IUID Compliance is a critical consideration for any organization that works with the Department of Defense today. Item Unique Identification or IUID, is an essential component for maintaining compliance with US Department of Defense equipment contracts. IUID refers to the permanent marking method used to give equipment a unique ID. This unique mark, or label, needs to meet Military Standard 130 (or MIL STD 130). This article will discuss the essential components to creating compliant IUID labels.
The IUID Data
IUID is a string of data (made up of alphanumeric characters) that is globally unique and unambiguous. Each IUID refers to a specific piece of equipment, asset or property and only that piece of equipment.
Having a unique ID for each particular asset is the best way to manage and keep track of an inventory. By using IUID labels, the Department of Defense is leveraging and taking advantage of commonly accepted asset tracking best practices.
Construct 1 vs Construct 2 labels
MIL-STD-130 specifically identifies how to mark an asset with an IUID. One of the first considerations is to determine whether you need a Construct 1 or Construct 2 IUID label. Government contracts will often clarify which construct needs to be used; but, not always. If the contract does not call out the construct you should check with your contracting officer for clarification on which construct should be used. The designation of Construct 1 and Construct 2 is referring to the data (or the format of the alphanumeric code) within the IUID.
Construct 1 typically consists of a CAGE code (or possibly a DUNS number) and a Serial number. Whereas, Construct 2 typically consists of a CAGE code, Part number and Serial number.
Compliant IUID Characters
It is important to recognize that MIL STD 130 makes it clear that all characters in an IUID label must be either alphanumeric or a dash or a forward slash. All other characters are considered non-compliant and will not meet the MIL STD 130 requirements. Non-compliant characters include: #, &, $,* … and even a space is unacceptable.
Types of IUID Labels
Once your IUID data is set, the next step is to choose an appropriate label material and printing method for your asset label. The key to this decision is understanding the environmental conditions that your asset will experience throughout the life of that asset.
It’s important to know whether the asset will be in an office environment or whether it will be outdoors and exposed to weather and sunlight. Generally, the more rugged IUID labels are more expensive — and there is no reason to waste money having photo etched aluminum label in an office environment.
In this chart above, you can see that Photo Etched Aluminum labels have a High durability (or Wear and Tear) compared to a more common Polyester IUID label that you might find attached to a laptop or radio.
They key thing that you want to remember here is that your compliant IUID Label needs to last the lifetime of that asset. Meaning, that you need to select the material type that will be able to support the environmental conditions your asset will get exposed to.
Watch the Video
To learn more about creating compliant IUID labels and maintaining accountability for your Government Assets take a look at this video. It was taken from a recent Webinar that I hosted on IUID Compliance.
Click here to watch this IUID Video
