GS1 Standards Autumn Event 8-12 October 2012 – Dublin, Ireland Building Standards to Deliver Business Value Name of Session: RFID Bar Code Interoperability.

GS1 Standards Autumn Event8-12 October 2012 – Dublin, Ireland

Building Standards to Deliver Business Value

Name of Session: RFID Bar Code Interoperability Guideline

Time of Session: Tuesday 7.45

Who May Attend: Everyone

Speaker names: Michael SarachmanKen TraubAndrew Osborne

© 2012 GS1

Anti-Trust Caution

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GS1 and the GSMP operate under the GS1 anti-trust caution. Strict compliance with anti-trust laws is and always has been the policy of GS1.

The best way to avoid problems is to remember that the purpose of the committee is to enhance the ability of all industry members to compete more efficiently.

This means:• There shall be no discussion of prices, allocation of customers, or

products, etc. • If any participant believes the group is drifting towards an impermissible

discussion, the topic shall be tabled until the opinion of counsel can be obtained.

• The full anti-trust caution is available in the Community Room if you would like to read it in its entirety.

© 2012 GS1

Meeting Etiquette

Meetings will begin promptly at designated start times

Avoid distracting behaviour:• Place all mobile devices on silent mode• Avoid cell phones • Avoid sidebar conversations

Speak in turn and be respectful of others

Be collaborative in support of the meeting objectives

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© 2012 GS14

Agenda

• Interoperability Challenges Michael Sarachman

• Guideline Overview Ken Traub

• Benefits Andrew Osborne

• On-going Initiatives Michael Sarachman

© 2012 GS1

Background

• BarCodes & EPC Interoperability Work Group• Kicked off – November 2009

• Business Requirements Analysis Document issued August 2010

© 2012 GS1

Background – Business Requirements

• Identified 26 requirements delivered via three initiatives:• Implementation Guideline

– 6 requirements• Update EPCIS standards

– 2 requirements• GS1 company prefix length determination solution

– 7 requirements• Final 11 out of scope or previously resolved

• Guideline Objectives• Clarify encoding, decoding and handling of GS1 Keys and

attributes using BarCodes and EPC RFID

© 2012 GS17

RFID Bar Code Interoperability Guideline

• Guideline ratified 21 September 2012

• Available at GS1 Knowledge Center• RFID Bar Code Interoperability Guideline

• BarCodes & ID Keys Section

© 2012 GS18

Guideline Overview

© 2012 GS1

Guideline Scope

Point of Sale

Warehouse Management

Enterprise Resource Planning

Supply Chain Traceability

© 2012 GS1

Guideline Scope

Three Best Practices:

1. Design business-level applications, databases, and messages to be independent of the data capture method and the data carriers used.

2. Confine the use of data carrier-specific representations to the lowest levels of implementation architecture.

3. Adopt best practices for implementing translations between data carrier-specific representations and application-level representations.

© 2012 GS1

Data Carrier Independence

“Plain” GTIN and Serial Number

806141411234586789

GS1 DataMatrix Bar Code

containing GS1 Element String(01) 80614141123458

(21) 6789

Gen2 RFID Tag containing EPC Binary Encoding

3074257BF7194E4000001A85

Data Carrier-specific encoding of business data

Business data

© 2012 GS1

Application-Level Syntax

• Key concept: Use application-level syntax at the business application level (not carrier-specific syntax)

Data Capture SW

Biz App Biz DB

Right: <gtin>80614141123458</gtin> <serial>6789<serial>

Wrong: ]C10180614141123458216789

3074257BF7194E4000001A85

© 2012 GS1

Application-Level Syntax Characteristics

• Accommodates every possible value of a GS1 Identification Key without limitation, and so it is capable of representing a key read from any data carrier.

• Does not include additional information that is specific to a particular type of data carrier.

