The familiar barcode, a staple of commerce for over 50 years, triggers the checkout beep we all know. It reliably tells a scanner a product’s identity, its Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). This simple function served us well, but today’s connected world demands more. It’s time for an upgrade. A new standard, GS1 Digital Link, breathes digital life into the humble barcode, preparing your business for what comes next in retail, logistics, and manufacturing.

Imagine a single, 2D barcode on a product acting as a secure gateway to almost limitless online information. This next-generation code moves beyond product identification. It connects everyone in the supply chain, from the brand owner to the consumer, to a rich and dynamic data source.

One Code, Powerful Results

This evolution simplifies the crowded label of today. A single 2D code becomes the source for everything, unlocking tangible results. A leading French grocery retailer, for example, worked with Zebra and its software partner Smartway to save an incredible 17,000 tons of food waste annually. Thanks to the implementation of its AI solution using Zebra mobile devices, the retailer saved 35 million products from going to waste in the first 12 months. Similarly, Australian retailer Woolworths began a pilot with 2D barcodes on fresh meat and poultry, seeing the potential for a 40% reduction in food waste.

The information linked to the code lives online, meaning you can update it anytime without ever changing the printed barcode on the package. This keeps product details current and accurate, a critical advantage for managing recalls. Precise, item-level data helps businesses avoid the massive financial impact of broad product withdrawals, which can average $10 million per incident. With our deep engagement in shaping these new best practices, we help make this transition seamless. We relentlessly pursue innovation that makes the complex simple, enabling enhanced supply chain traceability and unlocking new use cases directly at the point-of-sale.

Creating Your Future-Ready Infrastructure

Preparing for this transition provides an opportunity to enhance your entire operation. By building a connected frontline, associates can use our mobile computers and tablets to access details like return policies and ingredients, and answer customer questions with confidence. Our comprehensive portfolio of hardware and software solutions delivers powerful asset visibility, allowing you to track items from production to checkout with pinpoint accuracy, ensuring your business stands ready for every phase of this adoption.

Our latest generation of world-class scanners, already in use across the globe, eases the transition for retailers by capturing both traditional 1D barcodes and new 2D GS1 Digital Link codes in a single scan. Configuring these scanners takes less than a minute using our 123Scan utility, which simplifies the challenge of parsing complex 2D data for your point-of-sale system.

On the printing side, our desktop, mobile, and industrial printers, paired with ZebraDesigner software, produce high-quality, compliant labels that scan flawlessly every time. Zebra Nucleus endpoint management software unifies everything. From scanners and printers to Android-based mobile computers, Nucleus eliminates the need to juggle multiple applications by providing a single, intelligent, cloud-based platform to orchestrate the entire Zebra device ecosystem.

We design our hardware, software, and automation solutions for the frontline because we believe the work we do each day makes work better for organizations, their employees, and the people they serve. Take the next step toward a digitized, automated, and intelligent future. Explore our GS1 Digital Link webpage for more information and contact our team of experts to help guide your shift toward the new GS1 standard today.

The DS82-HC Series helps clinicians capture critical data quickly and accurately. Featuring an advanced 2MP sensor, the DS8288-HC cordless scanner instantly reads the most challenging barcodes, while a programmable multi-function button simplifies multi-app clinician workflows and best-in-class swappable power options ensure uninterrupted performance. It is designed to be easier to clean —featuring a disinfectant-ready housing, a sealed inductive trigger, and antimicrobial labels. The DS82-HC Series helps clinicians work with confidence—supporting safer, more efficient patient care.

• Industry-leading infection control with a sealed, healthcare-ready design featuring disinfectant-safe plastics and a sealed inductive trigger.
• Inductive charging delivers maintenance-free contactless charging while the PowerPrecision+ battery and PowerCap supercapacitor deliver all-day, on-the-go power.
• With a 2MP optical system and PRZM Intelligent Imaging, the DS82-HC Series delivers class-leading scan volume to capture more barcodes in a single trigger pull.
• A secondary multi-function button can be programmed for specific tasks to streamline clinician workflows and boost productivity.
• The Zebra DNA for Scanners suite of software ensures maximum visibility, uptime and adaptability including Blood Bag Parse+ and UDI Scan+ parsing tools.