Supply Chain

A supply chain encompasses every step a product takes from raw material to consumer: sourcing, manufacturing, assembly, warehousing, transportation, retail, and final sale. It spans multiple companies and locations in a continuous chain.

QR codes serve as information bridges at each node. A QR code attached at harvest can accumulate origin, date, and temperature data through collection points, distribution centers, and retail shelves. Consumers scanning the code at the store can trace the entire journey from field to shelf.

The advantage over traditional barcodes is clear. One-dimensional barcodes hold only a product code and require database lookups for details. QR codes can embed lot numbers, manufacturing timestamps, inspection results, and routing data directly. In warehouses and factories without network connectivity, a single scan retrieves all necessary information on the spot.

GS1 Digital Link combined with QR codes is now standardizing supply chain data. A GS1 QR code encodes a GTIN as a URL, linking directly to the manufacturer's product page - serving both B2B logistics and B2C consumer information from a single code.