A customer reports a defect on a delivery and wants to know which batch of material the parts came from, who made them and when. On many sites, answering takes an afternoon in the binders. Barcode batch tracking in production answers in a few seconds, provided you understand what a barcode really does, and what it does not.
This guide covers the basics (what a barcode encodes, the types that matter on the shop floor, the hardware), then shows how to organise scanning of manufacturing orders, operations, operators, batches and locations, and where to start.
What a barcode really holds
A common belief persists: the barcode supposedly “contains” the product information. In reality, it is a font: a string of characters (digits, letters, sometimes symbols) drawn as bars and spaces, or as black and white modules for 2D codes, which a reader can read back without error. When a scanner reads “OF-2025-04871”, it has no idea what a manufacturing order is: it passes the string to the application as if it had been typed on the keyboard, followed by an Enter key.
All the intelligence sits in the database. The scanned string is a key: the production management software looks it up in its table of manufacturing orders, batches or locations, and displays the associated information (item, quantity, routing, material supplier). A well-designed barcode is therefore short and stable: it identifies, it does not describe. One nuance: GS1-128 and 2D codes can carry a few attributes (batch, expiry date, quantity), which is useful between companies that do not share the same database.
Barcode types that are useful in production
Linear (1D) codes remain the default choice on the shop floor; 2D codes take over when space is short, when the label is likely to be damaged (a QR code remains readable with up to 30% of its surface lost) or for reading with a phone.
| Barcode type | What it encodes | Typical use | Reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 / UPC-A | 13 digits (12 for UPC-A), the last one a check digit | Finished product sold through retail (GTIN) | Any 1D reader |
| Code 128 | All 128 ASCII characters, mandatory check character, high density | Manufacturing order, operation and internal batch numbers, badges, locations | Any 1D reader |
| GS1-128 | Code 128 structured by application identifiers | Logistics labels, batches and dates exchanged between companies | 1D reader, plus an application that splits the AIs |
| QR code | Several thousand characters, adjustable error correction | Reading with a phone, link to a record | 2D imager or smartphone camera |
| DataMatrix | A few thousand characters in a few millimetres | Direct part marking, electronics, pharmaceuticals | 2D imager |
GS1-128 and its application identifiers
GS1-128 (formerly EAN-128) is the format of logistics labels exchanged between manufacturers, carriers and retailers. Each piece of data is preceded by an application identifier (AI), written in brackets, which states what it is:
- (01) the item's GTIN, 14 digits;
- (10) batch number;
- (11) production date, (15) best-before date and (17) expiry date, in YYMMDD format;
- (310n) net weight in kilograms;
- (00) SSCC, the 18-digit number that uniquely identifies a pallet or a parcel.
The label “(01)03512345678907(10)L24087(17)251231” therefore reads: this item, batch L24087, expiry date 31 December 2025. The application receiving the scan must split the string according to these identifiers, whose specifications are published by GS1 France.
Barcode batch tracking in production: what gets scanned on the shop floor
In production management software, five objects deserve a label.
- The manufacturing order. The order number printed on the job traveller: one scan, and the operator is on the right job.
- The operation. Each line of the routing carries its own code (cutting, machining, assembly, inspection): this is what lets you measure an actual time per operation, comparable with the standard time.
- The operator. A personal badge: who did what, plus clocking for time tracking.
- The batch. A number on every container of material or intermediate product. Scanning the batch consumed when a manufacturing order starts, then the batch produced at the end of the operation, is enough to build upstream and downstream traceability: where these parts came from, and where this batch went.
- The location. One label per rack or floor area: a “batch + location” scan records a stock movement without any typing.
A typical sequence takes three scans and one button: badge, manufacturing order, operation, “Start”. At the end of the operation: badge, manufacturing order, good and scrapped quantities, and the batch produced if there is one. Everything else (time spent, variances, order progress) is calculated: that is the principle of shop floor time tracking.
In the food industry, European Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 requires this “one step back, one step forward” traceability: see our case study on traceability in a marinated poultry workshop.
The hardware: handheld scanner, mobile terminal or phone
- Wired USB scanner. The simplest choice for a fixed workstation. It behaves like a keyboard (“keyboard wedge” mode): no driver, the string lands in the field that has focus; you only need to configure the suffix (Enter or Tab).
- Wireless scanner. Bluetooth or a radio base, when the operator moves away from the screen: palletising, end-of-line inspection.
- Rugged mobile terminal. An Android handheld computer with a built-in reader: for the warehouse and stock counts rather than a fixed workstation.
- Phone or tablet. The camera reads QR codes and DataMatrix easily, and 1D codes with a little practice: enough for a pilot, less so for a hundred scans an hour.
Two details: a laser scanner only reads 1D codes (for a QR code or a DataMatrix you need an imager). And printing matters as much as reading: a batch label that must stay readable after months in stock is printed by thermal transfer (with a ribbon), not direct thermal, which yellows and fades with heat.
How to get started in five steps
- Decide what you want to know. Time per operation? Batch traceability? Stock movements? Each answer adds an object to label; it is better to start with just one.
- Choose the numbering rule. A short, unique internal identifier (manufacturing order number, batch as “YYMMDD + counter”) in Code 128 for the shop floor; GS1-128 only for what leaves the plant.
- Label at the source. The order code on the job traveller, the batch code as soon as the material is received, the location code once and for all.
- Equip a pilot workstation. One wired scanner, an application that reacts to the scan, two volunteer operators, two weeks. Measure missed scans and the time taken to report.
- Roll out and use the data. Extend workstation by workstation, then put the data to work: actual times against standard times, batches in progress, late manufacturing orders. A scan that feeds no report eventually stops being done.
What we see on the shop floor with barcode scanning
We have implemented several production management applications that rely almost entirely on scanning, precisely to avoid clicks: an operator will happily scan three codes, but not navigate four menus wearing gloves. Scanning is first a matter of ergonomics; traceability comes as a bonus.
The projects that disappoint have often tried to make the barcode carry data that does not belong to it: a QR code containing the full bill of materials is wrong as soon as the BOM changes. Another observation: labels degrade long before the software does (codes too small, curved surfaces, oil, condensation). A read test on the line, not in the office, belongs in the requirements specification.
Conclusion: a barcode is a key, not a file
A barcode is a key, not a file. Once that idea sinks in, barcode batch tracking in production becomes a modest project: well-numbered labels, one scanner per workstation, an application that reacts to the scan, and data put to use every week.
That is the principle behind Planitrack : operators scan the manufacturing order, the operation and their badge with a handheld scanner or a phone, and order progress and actual times come through live, with no machine sensors and no re-keying. It connects to your ERP or works from Excel files. Request a demo.