In this way, by giving some meanings to each letter, the code enables the person concerned (some people in the maker or industries, etc.) to recognize the product at a glance. It is called Classification code.
There is a code 4901660103451 on the reverse side of this product. Maybe anyone in the maker of that product cannot recognize the product by watching this number.
This code means, in Japan (49), of the maker which has given the maker code 01660, the product which has given the item code 10345.
There isn't much meaning in these numbers themselves. The detail of contents, cost price, market price, etc. of the product is written in the page of that number in the computer; the code is only a key to open the page.
The code for distinction of these pages is called distinction code.
Common product code, for example, JAN code is the distinction code.
From traditional sales to facing the client, enlarged the shops, increased supermarket-type large shops and the cash registers at that time cannot process the price calculation of goods any more. That is a reason why the common product code has to e established. (I guess Americans are well used to the duodecimal system in their daily life.)
After that, many people made many trials; Some adds proper weight of metal to the product, for its price, and weigh the sum of weight and calculate. In earlier stage of the computer popularization, used Bull's Eye concentric-circle-shaped ancestor of the barcode; but none of them was put to practical use.
In such a flow, Kelloggs, one of the major supermarket chains, added in 1967, long before any other companies, the prototype of UPC barcode to their products, and put a method to practical use, to read the code by electronic scanner.
More the barcode is used practically and spread to the whole country, of course, more the "unified product code" is required.
Then in 1970, American Food Chain Association established UPGIP, a common code of foods. Moreover, UPCC established in 1973 the general product code adding general sundries, medicines, etc, called UPC. The spread of UPC prompted the general use of barcode.
Going together with the improvement of functionality of the computer, spread of the common product code resulted to the introduction of the so-called POS, not only for sales management at the register, but for inventory control, stock management, sales prediction, etc.; and it has grown into an indispensable for management of large shops.
In European countries, stimulated by the spread and the success of UPC in America, making UPC its model, established a common product code , called EAN, in 1977.
At first, it is only for the European free economic countries;
Since EAN constructs the code system with global thought from origin,
Many countries from over the world joined to EAN one after another,
and today established as a global system of Common Product Code.
(See Flag)
Talking of JAN code, it remind us of striped barcodes affixed to the products. This is a common product code affixed to the product, that is, a form of "JAN code, in original meaning", represented in barcode "symbol".
There are many products which have own JAN code, nevertheless, without printed barcode.
For example, roofing tiles are not sold in supermarket for general consumers. So it doesn't make a sense if the tiles have its barcode for paying off at POS register.
But, in transactions between maker and agency, or between agency and wholesaler, orders are given by the number of JAN code given to the tiles.
JAN code is the common product code affixed to the products. JAN symbol is the representation of that in barcode. Don't mistake it.