Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The use of codes andbarcodes on products has helped improve the competitiveness of enterprises andensured effective monitoring on the origin of goods for consumers.

However, to meet the requirements ofmanagement agencies and consumers, the application of codes and barcodes needsmore comprehensive solutions relating to management and technology.

Codes and barcodes help quickly andaccurately distinguish different types of products. The code consists of asequence of numbers, which allow people to identify factors relating to thegoods.

Barcodes consist of a pattern of parallellines in varying widths, along with numbers, which are read by a computer ofscanner.

According to the Vietnam Code and BarcodeAssociation, in recent years, the application of codes and barcodes inproduction and business has become increasingly popular nationwide.

There are about 180 trade centres, 800supermarkets, 4,000 convenience stores, and 9,000 family run stores that usethem.

Previously, codes and barcodes were mainlyused when importing goods, as well as for payments at counters.

Nowadays, codes and barcodes are used forwarehouse management, pricing, and logistics.

They’re also used to trace the origin ofgoods, especially foodstuffs, in order to ensure safety for consumers, and toensure the quality of exported goods.

Ha Minh Hiep, Deputy General Director ofthe Vietnam Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (VNDSMQ) told Ha NoiMoi (New Hanoi) newspaper that the use of codes and barcodes is an effectiveapplication of technology which aims to help consumers and enterprises quicklyidentify information about products. However, the technology hasn’t reached itsfull potential, he said.

At present, many companies haven’t employedcodes or barcodes for their products, preventing legal access to the retailindustry. Notably, the use of fake codes and barcodes has been reported.

Recently, bar code scanning software has beenwidely used by smart phone users to identify the origin of goods. According toa representative of the Vietnam Code and Bar Code Association, the use of smartphones to scan bar codes for the purpose of distinguishing real goods orcounterfeit goods is necessary effort. Unfortunately, many goods have astandard bar code, but were fake or poor-quality.

National database system

Seeking the origin of products by scanningtheir code or barcode is necessary, but in order to effectively promote thecirculation of goods in the market, additional tools are needed to ensuresafety and quality.

According to Ha Minh Hiep, one of the keytasks that the VNDSMQ has been implementing is to build a national data centrestoring all information on codes and barcodes.

“We will have information resources onproducts and goods, so enterprises, manufacturers, supermarkets, and retailerscan access data and better develop their services,” he said.

Phan Hong Nga, head of the code and barcodeoffice under VNDSMQ, said according to the Ministry of Science and Technology’sregulations on code and barcode granting, use and management, enterprises mustperiodically notify the list of codes and bar codes of their products.

VNDSMQ’s free online software –idd.gs1vn.org.vn – was set up for businesses to declare product informationquickly and accurately. The information is then automatically updated on thenational data system.

According to Ha Minh Hiep, legal documentsrelating to codes and bar codes in Vietnam are now relatively up to date.

VNDSMQ is submitting a project on managingthe origin of products to the Ministry of Science and Technology. Once theproject is approved, we will have additional tools to identify goods and removepoor-quality goods from the market.- VNS/VNA