• Provides only one possible way to represent each distinct key value within the syntax. • Therefore, an application can determine whether two values

refer to the same real-world entity by a simple string comparison, with no additional normalization or parsing required

© 2012 GS1

Application-Level Syntax

Syntax What it can hold Example

“Plain” Any value of a particular GS1 Key (the context establishes which key)

80614141123458

Used in: eCOM, GDSN

GS1 Element String

Any value of any GS1 Key (or compound)

0180614141123458216789

EPC URI Any value of any identifier representing a distinct object (GS1 key or otherwise)

urn:epc:id:sgtin:0614141.812345.6789

Used in: EPCIS

© 2012 GS1

Carrier-Specific Syntax

Syntax Example Carrier-specific Aspects

Bar code scanner output

]C10180614141123458216789 Symbology identifierSame GS1 Key yields different output depending on symbology (e.g., UPC-A vs DataMatrix)

EPC Tag URI

urn:epc:tag:sgtin-96:3.0614141.812345.6789

“Filter” value and other RFID-specific controlsSize-related restrictionsSame GS1 Key yields different outputs depending on size and control info

EPC Binary Encoding

3074257BF7194E4000001A85 All of above, plus:RFID-specific binary compression

© 2012 GS1

Interoperability Principles

• Design business applications, messages, and databases to accept data from any data carrier• accept the full range of data values defined by GS1 Standards;

do not carry data carrier-specific restrictions to this level

• Business applications, messages, and databases should only use application-level syntax:• “Plain” key• GS1 Element String• EPC URI

© 2012 GS1

Serial Number Issues

• Leading zeros can lead to errors:• 7, 07, and 007 are all different serial numbers according to GS1 Gen Specs• But some applications don’t respect this

– MS Excel is a well-known example; it treats a GS1 serial number as an ordinary number

• Avoid the problem by not assigning leading zeros

• Variable-length serial number leads to variation in bar code size• QA and packaging design often rely on fixed size symbols• Avoid the problem by assigning a fixed-length serial

• 96-bit RFID tags are limited in serial number capacity• Avoid the problem by staying within allowed range

• Putting it together, the most interoperable serial number allocation policy is:• 10000000000 – 99999999999; or• 100000000000 – 274877906943

• But applications should accept any valid serial number and never add or remove leading zeros

© 2012 GS1

Architecture

Filtering & Collection Engine

Enterprise-level Applications

LLRP Interface

ALE Interface

EPCIS Capture Interface

Bar Code Scanner Output

Data Capture Application

Various app-specific InterfacesHuman

Interfaces

RFID Reader

RFID Air Interface

RFID Tag

Bar Code Symbology

Bar Code

EPCIS Query Interface

eCOM (GS1 XML / EANCOM) Interface

GDSN Interface

To/from external parties

Data Capture WorkflowCarrier-specific

Application-level

Principle: Confine the use of data carrier-specific representations to the lowest possible level in the architecture

© 2012 GS1

Translations

TDS §7Pure Identity EPC URI

urn:epc:id:sgtin:0614141.812345.6789

GS1 Element String0180614141123458216789

“Plain” Key80614141123458

6789

Bar Code Reader Output]C10180614141123458216789

Printed Bar Code

EPC Tag URIurn:epc:tag:sgtin-96:3.0614141.812345.6789

EPC Binary Encoding in RFID Tag3074257BF7194E4000001A85

Length of GS1 Company Prefix needed in this

direction

Bar CodeSpecific

RFID Specific

Application-level Syntax

Business Applications

Data Capture Facilities

GS §3, §5.10.2

GS §7.9

GS §5, ISO SpecsTDS §14

TDS §12

© 2012 GS1

Guideline Scope

Three Best Practices:

1. Design business-level applications, databases, and messages to be independent of the data capture method and the data carriers used.

2. Confine the use of data carrier-specific representations to the lowest levels of implementation architecture.

3. Adopt best practices for implementing translations between data carrier-specific representations and application-level representations.

