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05-07-2024, 06:43 PM
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US Veteran
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Dallas, Texas
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This might be useful in understand where or when these codes originated:
Quote:
What is a stock-keeping unit (SKU)?
SKUs are unique identification codes used by retailers to track inventory. The codes distinguish products from each other and serve as a central reference point for managing stock and tracking measuring sales performance. SKUs are usually composed of an alphanumeric series of characters that reflect the attributes of a product, such as its color, style, size, and type. The codes and their structures vary between industries and countries and the information they represent can be adapted to suit the needs of a particular business. SKUs are often represented as barcodes and their movements are tracked with scanning technologies. However, barcodes and SKUs are not the same technology and both can be used independently of each other. In general, SKUs enable a retailer to track a product from when it arrives from a supplier to when it is purchased by a customer.
Where do SKUs come from?
Retailers began developing computer-based inventory management systems in the 20th century. This process generated demand for a standardized technique capable of automatically identifying and tracking separate products. In the 1970s barcodes and SKUs started being used to address the challenges of managing and distributing inventory on a large scale. In 1973 the Uniform Grocery Code Council (UGPCC) established the Universal Product Code (UPC) as the standard way of identifying products and capturing data in the grocery industry. As barcode technology expanded beyond grocery stores, the UGPCC evolved into the Uniform Product Code Council (UPCC).
The SKU concept expanded beyond barcodes as retailers sought more complex information to track and manage their inventories. Over time the UPCC, which became known as GS1 in 2005, developed standards for regulating other forms of automated product identification. Such methods include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which allows objects to be automatically identified and tracked without needing to be within the line of sight of a reader.
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What is stock-keeping units and how are they used? - Inside.com
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