Scanning the Horizon- A barcode breakthrough is reshaping the supply chain landscape.

A barcode breakthrough is reshaping the supply chain landscape. For companies with goods to ship, traceability has never been more important. Customers want to know where ingredients and materials were sourced, and managers want more efficient ways to analyze where bottlenecks and mishaps occur during shipping and warehousing. All the while, new trade regulations require that product tracking systems continually evolve.

For companies with goods to ship, traceability has never been more important. Customers want to know where ingredients and materials were sourced, and managers want more efficient ways to analyze where bottlenecks and mishaps occur during shipping and warehousing. All the while, new trade regulations require that product tracking systems continually evolve.

Traceability allows companies to better meet demand, handle product recalls when needed, and keep pace with regulatory and consumer pressures, says Carrie Wilkie, senior vice president of standards and technology at GS1 US, a not-for-profit standards organization that administers the ubiquitous universal product code.