EPC and UID settings control how individual item units are identified and tracked. You can choose between random UIDs and GS1 SGTIN-96 tags, configure your company prefix, and set serial number ranges.
Tracking modes
Beam supports three tracking modes. Each mode can be enabled or disabled independently. The default mode is the one automatically applied when a new item is created.
| Mode | Toggle | Description |
|---|---|---|
| None | Always available | No individual UID tracking. Items are tracked by quantity only. |
| Random | On / Off | Each unit gets a randomly generated 24-character HEX UID. No GS1 standard required. Fast and simple. |
| SGTIN | On / Off | Each unit gets a GS1 SGTIN-96 tag. Requires a GS1 company prefix. Compatible with GS1 RFID ecosystems. |
Random UID mode
In Random mode, Beam generates a unique 24-character hexadecimal string for each item unit. These UIDs are not tied to any external standard and are generated entirely within Beam.
- No configuration needed beyond enabling the mode.
- UIDs are globally unique within your organization.
- Compatible with any RFID reader that supports EPC Gen2 tags.
- Ideal for internal tracking where GS1 interoperability is not required.
SGTIN mode
SGTIN (Serialized Global Trade Item Number) is the GS1 standard for encoding product and serial number information into an RFID tag. Beam implements the SGTIN-96 encoding as defined in the GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard v1.13.
Each SGTIN-96 tag encodes three values:
- Company Prefix. Your GS1-issued organization identifier.
- Item Reference. Derived from the item's ID in Beam.
- Serial Number. A unique counter per item unit.
SGTIN configuration
Company prefix
Your GS1 Company Prefix is the numeric identifier issued to your organization by GS1. It is required for SGTIN encoding.
- Enter the prefix as a string of digits (no spaces or dashes).
- Typical GS1 prefixes are 7-12 digits long depending on your GS1 membership tier.
- The prefix is used in all SGTIN tags generated by your organization.
Partition
The partition determines how the 96 bits of a SGTIN tag are divided between the company prefix and the item reference. A higher partition value means a shorter company prefix and more bits available for the item reference.
| Partition | Company prefix digits | Item reference digits | Max serial |
|---|---|---|---|
| P6 (6) | 6 digits | Longer item reference | 274,877,906,943 |
| P5 (5). Default | 7 digits | Standard item reference | 274,877,906,943 |
| P4 (4) | 8 digits | Shorter item reference | 274,877,906,943 |
| P3 (3) | 9 digits | Shortest item reference | 274,877,906,943 |
Start serial number
The start serial number is the first serial value Beam assigns when generating new SGTIN tags for an item. Each new tag gets the next serial in sequence.
- Default start serial: 1.
- Maximum serial number: 274,877,906,943 (2³⁸ − 1).
- The serial counter advances per item. Each item has its own serial sequence starting from the configured start value.
- Set a higher start value if you are migrating from a previous system and want to avoid serial number collisions with existing tags.
UID statuses
Each individual UID (whether Random or SGTIN) has a status that reflects its current state in the system. These statuses are assigned automatically as UIDs move through workflows.
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Stock | The UID is in inventory and available. |
| Reserved | The UID is reserved for a customer or order but not yet picked. |
| In order | The UID is part of an active order transaction. |
| Shipped | The UID has been sent out (outbound order completed). |
| Sold | The UID has been sold and is no longer in your inventory. |
| Returned | The UID was sent out and has been returned (rental or return order). |
| Missing | The UID was not found during a stocktake and has been flagged as missing. |