's record on the database.
This same procedure is used in the case of quantity tracked items as well.
As the storeman performs the procedure of attaching a unique identifier to an item and scanning the barcode, the software counts down to let the user know how many more items have to be tagged. (In the case of quantity tracked items, once the item is located on the inventory list, it is not necessary to locate it again for subsequent “associative” scannings.

In the case of quantity tracked items, if more than the number of items listed in the inventory are tagged, a surplus is registered. Likewise, if less than the number listed in the inventory are tagged, a deficiency is noted. The barcoding process therefore doubles as a stocktake/stockcheck. This too saves labour.

Stockchecking whilst applying barcodes saves effort. A major motivator to implement barcoding is to reduce the labour associated with spotchecks and stocktakes. A major problem with these activities is “double-counting”, necessitating labour-wasteful, time-consuming recounts. NuEra-ID's method of individual identification for all items totally eliminates this problem; once again saving time and money. Lastly, if the storeman uncovers other items within the store that are not on the inventory list, that item may immediately be tagged and a new stores record created on the barcode reader in order that it can be brought to “ledger charge”. If at some later date, the item can be more precisely identified; the record in the database being altered accordingly. Importantly, the process of barcoding within the store is not in any way disrupted at the time the “rogue” item is discovered.

NuEra-ID's method is far more flexible in its application than GS1

Example of NuEra-ID's technology applied to Office and Household Removals. NuEra-ID's method of individual identification is far more flexible in terms of what it can be applied to than is GS1's. The best example of this can be found in the removal's industry.
A properly conducted removal requires an inventory. Before a removal, it is common practice to obtain competitive quotes. To do this, requires the construction of an inventory of all items to be moved. Even if a competitive quote is not being sought, for reasons of management of the removal process, an inventory is necessary so that there can be proper accounting of the all items.

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