Non-transparent IDs

Consecutive Number

Consecutive numbers are the most basic type of non-transparent ID - 1, 2, 3,...0001, 0002. Generally, items are listed in the order in which they were entered.

Let us take a look at the following example:

Clearly, this type of ID tells us nothing about the item itself or about which category it belongs in.

EAN Code

The most commonly used non-transparent IDs are 13-digit EAN codes, which can be found on most products (for more information see Automatically Assigned EAN Codes). Using EAN code and barcode scanners for items in your store, it’s a good idea to enter items in the register using their EAN codes.

Let us take a look at the following example where items are sorted by category:

EAN codes make it very easy to track items. The easiest way to enter EAN codes is with a barcode scanner: just scan the item’s EAN code and enter the missing information in the register.