Legacy inventory

MSI Shelf Labels: Digits-Only Inventory Bars & Check Variants

MSI (sometimes called MSI/Plessey in broader family discussions) is a numeric linear symbology that still appears in older inventory and shelf-label workflows. It is not a GS1 retail GTIN carrier.

Generate MSI

Scenario: relabeling aisle B

Your WMS exports shelf locations: 104422, 104423, 104424. Handhelds are already profiled for MSI. Staff need bars that decode to exactly those digit strings so cycle counts match the bin master.

1 104422

2 104423

3 104424 fixed-length +1

If the master stores 1044227 with a trailing check, the label must carry that full string. Trimming the last digit "to make the label shorter" creates silent mismatches.

Digits only

Numeric shelf key

104422 104423

Print exactly what the export contains, including intentional gaps if a bay was retired.

Alphanumeric scheme in MSI

B-104-422

Letters and hyphens belong in Code 128, or map to a pure numeric surrogate in the WMS barcode field.

Why multiple check algorithms exist

MSI grew up where vendors and scanner firmware disagreed on protection bolted onto a numeric string. Deployments still disagree on whether an MSI string includes one check digit, two, Mod 10, Mod 11, Mod 10 then Mod 11, or none beyond what the host already stored.

Policy	What the floor expects	Risk if you guess wrong
No extra check	Bars equal the bin key as stored	Appending a digit breaks every lookup
Mod 10 (or Mod 11) in the key	Full string including check already in WMS	Stripping or recomputing with a different rule
Scanner strips check	Label may include check; wedge drops it	Double-stripping or never-stripping mismatch

Ask which check the receiving system validates or strips before you reprint thousands of labels. Two stores in the same chain can differ after a partial handheld upgrade.

How Qrivio handles MSI

As entered The tool draws the digits you enter and does not append an extra MSI check digit.

Paste the full key Use 104422 or 1044227 -- whichever the bin master stores. Qrivio will not second-guess the policy.

Sequential batches Treat the whole digit string as a fixed-length integer (987654 to 987655).

Not a GTIN Never treat MSI shelf keys as retail GTINs or as packaging-line Pharmacode integers.

Migration toward Code 128

Enable

Turn on Code 128 on handhelds before changing any label template.

Pilot

Dual-print one aisle (MSI + Code 128); scan into the live cycle-count screen.

Cut over

Switch the WMS label template; keep MSI stock until no-reads drop to zero.

Retire

Only then stop MSI printing. Do not orphan MSI-only scanners overnight.