Barcode Test LLC is built on the people who come to us and the questions they ask. Although the questions are not all the same, there are common themes. Beyond the specifics, the overarching themes are confusion, overwhelm, frustration, and fear. I am deeply familiar with these themes, and as a younger person, I sometimes added embarrassment to the equation. Not helpful.

An older person may remember with compassion. Those themes can be painful, but they are also opportunities to learn. That is our mission. Here are some recent encounters.

 

 

Questions from a printer. Our customer says they are having problems with their barcodes, but we printed them exactly as they specified. How do we resolve this?

The solution begins with another question.  Do you want to solve the barcode problem, or do you want to determine who is responsible? If you and your customer are partners with a common goal, the barcode is a problem you share. Focus on the solution, learn together, and move forward.

Questions from a brand owner. The barcodes from one of our label vendors work fine, but the exact same label from our other label vendor doesn’t. What’s wrong?

The solution always begins with the verification reports. If two different verifier brands are involved, it gets more complicated, but not impossible to sort. Start with what’s known:

  • Confirm that the two labels appear to be identical—same barcode?
  • Did both vendors print from the same barcode design file?
  • What ISO parameters are different? Obviously, they differ—but how?

The responses should resolve the mystery.

Questions about verifier discrepancies. Company A has an XYZ verifier and Company B has an ABC verifier, and they disagree. Which one do you trust?

Egos and emotions are unhelpful in this situation. The worst possible solution is a “second opinion” from a smartphone, the idea being “..we’ll believe the verifier that the smartphone agrees with.”  Smartphones can read almost anything but tell you nothing about ISO standards compliance. Without that, the liability is all yours.

Questions We Ask.

Oh yes, when we test barcodes for a client, we ask a lot of questions too. And not just when there are problems with the barcode. There are important questions to be resolved even when the barcode works perfectly.  Here are some recent ones.

Questions to a Medical Device Manufacturer. You send us primary packaging labels and secondary packaging labels to test, but the barcodes are all the same size. Are you aware that the .0100” squares in the Data Matrix barcodes on your primary labels are too small for your secondary labels?

One client confirmed that their customer had specified these settings. Other clients were unaware of these settings and determined to check with their customers.

Questions about Barcode Discrepancies. Here are some questions we ask clients, when seemingly identical barcodes get different verification grades:

  • Did you notice that the print gain in the passing barcodes is much lower than in the failing barcodes?
  • Did you notice that the barcodes on some of your medical device labels have encoded the parentheses around the Application Identifiers?
  • Your GTIN12 (UPC) barcode passes all of the ISO parameters but gets a failing symbol grade. Did you notice that it is smaller than the 80% minimum magnification?

At the end of the day, it’s always all about questions. Your questions and comments are welcome. Contact us here.

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3db Barcode Testimonial

Our company (an advanced software company) recently worked with Barcode Test to source a barcode verifier.  Not long ago, we were awarded a contract requiring products to be marked with IUIDs in accordance with MIL-STD-130.  For that standard, marking labels must pass a verification test that evaluates many variables (contrast, size, clarity, syntax, modularity, and more).  After a thorough search, we reduced our options to a select few.

In our search for a verifier, the Axicon line caught our attention.  Barcode Test is our regional reseller for this product.   From the beginning, they were very prompt with their responses.  We ended up having a quick call with John Nachtrieb to go over our needs.  John was extremely easy to work with and provided a lot of great information.  He was very knowledgeable on the matter and was quick to offer up a demo unit (free of charge).

Upon receiving the demo verifier and testing it, a few questions arose.  John joined a call with us and answered all our questions.  Ultimately, the Axicon verifier wasn’t the best fit for us, so we shipped the demo back.  John was completely understanding.  A few weeks later, Barcode Test reached back out with another possible verifier for us to try.  While they didn’t sell that brand, they just wanted to help us find the best option that met our needs. They even offered to send us the unit that they have in-house to see if it worked to our liking. 

Barcode Test is truly a great company to work with.  Their service and willingness to help the customer are far beyond what you typically get from other companies.  They are experts in barcode quality assurance and seem willing to help in any way they can (even if that means not getting a sale and recommending another option that better fits the customer’s needs).  If anyone is in the market for barcode verification/scanning services or products, I would highly recommend giving Barcode Test a call.

Regards,

Production Manager