Item number lookup in shop floor mobile follows a fixed sequence. When you scan or type something in the item number field, the system first determines whether the input is a barcode or a plain number, then runs through a series of checks to identify the correct item.
The system handles standard barcodes, GS1-128 barcodes that contain several pieces of information, GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), and item references. A single GS1-128 scan can return the item number, lot number, serial number, and expiration date in one operation.
How the system decides if the input is a barcode
When the field displays “Enter item number” and you put something in, the first thing the system does is determine whether it is a barcode or not. It makes that decision based on the prefix and the identifiers on the barcode you are scanning.
If it is a barcode, the system checks whether it is a GS1-128 barcode, meaning a barcode made up of several parts of information. If it is not a GS1-128 barcode, the system removes the barcode identifiers and continues as if you had simply typed a normal number.
This means you have two options that lead to the same flow. You can type a number directly, or you can scan a barcode and the system strips the identifiers before looking up the value.
The lookup sequence for a plain number
Once the system has a plain number to work with, it checks in a specific order:
- Item number: First it checks whether the number you scanned matches an item with that number. If it does, that is the value the system returns.
- GTIN: If there is no matching item number, the system checks whether the number is a GTIN, a Global Trade Item Number. If one exists, it returns the item number from that.
- Item reference table: If there is no GTIN match either, the system looks in the item reference table to see if it can find the item there.
- Error: If none of these checks find a match, the system returns an error.
How GS1-128 barcodes are split into parts
If the input is a GS1-128 barcode, the handling is different. The system breaks the barcode apart and passes on the different parts of that string of information.
For GS1-128, the supported fields are item number, lot number, serial number, and expiration date. From a single scan, the system can split out all four of these and pass them on in the shop floor mobile app.
Q&A
What is the order the system uses to look up an item number?
The system checks in this order: first item number, then GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), then the item reference table. If none of these return a match, the system returns an error.
What information can a GS1-128 barcode return in one scan?
A single GS1-128 scan can return four fields: item number, lot number, serial number, and expiration date. The system splits the barcode into these parts and passes them on in the shop floor mobile.
What happens if I scan a barcode that is not GS1-128?
The system removes the barcode identifiers and treats the value as if it were a normal number you typed in. It then runs through the standard lookup sequence: item number, GTIN, and item reference table.
How does the system know whether my input is a barcode?
It decides based on the prefix and identifiers on the barcode you scan. If those indicate a barcode, it checks whether it is a GS1-128 barcode. Otherwise it treats the input as a plain number.