The second area of application of standards – to provide unique product numbers on a planetary scale, and make sure that any interested person could on barcode to access current and complete information about this product. For this, the organization manages the GS1 spread globally unique 13-digit codes for goods and services GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). Interpretation of the barcode in the barcode GTIN logical structure is regulated by the standard, and the significance of numbers in the elements of this structure have a specific meaning. The first three digits are the prefix of the national organization of GS1, next 4-6 digits – unique identifier company to which this product is registered, the remaining digits are the product code, check number, and possibly one additional character. Mistakenly believed that the first three digits of the barcode decoding, determine country of manufacture. This is not true. First of all, of these three figures can only be determined to what the national organization registered company. Secondly, it is not necessarily the company itself produces product – it may be the trademark owner or a major supplier of hosting the production orders to any country it interesting.
Another announced in the beginning of the article misleading – the calculation of the number of controls in barcode decoding is possible to distinguish original products from counterfeits. This is not true. The control number will only know that if all the numbers read by the scanner correctly. This product is not always stored under ideal conditions, bar image could be damaged and he accidentally scanner can fail, so once the code is read, the check digit is calculated and the conclusion – everything is in order with the code. In general, the codes are not thought to informing the consumer (end customer) about something, their function – information service for those who stand along the path of goods from manufacturers to stores.