Document Library: Standards: ISBN-13

ISBN-13: For Retailers....

Impact of the ISBN-13 Transition on Existing Systems

The ISBN generally serves as the key to records within most retailer systems. The ISBN-13 transition has made it necessary to ensure that, in all instances and applications in which the ISBN is used, the system can accommodate the new ISBN-13.

Note: You should be in contact with your computer systems vendor to be sure these issues are being addressed and to understand how they will impact business practices.

To accommodate these larger identifiers, retailers (and their systems vendors) may have to expand fields in their databases and reports. If that is the case, GS1 (formally the UCC) and BISG recommend expanding those fields to accommodate at least 14 digits to accommodate future industry use of EAN.UCC-14 packaging level identifiers. [See Communication and GTIN Considerations for more information about EAN.UCC-14 identifiers].

Although expansion to at least 14 digits is recommended, retailers may one day wish to include in their title records other identifiers now coming on line such as the ISTC (International Standard Text Code) or the DOI (Digital Object Identifier), both of which are of variable length.

For example, technologies such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), the possible further expansion of the capability of the ISBN numbering system to include various versions of e-books and excerpts of full works, and other changes in the future mean that it cannot be assumed that identifiers for the book industry will not eventually have to expand beyond 14 digits.

It is usually preferable to make a single change to a system that will accommodate possible future expansion than to have to repeat the process again in the future.

Therefore, retailers who need to expand the product identifier field in their current systems would do well to increase the length to accommodate numbers beyond 14 digits.

Direct-Dial EDI and the Replacement of Fixed BISAC Format
In the age of ISBN-13, BISAC fixed-format EDI, which is often used when transacting EDI via direct-dial, is severely limited. The fixed-format does not permit varying the length of the ISBN field to accommodate 13-digit ISBNs or including multiple product identifier codes for each line item or using qualifiers to define what the numbers are.

Although fixed -format EDI served the book industry well over the past 30 years, its time has clearly passed. Because it cannot adequately meet the needs of ISBN-13, BISAC voted in September 2004 to cease maintenance of it. In other words, there are no plans to make the fixed-format work with the new 13- and/or 14-digit product identifier codes.

BISG recommends that any company using fixed-format EDI to transmit and receive business documents via direct-dial immediately implement ASC X12 Version 4010 as the format of choice – moving toward XML as the industry transitions.

This recommendation will be of most value to POS vendors and publishers who need to know how to reconfigure their systems in light of ISBN-13. Retailers who want to know how to deal with their direct-dial orders should first contact their POS vendor to find out what upgrades, if any, they need to make. After making the required changes, retailers should then contact their publisher trading partners individually and schedule tests to insure that the new setup is working correctly.