El Estado social y la interpretación constitucional

The printing method is very important if we want the bar code to maintain its characteristics in every environmental condition – transportation or depositing conditions of the products. At present, there are being elaborated European standards referring to the following aspects: bar code printing technologies, the ink the colors used, the material the labels are made of, the position of the label on the product. Bar codes can be printed:

- on the package;

- on labels, which are then applied on the package;

- through marking when wrapping the product.

Bar codes can be read with optical equipment, which measures the intensity of light reflected back by the bar code and transforms the information into signals that can be processed by a decoder. At present, two types of bar code readers are used:

- Optical pen readers – the clerk drags the tip of the pen across the bar code in a steady even motion;

- Laser scanners – the scanning process does not depend on the speed and continuity of the motion when the bar code is being scanned. These can be fixed or portable devices. The fixed ones are connected to cash registers at check-out points.

Starting with the 1970s the process of standardizing the product encoding systems in factories has been intensified. In France, for example, the Gencod system was implemented to identify products and manufacturers, while in Germany the national encoding BAN-L system was improved.

In the year 1974, representatives of producers and distributors decided to set up a coucil that would analyze the possibility of introducing a new European uniform encoding system for products. After the systems which already existed at that time (UPC, Gencod and BAN-L) had been examined, the new European Article Numbering system (EAN) was elaborated. This system had to be compatible with the UPC and it had to include the systems used in France and Germany.

The EAN system is based on a UPC 12-digit code with the following meaning:

the fist two digits stand for the country of origin (e.g. Belgium = 54, France = 30-37, Germany = 40-42, Japan = 49, England = 50, the Netherlands = 87, etc); the following five digits are a manufacturer’s code and the next five digits are used to identify a specific product. The last digit is the check digit.

code

Country

Identify code Product code Manufacturer code

Figure 1. The structure of an EAN code

In order to control the application of the EAN system the European Article Numbering Association was formed in 1977; initially it grouped together representatives of producers and manufacturers from England, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden. This association, which was named “The International

Bar Codes - A Technological Revolution In Commerce 121 Article Numbering Association EAN” starting with the year 1981, follows some basic principles in order to ensure compatibility of national product encoding systems.

Using an easy numbering system, the EAN system is very flexible and with a large capacity (it can encode approximately 10 billion products). The EAN system spread quickly in many countries, not only in Europe but on other continents as well (Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zeeland, etc), due to this advantage.

As an efficient solution to the manufacturers’ technological needs to use a machine-readable code, the in-store marking scheme was implemented, without changing the EAN system.

Thus, an international convention allows that some numbers used to identify the country, that is to say numbers between 20 and 29, should be attributed to a certain country or region for the needs of local manufacturers. These digits are used to encode their own products or products that had not been encoded by manufacturers. In this case the bar code is 8 digits long, with the possibility to extend it to no more than13 digits, according to EAN 13. Therefore, the code of the product can be a significant code, according to a systematic classification of the products.

The use of the EAN system has a series of advantages both for manufacturers and for traders and consumers as it helps stores speed up the checkout process and keep better track of inventory.

Through this system, producers can keep informed about the changes regarding the sales, and thus they can easily meet the consumers’ requests (reducing or extending the sales for a certain type of product, withdrawing an unsuccessful product from the market, etc.).

For traders, the EAN systems helps keep better track of inventory as it tells you at any time the stock for each product, so that you can supplement it in time.

In the case of cash registers which have an optical EAN bar code reading device, the checkout process is done more quickly and without errors. One can also place order using a computer interconnected to the supplier’s computer. Promotions can also be managed in a better way.

For the client, the use of the EAN system reduces the period of time they have to wait on check out. After the cash register reads the bar codes, the client gets a cash bill which clearly writes the name of the product, the price for each product, thus leaving no room for errors (if the bar code was printed correctly).

Nowadays the EAN system can be applied in various fields of activity like:

administration, banking, etc. The EAN 13 also includes ISBN and ISSN codes for books and periodicals.

Besides EAN and UPC systems, there are other bar code systems used in marketing which encode numeric or alphanumeric information. They can be grouped into continuous or discontinuous symbologies:

- Code 39, the first alpha-numeric discontinuous symbology; each character is made up of nine elements (bars and white spaces), three of them being wider. This code is widely used in industry and professional associations to meet specific needs.

- Code 93 is a continuous symbology; each character set is represented by two modules containing three bars and spaces. It has two check characters (C and K) and produces a denser code. Code 39 can represent the full ASCII character set (128 characters).

The acknowledged organization which elaborates standards can be national, regional or international. This acknowledgement can be done by public authorities (through a contact o a set of regulations) or by economic partners.

All the parties concerned must take part in the standardization process because standardization committees, which elaborate standard projects, are open to all partners (manufacturers, distributors, consumers and public administration).

Since the standard is destined in continuous or repeated applications, it is different from ordinary documents, which set certain rules accepted for only one use.

The standardization process means to guarantee an optimum level for the community, since the standards facilitate commercial transactions – they make it easier to identify products and compare them.

Allowing for the importance of the standardization process in the present economic context, more and more countries have already taken steps, at a governmental level, which stimulate these activities nationally and make countries take part in the regional and international standardization activity.

REFERENCES:

[1]. Oprea, D.; Airinei, D.; Fotache, M. - Sisteme informaţionale pentru afaceri, Ed. Polirom, Iaşi, 2002

[2]. Patriche, D. - Bazele comerţului, Ed. Economică, Bucureşti, 2004

[3]. Reynolds, J. - The Complete E-Commerce Book:Design, Build & Maintain a Successful Web-based Business CMP Books

[4]. Ristea, A. - Tehnologie comercială, Ed. Expert, Bucureşti, 1999

Annals of the University of Petroşani, Economics, 6 (2006), 123-128 123

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIAL INSURANCE