Managing EAN/UPC Codes
Uphance allows you to assign EAN/UPCs for your products. These are globally unique numbers that are generally 12 or 13 digits managed by the GS1 Global Standard Organization. UPCs are Universal Product Codes used in the U.S. In Europe, EANs are European Article Numbers also called International Article Numbers. All barcodes printed on the boxes that are shipped use these UPC codes and they are unique across the globe. They also facilitate 3rd party scanning across the globe.
As you buy a pack of EANs, you can automatically assign them to each of your products. The more you EANs you purchase, the lower the cost. You only need to buy the numbers as the barcodes will automatically be generated within Uphance.
Uphance provides a configurable template for you to use to create customized "hang tags" for your products. Hang tags are just tags that you can hang on your products if they are displayed in your retail store and provides product information for you and your customers such as SKU #, size, color and product name. Bar codes can be printed as well to assist you with checkout.
For More information on creating "Hang Tags", please see our Hang Tags Knowledge Article.
If your customers/retailers will be replacing your barcodes with their own barcodes and do not require EAN, you can print your own barcodes without EANs but they will not be unique outside your organization. You would set your own 13-digit numbers.
Management Strategy
After you purchase your EANs/UPCs, you will need to select a strategy on how you want to manage these. Your options are as follows:
Uphance Automated: Uphance automatically assigns SKU's & EAN/UPC numbers to your products. (Product Setup: Automatic)
Season Assigned: You push EAN/UPC numbers from your defined range only to specific Seasons. (Product Setup: Manual)
Bulk Upload: You manually control what EAN/UPC numbers are assigned to your products through our Bulk Upload model. (Product Setup: Manual)
Uphance Automated
Configuring your EAN/UPC Range
To set your EAN/UPC range , perform the following:
Access your Settings menu by clicking on the drop down in the top, right of your screen by your initials.
From the Settings menu, select Warehouse.
At the bottom of the screen, click Assign EANs (Figure 1)
Type your minimum (start range) and maximum (end range) values.
Click the Update button.
Once Uphance applies the EANs to your Season, you will see the confirmation count as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 1
Apply your EAN/UPC Range to a Season:
To apply your range of EAN/UPCs to a specific season, perform the following:
From your Settings menu, select Seasons.
Locate your Season.
Click the pencil at the end of the row to Edit the Season.
Click on the Assign EAN Numbers button (Figure 2).
Figure 2:
You will know the update is successful because you will see how many EANs were assigned to your Season successfully as shown in Figure 3:
Figure 3:
Also, you can check your products by:
Select Product from the left, main vertical menu.
Filter on your Season
Click on one of your Products
Click on the SKU tab
Look at the EAN number associated with each of your products.
You will notice that the same EAN number is associated with the same size and color of a product even though it may be in different warehouses. A unique EAN number is assigned to different sizes and colors as shown in Figure 4 below.
Figure 4:
Bulk Upload
If you would prefer to control what EANs/UPCs are assigned to your products regardless of the Season (and even random codes), use the export/import feature to make your changes using these steps:
Select SKU from your main, left vertical menu
Scroll to the bottom and select SKU CSV or Excel to export your products
Type the SKU # or EAN/UPC in the appropriate fields
Save your revised CSV or Excel
Select the Upload Data drop down menu in the top, right of the SKU page
Select Upload EAN, EPC, SKU#
Click Choose File
Browse for your saved file and click Upload
