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Department of Defense Embraces EAN.UCC System Standards within its Unique Identification Policy; Uniform Code Council Publishes Guidelines to Support UID PolicyLAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. --(Business Wire)-- May 26, 2005 -- The Uniform Code Council, Inc. (R) (soon to be GS1 US) announced today that it has published the Guidelines for Application of EAN.UCC Unique Identification (UID) Markings to Items in the Supply Chain. The guidelines were created to support the UID policy recently issued by the Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD is the largest procurer of goods and services in the world, with an annual budget of $371 billion. The Uniform Code Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development and implementation of standards-based global supply chain solutions and administers the Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) System. Designed to improve asset management, the DoD's UID policy mandates all DoD suppliers and manufacturers to uniquely identify property, plant and equipment, operating materials, and supplies using DoD-approved identifiers. The EAN.UCC System's EAN.UCC Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) and the EAN.UCC Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) are among a select few DoD recognized equivalent identifiers outlined within the UID policy. The DoD also recognizes the UCC's commercial standards (i.e., the U.P.C.) in those instances where it is not necessary to distinguish between individual items of a product. The EAN.UCC System is recognized as the most widely used set of supply chain standards in the world. Its most recent addition is Data Matrix, a two-dimensional matrixed symbology. Data Matrix is the sole media to enable DoD's UID policy for asset identification. Data Matrix can be used for labels and data plates, direct part marking by laser etching or dot-peening, and used on items that are simply too small to accommodate a linear bar code. "Unique identification is a business imperative for the Department of Defense," says Michael Wynne, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for the Department of Defense. "Our vision for UID is to facilitate item tracking in DoD business systems and to provide reliable and accurate data for program management and accountability purposes in our engineering; acquisition; financial; property, plant and equipment accountability; and logistics processes. Our goal is to accomplish this while relying to the maximum extent possible on international standards and commercial item markings and not imposing unique government requirements." Michael Di Yeso, President and Chief Operating Officer of the UCC added, "We applaud the DoD's support of our standards. The Guidelines for Application of EAN.UCC UID Markings to Items in the Supply Chain were developed in a true spirit of consensus and cooperation between the DoD and the UCC. For three decades, we have helped 23 major industries achieve substantial efficiencies by providing an open, global system for supply chain identification. We look forward to working with the DoD and helping them improve the way they conduct business with their many suppliers." To download the Guidelines for Application of EAN.UCC Unique Identification (UID) Markings to Items in the Supply Chain, visit: http://www.uc-council.org/ean_ucc_system/membership/ean_ucc_uid_ markings.html To order a hard copy from the UCC's Product Catalog, visit: http://usnet17.uc-council.org/source/Orders/index.cfm? task=3&CATEGORY=BARCODE-M&PRODUCT_TYPE=SALES&SKU=008629&DESCRIPT ION= Bar Code - Marking&FindSpec=&CFTOKEN=29715205&continue=1&SEARCH_TYPE= find&FindIn (Due to their length, the above URLs may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra spaces if they exist.) About the Uniform Code Council, Inc. The Uniform Code Council, Inc. (soon to be GS1 US) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the adoption and implementation of standards-based, global supply chain solutions. Under its auspices, the Uniform Code Council operates three wholly owned subsidiaries EPCglobal US, RosettaNet, and UCCnet(R). The Uniform Code Council manages the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC(R)) for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). EPCglobal Inc is a joint venture of the Uniform Code Council and GS1 (formerly EAN International). Uniform Code Council-based solutions, including business processes, XML standards, EDI transaction sets, and the bar code identification standards of the EAN.UCC System are currently used by more than one million member companies worldwide. For more information about the Uniform Code Council, please visit: www.uc-council.org. The UCC is headquartered in Lawrenceville, NJ USA. |