© 2012 GS121

Member Organization View

© 2012 GS1

This is the UK

© 2012 GS1

GS1 UK

• Established in 1976

• Independent, neutral, not for profit association

• ~ 55 (FTE) staff based in central London

• >26,000 members

• 2011/12 turnover of approx £8m

(~€10m)

© 2012 GS1

In Principle

• Carrier Independence• RFID/ Bar code co-existence• Seamless transition• Application level syntax• One system not two: correcting perceptions

© 2012 GS1

From GS1 “House”

Common Identifiers: GTIN, GLN, GRAI, GSRN, SSCC, GIAI, GDTI

Attribute data: eg Best before date, Deliver to location, batch number……

Improving efficiency & visibility in supply and demand chains

The Global Language of Business

Global standards for item identification

Global standards for electronic business

messaging

Global Standards for global data synchronisation

Global Standards for RFID-based identification

Global & Local ServicesGlobal Standards Management Process, Global Registry, Learn….

Help desk, events, facilitation, training guides and publications…

Representation, community adoption….

Data Pool, Quality Assurance Services…..

GS1 SolutionsPoint of Sale, Inventory Mgt, Asset Mgt, Collaborative Planning, Traceability

© 2012 GS1

To GS1 System Architecture

© 2012 GS1

Demand for the Document

• Overwhelming?• Real?

© 2012 GS1

Our small members

© 2012 GS1

GS1 UK Solution Provider Programme

• Strategy development• Thought leadership

GS1 UK Strategic Partner

• Drive adoption of GS1 standards-enabled solutions and services

• Develop and grow new market opportunities• Implement industry deployment programmes

GS1 UK Industry Partner

• Support adoption of GS1 standards-enabled solutions and services

GS1 UK Solution

Associate

© 2012 GS1

GS1 UK Solution Provider Programme

• Industry recognition and status• Agreed common strategic goals and supporting

programmes• Approval from the GS1 UK Supervisory Board

GS1 UK Strategic Partner

• Mutually beneficial objectives• Accreditation in at least one area of GS1 standards• GS1 UK Certified Solution

GS1 UK Industry Partner

• Accreditation in at least one area of GS1 standards

GS1 UK Solution

AssociateAll members must adhere to GS1 UK core values and principles as detailed in the GS1 UK Partner Programme Code of Practice

© 2012 GS1

Summary

• Based on principles• Grounded in reality• Practical advice

© 2012 GS132

Ongoing Initiatives

© 2012 GS133

Company Prefix Solution

• Project launched August 2012

• Objectives• Develop and launch tool that enables smooth interoperability • Support applications not continually connected to Internet

© 2012 GS1

GS1 Company Prefix length determination

• Provide a software tool to end-users that extracts the GS1 company prefix (and its length) given any string that begins with a GS1 company prefix

GCP, Item Ref.and Check Digit

061414107346

or

(01)10614141073464

Parsing Tool(available

to end users)works offline

0614141

Length = 7

GCP lengthsummary file

Periodic check for updates using GEPIR

(internet connection required)

Receive updates

© 2012 GS1

GCP Range Solution

GS1 Member Organizations

GS1 Global Office

Solution Provider

End User

End User

MOs send GCP range data to GO

GO collects GCP range data and compiles single file

GCP Range file published to Internet

End users & solution providers download file

© 2012 GS136

GCP Tool Project Update

• Status• Project team formed & meeting bi-weekly• Requirements developed – drafting functional specifications

• Next Steps• Prepare pilot program

– Collect and consolidate GCP ranges from 5 to 8 MOs– 2-3 Solution Providers test GCP length programs using pilot data table– Publish pilot report in December 2012

• Plan ongoing system development and testing

• Contacts for more information• Henri Barthel• Michael Sarachman

© 2012 GS1

GS1 Standards Spring EventDallas, TX, USA

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Save the date! 18-22 March 2013

© 2012 GS1

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