The BSI has launched a digital identification service that it claims helps UK manufacturers to directly manage information about their products in the supply chain.
The Institute dubs BSI Identify as ‘revolutionary’ saying it will “help put an end to the confusion of multiple identifiers and of missing or out of date information – and to managing all the safety risks that come with ambiguity, unmanaged substitution and inappropriate application”.
The system uses digital object identifier (DOI) technology and there are four steps to product identification and information:
l Manufacturers receive a unique, digital object identifier called a BSI UPIN (Universal Persistent Identification Number) for every product that’s specified and incorporated in a building structure.
l BSI Identify holds these UPINs in an accessible and searchable registry.
The technology used ensures that theindex cannot be broken.
l The manufacturer can then mark or tag their products with the UPIN. They can be included within QR codes, NFC or RFID tags.
l The BSI UPIN acts as a smart link that can signpost users to a page, controlled by the manufacturer, where they can quickly find all the most up-to-date information on a product – from specification, installation and maintenance, to replacement, CE and recall/safety information. All queries about the product can be routed back to the manufacturer.
For full details see https://identify.bsigroup.com/supply-chain
