As a result of Dealership requests, Packaging Engineering has mandated bar coding for individual parts packages, effective January 1, 2001. We continue to work with suppliers to enforce bar coding. Dealerships now have the ability to utilize bar code scanning systems to increase their inventory accuracy. Dealerships will also be able to reduce their amount of time spent checking incoming shipments and maintaining inventory counts.

Packaging Engineering has recently spoken to Sessler Ford, a dealership that is using ADP's PartScan Bar Code System. Hugh Trader, the Parts Manager reports: "The department is saving at least a total of ten to twelve hours a week in check-in time and more on weeks when our orders are really big." Hugh states he can now do a cycle count on a bin within half an hour. "PartScan has saved us time, which in turn saves us money and lets us get more done in the department."

Packaging Engineering utilizes two types of bar codes. A UPC bar code is used on all Motorcraft parts for retail point-of-sale purposes. The 3 of 9 is an alphanumeric bar code that displays the Ford service part number when scanned.

When the UPC bar code is scanned, a twelve-digit number will be displayed. This number can be cross-referenced with the corresponding Motorcraft and Ford part number on our UPC Number Access Site. Updated on a weekly basis, the UPC number file can be used to assist bar code systems in automatically translating the UPC code into the appropriate Motorcraft and Ford part number. The UPC number can be accessed in five ways:

-Entering an individual part number or UPC number
-Fuzzy searching by product category group
-Scrolling through the entire UPC file in Motorcraft part number sequence
-Listing the entire file fifty items at a time
-Downloading and unzipping a text file onto the user's computer

Suppliers are required to include additional characters to the 3 of 9 code. These symbols may or may not be displayed with the part number, depending on the type of scanner being used. (Non-Motorcraft part numbers cannot be found on the UPC Number Access Site.)

Packaging Engineering will continue to work on enforcing bar codes for the dealer body. If you have a high-volume part that you need bar-coded immediately, and the parts have a date code after 1/1/01, (located on the right hand side of the unit label, under the part name), please submit the part number and date code to our department through our online packaging concern form . We encourage you to contact Packaging Engineering if you have any questions or concerns.