ℹ️Note: GS1 barcode support must be turned on for your organization. To enable it, contact your Customer Success Manager or [email protected].
Video walkthrough: GS1-128 Barcodes in Sutton: Label, Receive, and Find Inventory
Watch how to add a GS1-128 barcode to a label, receive inventory by scanning it, and find that inventory again with a quick scan.
GS1-128 is a barcode standard used across supply chains. A single GS1-128 barcode can hold several pieces of information, such as the product’s GTIN, its lot number, and its expiration date. Each piece of information starts with a short code called an application identifier (AI). With GS1 support in Sutton, you can:
Create your own GS1-128 labels.
Scan a vendor’s GS1-128 barcode to retrieve inventory, with key fields pre-filled.
Search for inventory anywhere in Sutton by scanning or pasting a GS1-128 barcode.
Before you start
Sutton finds items during receiving by matching the GTIN in the barcode. Before you scan a GS1-128 barcode, make sure each item has a GTIN set in one of these places:
On the item itself. Use this when the GTIN is the same no matter who supplies the item.
On the vendor for that item. Use this when each vendor ships the item with its own GTIN.
If no GTIN matches, Sutton can’t find the item and shows a message that no GTIN was found.
How GS1-128 barcodes are structured
Each GS1-128 barcode is a string of AIs, each followed by its value. A GS1-128 barcode in Sutton can hold up to five AIs. The AIs fall into three groups, and they must appear in this order:
GTIN. The GTIN always comes first.
Fixed-length values. Next come values that always have the same length, such as dates (6 digits, YYMMDD) and weights.
Variable-length values. Last come values whose length can change, such as lot numbers and serial numbers.
This order matters. Barcode scanners use a hidden separator, called an FNC1, to tell where a variable-length value ends. When the AIs are in the right order, the barcode generator knows where to place each separator, and your scanner can read every value correctly.
⚠️Heads up: Sutton doesn’t check the AI order for you yet. If a variable-length value comes before a fixed-length value, scanners may read the barcode incorrectly. Always place the GTIN first, then dates and weights, then lot and serial numbers.
Supported application identifiers
You can add these AIs to a GS1-128 barcode in the label builder. The Built-in field column shows whether Sutton has its own field for the value. For AIs without one, you can keep the value with a custom field (see Capture extra GS1 data with custom fields).
AI | Name | Length | Where Sutton gets the value when you print | Built-in field |
(01) | GTIN-14 | Fixed: 14 digits | The item’s GTIN | Yes |
(02) | GTIN-14 of contained trade items | Fixed: 14 digits | The trade items contained in a logistic unit | No |
(10) | Batch/lot number | Variable: up to 20 characters | The inventory’s lot number | Yes |
(11) | Production date | Fixed: 6 digits (YYMMDD) | The date the inventory was received or produced | No |
(12) | Due date | Fixed: 6 digits (YYMMDD) | A due date, when available | No |
(13) | Packaging date | Fixed: 6 digits (YYMMDD) | The inventory’s timestamp | No |
(15) | Best before date | Fixed: 6 digits (YYMMDD) | A best before date, when available | No |
(17) | Expiration date | Fixed: 6 digits (YYMMDD) | The inventory’s expiration date | Yes |
(20) | Variant | Fixed: 2 digits | Two digits (00–99) from the inventory label number | No |
(21) | Serial number | Variable: up to 20 characters | The inventory label number | Yes |
(22) | Secondary serial | Variable: up to 20 characters | Additional serial data, when available | No |
(240) | Additional product ID assigned by manufacturer | Variable: up to 30 characters | A manufacturer-assigned ID, when available | No |
(241) | Customer part number | Variable: up to 30 characters | The customer SKU for the item. If it isn’t set, this AI is left out of the printed barcode | Yes, per customer |
(30) | Variable count of items | Variable: up to 8 digits | The inventory’s quantity in stock | Yes |
(3100–3109) | Net weight, kg (0–9 decimal places) | Fixed: 6 digits | Gross weight minus tare weight, when the unit of measure is metric | Yes |
(3200–3209) | Net weight, lb (0–9 decimal places) | Fixed: 6 digits | Gross weight minus tare weight, when the unit of measure isn’t metric | Yes |
Create a GS1-128 label
By default, Sutton labels use a standard Code 128 barcode. To create a GS1-128 label instead, add a GS1-128 barcode in the label designer and choose the AIs it holds.
Go to Settings > Labels and click Add label.
