Many manufacturers preparing for the transition to QR codes powered by GS1 face the same challenge: how do you adopt a new way of connecting products to digital information without disrupting existing processes?
Rather than simply advising customers on the move to 2D codes, Domino Printing Sciences (Domino), decided to experience the transition first hand.
Over the past year, Domino has implemented QR codes powered by GS1 across its global product and consumables portfolio. The move has given the company practical experience of the challenges and opportunities businesses encounter when preparing for the next generation of product identification.
For manufacturers like Domino and its global customers, the shift to 2D codes represents one of the most significant changes to product identification in decades. The GS1 Digital Link standard helps businesses improve traceability, make product information easier to access and strengthen supply chain visibility, but implementation also brings new data, systems and operational considerations.
“Our customers rely on us for more than the technology itself,” says Craig Stobie, Global Business Development Director at Domino Printing Sciences. “They also look to us for guidance as new standards emerge, and their coding requirements evolve.
“We recognised early that QR codes powered by GS1 would become increasingly important for many of our customers. By implementing GS1 Digital Link across our own global operation, we were able to experience the same issues many manufacturers will face – from data preparation and system integration to governance and long-term maintenance. Those lessons are now helping shape the guidance Domino provides to customers embarking on the same journey.”
From today, all products and consumables produced by Domino will come equipped with a QR code powered by GS1, providing access to technical specifications, safety data sheets, certifications, and reordering information with a single scan. The move also supports improved traceability and reduces the need for multiple on-product labels.
The transition required far more than adding a new code to a label.
Product data had to be reviewed and standardised, systems updated to support GS1 Digital Link, processes adapted, and teams trained to manage the new approach. The work reinforced a lesson many businesses are now discovering: successful adoption depends as much on data and governance as it does on printing technology.
Magda Dudziak-Ćwieczkowska, Head of QR at GS1 UK, says: “The move to QR codes powered by GS1 marks an important step in the evolution of product identification, giving businesses the opportunity to connect trusted product data to physical products in a more flexible and accessible way.
“As a GS1 UK Approved partner, Domino is well placed to understand the practical considerations involved in implementing standards-based solutions. Its own rollout of QR codes powered by GS1 across its product and consumables portfolio gives the company first-hand experience of the data, systems and governance work that many manufacturers will need to consider as adoption grows.”
For Domino, the adoption of QR codes powered by GS1 is about more than compliance or product information. It reflects a broader move towards connected products, greater traceability, waste reduction, and smarter supply chains. As industries prepare for the widespread adoption of 2D codes, Domino’s experience demonstrates that the transition is not simply about replacing one barcode with another – it’s about unlocking new ways of connecting products, data, and people.
Want to learn more? Domino’s journey to adopt QR codes powered by GS1 offers valuable lessons for manufacturers preparing for their own transition. Find out more.