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Item Numbers-Custom or UPC?

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Posted on by tknow

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We're trying to decide whether to use our own custom made item numbers and then create barcodes from those or use the barcodes from the UPC labels that come on the product. What would any of you experienced people suggest?

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Community member 19 on at

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Item Numbers-Custom or UPC?

Products you do manufacture: UPC-A (12 digit).
Products you purchase: Custom numbers (for your customers) AND External Item ID or vendors' part numbers (for you to order products).

Or use multiple labels as needed.
Community Member Microsoft Employee on at

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Re: Item Numbers-Custom or UPC?

In our business we chose to use our own numbers as much as possible for several reasons:

If the UPC # comes externally, what happens if/when the external source changes the UPC?

When custom numbers are used then we can use the Item > External Item description table to specify all of the customer's or vendor's item numbers for our item number.

By using our own number, instead of a customer or vendor or standard UPC number, we may be able to gain from "economies of scale") by planning our one item, which we can sell as item X, Y, or Z to any customer

Our business is very customer specific, where each customer has a different set of tolerances (almost project based, but not completely). If your goods are more like commodities (consumer goods) then it is very viable to use the UPC code. In my experiance if you can find the right person to talk to functionally, whether it is a sales person or someone in opperations, then you can find your answer because he/she has been at another company which used the UPC as thier item number.

I hope that helps.