Advantages of UID Marking for The DoD

The U.S. Department of Defense started the IUID program to mark the DoD items with unique identification (UID). The implantation and the marking of UID to the DoD recognized items principally aim at keeping track of the items and helping the strategic item management process. The item that come under the scope of UID marking program include item in operational use, in inventory or undergoing depot maintenance along with new solicitations, items procured under ongoing contracts, and the Government-furnished property in the possession of contractors.

UID is a globally unique permanent identification of an item under the Department of Defense that distinguishes individual item from all other item. The UID of an item is a machine-readable 2D data matrix code etched to the item or the label that is affixed to the item. It is a set of globally unique essential data that helps tracking and better management of items.

The UID marking procedure has been proved beneficial for the DoD in several ways.

• Asset visibility and asset traceability are the major parts of asset management and UID marking system provides the best management practice for the business organizations in this regard.
• UID of the items are an aid to DoD's financial operation for the operations are done with the item identification number. It also helps in advanced audit option for the plant, property, equipment and operating material management.
• The data available for the strategic purchasing of the items, their repairing and maintenance is more accurate with UID of that particular item. It also provides an extensive approach strategic maintenance of item reports.
• The better visibility of the items and the better tracking ability through the UID has helped a long-term and improved inventory management system for the DoD.
• The organizations that aim at mission oriented activities will achieve enhanced planning and execution of item with the help of total asset visibility.
• As the UID of the items has enhanced the efficiency of management with asset visibility and improved data availability, it has also reduce the frustration of the DoD regarding keeping record of data starting from acquisition to repairing and management.
• The consistent use of lifecycle asset information with the help of UID has significantly reduced the item management cost for all the departments of DoD.
• During the peace as well as the war time, the DoD allows total item visibility.

The MIL-STD-130 is the standard that determines the UID marking methods of the items. There are a required set of UID data that is essential to be marked on the item to get accepted by the UID Registry. The DoD also requires that the alpha-numeric human-readable information should also be introduced to the UID marking of the item along with the machine readable 2D data matrix code. As the UID of the items provide extended marking solution for asset management system, they are growing popular among various business organizations across the world. The permanent marking of the UID has added to the advantage of the UID marking system.