Under Codes, click GS1-128 barcode. The barcode appears on the label, and a control icon appears next to its name.
Drag the barcode to where you want it on the label.
To show the code’s text on the label, click GS1-128 encoded text.
Click the setup icon next to GS1-128 barcode to open the GS1-128 application identifiers window.
Click an AI in the list to add it. You can add up to five AIs.
Use the arrows next to each AI to order them correctly: GTIN first, then dates and weights, then lot and serial numbers.
Click Save, then click Create label.
⚠️Heads up: The AIs are encoded in the order shown, from left to right. If they’re out of order, scanners may not read the barcode correctly. See how GS1-128 barcodes are structured to ensure the correct order.
📘Sutton Tip: For the serial number AI, Sutton uses each label’s label number instead of its serial number. Many GS1 scanners and parsers have trouble with letters, and label numbers are numeric and unique across your organization.
Receive inventory by scanning a GS1-128 barcode
When a box arrives with a GS1-128 barcode, you can scan it to start receiving right away. You can open the receiving flow from the purchase order, or from the Receiving page by selecting the receiving ticket.
Open the purchase order, or go to the Receiving page and select the receiving ticket.
Scan the barcode on the box.
Sutton matches the GTIN to an item and opens the receiving window with the fields prefilled.
Review the details, fill in anything that’s missing, and finish receiving the inventory.
When you scan a GS1-128 barcode, Sutton fills in:
Serial number: the full GS1-128 barcode value.
Lot number: if the barcode has one.
Expiration date: if the barcode has one.
Custom fields: any other AI that matches the name of a custom field (see the next section).
✅Best practice: Keep the full GS1-128 barcode as the serial number. That way, you can scan the vendor’s original barcode anywhere in Sutton to find this inventory, without printing and applying your own labels. You can still remove or change the serial number if you prefer.
Capture extra GS1 data with custom fields
Some AIs don’t have a built-in field in Sutton: GTIN-14 of contained trade items (02), Production date (11), Due date (12), Packaging date (13), Best before date (15), Variant (20), Secondary serial (22), and Additional product ID assigned by manufacturer (240). You can still keep this data when you receive inventory by creating a custom field with the same name as the AI. When you scan a barcode, Sutton fills in any custom field whose name matches an AI in the barcode.
In the GS1-128 application identifiers window, find the name of the AI you want to keep (for example, Production date).
Create a custom inventory field with that exact name, using the same words and capitalization.
Scan a GS1-128 barcode that includes that AI. Sutton fills in the custom field for you.
💡Pro Tip: The custom field name must match the AI name exactly as it appears in the GS1-128 application identifiers window, or Sutton won’t fill it in. Use the exact same words and capitalization, and don’t shorten or reword it. Leave out only the AI number and the date format in parentheses. For example, for (11) Production date (YYMMDD), name the field “Production date.” Fields named “Production Date,” “Produce date,” or “Production” won’t be filled in.
Search inventory with a GS1-128 barcode
You can search with a GS1-128 barcode anywhere in Sutton that lets you search by serial number. Scan or paste the barcode into the search field, and Sutton finds the matching label in one of two ways:
By serial number. If Sutton saved the full GS1-128 value as the serial number during receiving, it matches it directly.
By GTIN and lot number. If the serial number is different, Sutton reads the GTIN and lot number from the barcode and finds the label that matches both.
Your inventory is now GS1-ready
You can now create GS1-128 labels, receive inventory by scanning your vendors’ barcodes, and find any label with a quick scan. This saves time at the receiving dock and keeps the barcodes your partners already use working throughout Sutton.
FAQ
Do I need to print my own labels for goods that already have a GS1-128 barcode?
Do I need to print my own labels for goods that already have a GS1-128 barcode?
No. If you keep the GS1-128 value as the serial number when you receive, you can scan the vendor’s barcode to find that inventory anywhere in Sutton.
Why does my scan say no GTIN was found?
Why does my scan say no GTIN was found?
The GTIN in the barcode doesn’t match any item in Sutton. Add the GTIN to the item or the vendor for that item, then scan again.
Why does Sutton use the label number for the serial number AI?
Why does Sutton use the label number for the serial number AI?
Many GS1 scanners and parsers don’t handle letters well. Label numbers are numeric and unique across your organization, so they scan reliably.
How many AIs can one barcode hold?
How many AIs can one barcode hold?
A GS1-128 barcode in Sutton can hold up to five AIs. The GTIN must always come first.
If you have additional questions, please contact your Customer Success Manager or reach out to us at [email protected].