AIAG begins promoting 2-D standard

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 9/1/1998

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), a trade association, has adopted a two-dimensional (2-D) bar code for use by the automotive industry as a shipping label. The 2-D label will encode the consignee's address and will be placed on cartons, pallets, and containers.

These 2-D bar codes can squeeze more data into a small space than can conventional linear bar codes, which encode information in a series of vertical bars and spaces. The 2-D codes compress information by using both vertical and horizontal bars.

"Linear bar codes have served the auto industry well for over 10 years. However, a major drawback is the limitation of the amount of data they can efficiently carry," says Marilyn Sherry, AIAG program manager. "As times and business processes change, many automakers and their suppliers are finding they need to capture more data in less space, and 2-D symbologies will accommodate these needs."

AIAG has released a document called the B-14 implementation guideline that spells out procedures for the appropriate use of 2-D labels for pallets and containers. The AIAG label follows the ANSI MH10.8.3 criterion, the United States' national standard for the use of 2-D codes with unit loads and packages in transportation. The symbology, PDF-417, is recommended for shipping and receiving.

Founded in 1982, AIAG sets standards for electronic data interchange and bar-code usage for vehicle manufacturers and more than 1,300 automotive and truck parts manufacturers.