Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In the 1960s, checkout was slow, manual, and fragmented. Retailers and manufacturers were operating on incompatible systems. Consumers waited as cashiers punched in numbers by hand. Returns were complicated. Inventory was guesswork.
The world needed a new language of commerce.
What began as a bold ambition — to create a global standard — became the Universal Product Code (UPC). But it wasn’t inevitable. Barcode technology had existed for decades without real application. Scaling it required something more: conviction, coordination, and the courage to align entire industries around a shared infrastructure.
Featuring insights from McKinsey Senior Parter Kristi Klitsch Weaver and Firm Archivist Paul Lasewicz, this film explores how a small signal became a global system: one that reshaped retail, enabled new business models, and laid the foundation for everything from ATMs to QR codes.
The UPC wasn’t just a barcode. It was proof that technology, thoughtfully applied, can rewire systems and make everyday life better.
Part of the “What’s your next brilliant move?” film series.
After that moment, everything changed. Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
***Find us on***
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
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In the 1960s, checkout was slow, manual, and fragmented. Retailers and manufacturers were operating on incompatible systems. Consumers waited as cashiers punched in numbers by hand. Returns were complicated. Inventory was guesswork.
The world needed a new language of commerce.
What began as a bold ambition — to create a global standard — became the Universal Product Code (UPC). But it wasn’t inevitable. Barcode technology had existed for decades without real application. Scaling it required something more: conviction, coordination, and the courage to align entire industries around a shared infrastructure.
Featuring insights from McKinsey Senior Parter Kristi Klitsch Weaver and Firm Archivist Paul Lasewicz, this film explores how a small signal became a global system: one that reshaped retail, enabled new business models, and laid the foundation for everything from ATMs to QR codes.
The UPC wasn’t just a barcode. It was proof that technology, thoughtfully applied, can rewire systems and make everyday life better.
Part of the “What’s your next brilliant move?” film series.
After that moment, everything changed. Subscribe to our channel: mck.co/YouTube
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
***Find us on***
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
Twitter: mck.co/Twitter
LinkedIn: mck.co/LinkedIn
Instagram: mck.co/Instagram
