New learning centre aims to help Thai SMEs with global barcode standards
GS1 Thailand, a division of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), on Monday opened a new learning centre with the goal of educating the country's entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), on how to go global with barcode standards.
Khomsan Laosillapacharoen, chairman of GS1 Thailand and FTI's vice chairman, said in an opening statement that the "FTI Connect Learning Center by GS1 Thailand" is a business learning centre focusing on the global language of business, also known as barcodes, which is the most widely used system of standards globally.
GS1 is a non-profit international organisation that develops and maintains its own barcode standards and issues company prefixes.
"Our medium and large-sized businesses had already implemented barcodes, but our small businesses had not. So, this centre will serve as a simple portal to help them understand what a barcode is, why it is important, and how to obtain one," Khomsan stated.
Meanwhile, the FTI Connect Learning Centre will demonstrate some of the most recent use case technology and innovation related to barcodes so that visitors can see the benefits firsthand.
Besides, Khomsan intends to use this learning centre to prepare Thai entrepreneurs and businesses for the next 2-D barcode version.
"Instead of the familiar barcode, the next one will resemble a QR Code. This new version of the product code will include product information, all manufacturing processes for goods and services, such as packaging, production period, and any other information that will assist buyers and consumers in tracing the origin of the product," he explained.
He predicted that the 2-D code will be widely used worldwide within the next five years. Its goal is to meet the demands of sustainable trends.
During the opening ceremony, he stated that barcodes are the global language of products. It is an essential tool for international trade.
Aside from helping boost the confidence of Thai SMEs to go abroad, the learning centre aims to educate the general public about the country's industries and their evolution, FTI history, and other current interesting economic trends and issues.
"With our interactive display, visitors will enjoy learning about business knowledge," Kriangkrai said.
The learning centre is now open for free visits on the first floor of Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep's Creative Technology Building.
Visitors must pre-register and limit their visits to 5-20 people per round. Each round of the visit lasts about 30 minutes.
