1. GS1 Standards Autumn Event 8-12 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 Sarachman Ken Traub Andrew Osborne

2. Anti-Trust Caution
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.

3. 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

4. Agenda Interoperability Challenges Michael Sarachman
Guideline Overview Ken Traub
Benefits Andrew Osborne
On-going Initiatives Michael Sarachman

5. Background BarCodes & EPC Interoperability Work Group
Kicked off – November 2009
Business Requirements Analysis Document issued August 2010

6. 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

7. RFID Bar Code Interoperability Guideline
Guideline ratified 21 September 2012
Available at GS1 Knowledge Center
RFID Bar Code Interoperability Guideline
BarCodes & ID Keys Section

8. Guideline Overview

9. Guideline Scope Enterprise Resource Planning Warehouse Management
Supply Chain Traceability
Point of Sale

10. Guideline Scope Three Best Practices:
Design business-level applications, databases, and messages to be independent of the data capture method and the data carriers used.
Confine the use of data carrier-specific representations to the lowest levels of implementation architecture.
Adopt best practices for implementing translations between data carrier-specific representations and application-level representations.

11. Data Carrier Independence
“Plain” GTIN and Serial Number
Business data
GS1 DataMatrix Bar Code containing GS1 Element String
(01) (21) 6789
Gen2 RFID Tag containing EPC Binary Encoding
BF7194E A85
Data Carrier-specific encoding of business data

12. Application-Level Syntax
Key concept: Use application-level syntax at the business application level (not carrier-specific syntax)
Right:
<gtin> </gtin> <serial>6789<serial>
Wrong: ]C
BF7194E A85
Biz App
Biz DB
Data Capture SW

13. 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

14. Application-Level Syntax
What it can hold
Example
“Plain”
Any value of a particular GS1 Key (the context establishes which key)
Used in: eCOM, GDSN
GS1 Element String
Any value of any GS1 Key (or compound)
EPC URI
Any value of any identifier representing a distinct object (GS1 key or otherwise)
urn:epc:id:sgtin:
Used in: EPCIS

15. Carrier-Specific Syntax
Example
Carrier-specific Aspects
Bar code scanner output ]C
Symbology identifier
Same GS1 Key yields different output depending on symbology (e.g., UPC-A vs DataMatrix)
EPC Tag URI
urn:epc:tag:sgtin-96:
“Filter” value and other RFID-specific controls
Size-related restrictions
Same GS1 Key yields different outputs depending on size and control info
EPC Binary Encoding
BF7194E A85
All of above, plus:
RFID-specific binary compression

16. 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

17. 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:
– ; or –
But applications should accept any valid serial number and never add or remove leading zeros

18. Enterprise-level Applications Filtering & Collection Engine
Architecture
Principle: Confine the use of data carrier-specific representations to the lowest possible level in the architecture
EPCIS Query Interface
To/from external parties
eCOM (GS1 XML / EANCOM) Interface
GDSN Interface
Enterprise-level Applications
EPCIS Capture Interface
Human Interfaces
Various app-specific Interfaces
Data Capture Application
Application-level
Data Capture Workflow
Carrier-specific
ALE Interface
Filtering & Collection Engine
Bar Code Scanner Output
LLRP Interface
RFID Reader
RFID Air Interface
Bar Code Symbology
RFID Tag
Bar Code

19. Translations TDS §7 Pure Identity EPC URI GS1 Element String
urn:epc:id:sgtin:
GS1 Element String
“Plain” Key
Bar Code Reader Output ]C
Printed Bar Code
EPC Tag URI
urn:epc:tag:sgtin-96:
EPC Binary Encoding in RFID Tag
BF7194E A85
Length of GS1 Company Prefix needed in this direction
Bar Code Specific
RFID Specific
Application-level Syntax
Business Applications
Data Capture Facilities
GS §3, §5.10.2
GS §7.9
GS §5, ISO Specs
TDS §14
TDS §12
Printer-specific commands

20. Guideline Scope Three Best Practices:
Design business-level applications, databases, and messages to be independent of the data capture method and the data carriers used.
Confine the use of data carrier-specific representations to the lowest levels of implementation architecture.
Adopt best practices for implementing translations between data carrier-specific representations and application-level representations.

