Shop Floor Mobile lets you scan GS1 barcodes directly in Business Central. When you scan a GS1 barcode, the app reads multiple data elements from a single code and skips the manual steps you would otherwise click through.
A GS1 barcode packs several pieces of information into one string. Each piece has an application identifier that tells the system what the following data means.
Shop Floor Mobile supports four GS1 application identifiers: code 01 for the item number (14 characters), code 10 for the lot or batch number (up to 20 characters), code 15 for the best before date (exactly 6 characters), and code 21 for the serial number (up to 20 characters).
When you scan a GS1 barcode in Shop Floor Mobile, Business Central decodes the string automatically and fills in the item, serial number, lot, and date for you. You only need to state the bin code.
The manual flow without a barcode in Shop Floor Mobile
To see the difference, it helps to start with the normal flow when you consume a quantity without scanning a barcode.
The steps go like this:
- Enter the production order number.
- Select the item number.
- Select the serial number. For a serial-number-handled item, the serial number drops down from a list.
- The app then sets one piece, the serial number, and so on, automatically.
- Finally, it asks you to state the bin code.
That is several manual selections before you reach the bin code.
The faster flow when you scan a GS1 barcode
Now run the same flow with a GS1 barcode. You enter the production order number, then scan the barcode instead of selecting each value by hand.
The barcode contains the item reference number, which comes from the item reference table, together with the serial number in the same string. When you scan it, Shop Floor Mobile jumps straight to the bin code statement. It has skipped the manual steps because all the data sits in one barcode.
What a GS1 barcode is made of
It helps to understand how a GS1 barcode is built. The Code 128 part you sometimes see referenced is just the way the data is carried. The GS1 standard itself is a list of application identifiers that define what each segment of the string means.
For example, code 01 is the Global Trade Item Number, which has to be 14 characters. Code 10 is the batch or lot number, a variable value up to 20 characters. The full GS1 standard defines many more identifiers than these.
The GS1 application identifiers supported in Shop Floor Mobile
Shop Floor Mobile supports four of the GS1 application identifiers:
- Code 01 is the item number. It has to be 14 characters.
- Code 10 is the lot or batch number. It can be up to 20 characters.
- Code 15 is the best before date. It has to be exactly 6 characters.
- Code 21 is the serial number. It can be up to 20 characters.
A barcode that uses several of these identifiers is still a single barcode. Business Central decodes it automatically when you scan it in Shop Floor Mobile, so the data lands in the right fields without manual entry.
Q&A
Can you use GS1 barcodes in Business Central with Shop Floor Mobile?
Yes. Shop Floor Mobile lets you scan GS1 barcodes directly in Business Central. Business Central decodes the barcode automatically and fills in the values for you.
Which GS1 application identifiers does Shop Floor Mobile support?
Shop Floor Mobile supports code 01 (item number, 14 characters), code 10 (lot or batch number, up to 20 characters), code 15 (best before date, exactly 6 characters), and code 21 (serial number, up to 20 characters).
What is the advantage of scanning a GS1 barcode instead of entering values manually?
A single GS1 barcode can hold the item number, serial number, lot number, and best before date at once. When you scan it, Shop Floor Mobile skips the manual selection steps and jumps straight to the bin code statement.
Where does the item reference number in the barcode come from?
The item reference number comes from the item reference table in Business Central.