BISG Policy On Product Identification

1
BISG Policy On Product Identification

• Barnes Noble Supports

2
2005 Sunrise and BISG Policy

• Eliminates dual numbering
• Provides for a single item-specific number
• ISBN in the Bookland EAN bar code for books
• EAN/UPC on Music and Video
• EAN/UPC on Toys and Book-related Products
• Eliminates confusion, delay, and cost at point of
  sale and in distribution centers resulting from
• Two bar codes and two numbers
• Overstickering unusable bar codes
• Staff training requirement

3
Replacement of Price Point UPC

• Bookland EAN in place of Price Point UPC on Cover
  4 (Back Cover) of mass market paperbacks
• At point of sale
• Booksellers presently must open books to scan
  Bookland EAN on Cover 2 (Inside Front)
• Delays checkout
• Requires special training
• In distribution centers
• Awkward for Order Pickers who must scan for pick
  confirmation
• Inaccessible to automated sortation systems

4
Use GTIN in Communications

• Aligns Book Industry with existing practices in
  General Retailing in the US and Canada
• Facilitates ordering by case pack
• Permits designating different size case packs

5
ISBN Expansion to 13-Digits

• BarnesNoble.com fulfillment system was built on
  13-digit product identifiers (Bookland
  EAN/EAN/UPC)
• Music CDs, Video DVDs, Gift Products, and
  International products flow seamlessly through
  that system
• Over 20 percent of items sold by BarnesNoble.com
  are non-ISBN
• The Barnes Noble store system also handles
  mixed product identifies for books and non-book
  products

6
Evolution, Not Revolution

• Movement to the ISBN-13 is part of the
  simplification and unification of national and
  international product identification
• The overall purpose is to reduce cost and delay
  in the supply chain
• The movement must take the form of an evolution,
  not a revolution a transition rather than an
  abrupt switch
• Not all publishers and wholesalers will be
  capable of accepting 13/14 digit orders at the
  same time
• At Barnes Noble, some of our back office
  systems must still be converted to 13-digit
  identifiers
• We urge you to support the BISG/BISAC work and to
  participate with us to ensure as smooth a
  transition as possible