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What does a product’s code actually identify?

A product code can identify a type of item, a batch code can connect items made together, and a serial number can distinguish an individual item. Those levels answer different questions. None of them alone tells the full story of where an item has traveled; that requires linked records.

5–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Which identifier would matter when tracing one faulty item versus a whole batch?
  • How does a product model identifier differ from a batch number or a unique serial number?

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