21. Member Organization View

22. This is the UK

23. 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) 23

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

25. From GS1 “House” The Global Language of Business
Improving efficiency & visibility in supply and demand chains
GS1 Solutions
Point of Sale, Inventory Mgt, Asset Mgt, Collaborative Planning, Traceability
Global standards for item identification
Global standards for electronic business
messaging
Global Standards for global data synchronisation
Global Standards for RFID-based identification
Common Identifiers: GTIN, GLN, GRAI, GSRN, SSCC, GIAI, GDTI
Attribute data: eg Best before date, Deliver to location, batch number……
Global & Local Services
Global Standards Management Process, Global Registry, Learn….
Help desk, events, facilitation, training guides and publications…
Representation, community adoption….
Data Pool, Quality Assurance Services….. 25

26. To GS1 System Architecture

27. Demand for the Document
Overwhelming?
Real?

28. Our small members

29. GS1 UK Solution Provider Programme
GS1 UK Strategic Partner
Strategy development
Thought leadership
GS1 UK Industry Partner
Drive adoption of GS1 standards-enabled solutions and services
Develop and grow new market opportunities
Implement industry deployment programmes
GS1 UK Solution Associate
Support adoption of GS1 standards-enabled solutions and services
At Strategic Partner Level, we will be working with organisations that won’t necessarily be commercial entities. These could be the likes of Cambridge and Cranfield University, the DoH etc. At this level of partnership the focus will be on strategic development of industry requirements and shaping our standards for the future.
The next tier is GS1 UK Industry partner and this will replace the current “solution partner” level. As an Industry Partner, we will work proactively with you. There will be clear alignment with what we are doing within our Industry Programmes, in our key focal sectors, i.e Healthcare, Retail and Food Service. We will tell you more about our industry programmes later so you are clear on what our plans are for this year.
Solution Associates will replace the current Solution Provider level and this tier of the programme is more applicable if you are not working in our focal sectors or have no alignment in your commercial strategy with our industry programmes for this year.

30. GS1 UK Solution Provider Programme
GS1 UK Strategic Partner
Industry recognition and status
Agreed common strategic goals and supporting programmes
Approval from the GS1 UK Supervisory Board
GS1 UK Industry Partner
Mutually beneficial objectives
Accreditation in at least one area of GS1 standards
GS1 UK Certified Solution
GS1 UK Solution Associate
All members must adhere to GS1 UK core values and principles as detailed in the GS1 UK Partner Programme Code of Practice

31. Summary
Based on principles
Grounded in reality
Practical advice

32. Ongoing Initiatives

33. Company Prefix Solution
Project launched August 2012
Objectives
Develop and launch tool that enables smooth interoperability
Support applications not continually connected to Internet

34. 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 or
(01)
Parsing Tool (available to end users) works offline
Length = 7
GCP length summary file
Periodic check for updates using GEPIR (internet connection required)
Receive updates

35. GCP Range Solution GCP Range file published to Internet
MOs send GCP range data to GO
GO collects GCP range data and compiles single file
End users & solution providers download file

36. 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

37. GS1 Standards Spring Event Dallas, TX, USA
Save the date!
18-22 March 2013
GS1 Standards Spring Event Dallas, TX, USA
Hosted by

38. Community feedback drives our continual improvement!
There are three types surveys:
1. Individual Session Surveys - Please complete the hard copy satisfaction survey at the end of each working group session. Your group leader will provide it to you.
You might win a Kindle eReader!
2. Overall Event Survey – All attendees will receive an on Friday to rate your overall satisfaction of the event.
3. Knowledge Center Usability Test
Visit the GS1 Registration Desk to participate
You might win a Google Nexus Tablet! 38

39. Contact Details GS1 Global Office Avenue Louise 326, bte 10
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium T W