Barcode technology is something so common that most consumers don’t give it a thought, but its uses and benefits in a wide range of businesses and industries are many. Using only a simple basic printer and a reliable barcode scanner, a business can make barcode technology work for it to achieve more efficient and precise operations without a huge investment.

Efficiency

To ensure data entry mistakes are kept at a minimum, clerks carefully examine packages, read ID information and correct any errors found that were not entered correctly. This whole process takes a significant amount of time, but you can speed it up by using barcodes. The process of registration, which previously involved reading ID numbers and keying them in, will be reduced to a simple act of scanning a barcode. In a retail store, for example, a clerk can ring up a dozen products or more in just a few minutes. In the transportation business, data from hundreds of packages to be transported can be instantly captured by a barcode scanner.

Accuracy

There is a huge risk for human error when data is manually entered. Does your business still rely on your staff doing manual data entry of package and product information? You probably know firsthand how this impacts the accuracy of your information, particularly when items need to change hands many times and more people are involved in data entry. One of the biggest benefits of using a barcode is how it practically eliminates the risk of human error since it can reliably and accurately encode information. Employees simply need to use a barcode scanner to effortlessly identify products and packages with impressive accuracy.

Better Inventory Control

Almost every package comes with some type of barcode so businesses can easily take advantage of the technology to keep better control of inventory. For example, a transportation company can scan the barcode on packages whenever accepting or delivering them. Similarly, in a warehouse, every package that enters and exits the facility can be easily recorded by simply scanning the barcode on the packages. When retailers receive these packages, the staff can then scan the barcodes on the individual products as they put them on the shelves. At the point of sale, the products will again be scanned. This way, records of inventory data can be easily compared with data of scanned barcodes at the register. If your company integrates your inventory control to an online system, the whole process of tracking inventory becomes in sync and you can be easily updated on the status of inventory stock and deliveries.

Implementing barcode technology used to be expensive, but the increased use of barcodes and the existing economical equipment for creating them have made this technology affordable for companies. Even a small startup can find barcode generators on the Internet to easily create barcodes and start adding them to their package and product labels. Today, smart phones are equipped with barcode scanning capability and free barcode applications can be also be downloaded online. For mid-size to large companies, barcode implementation can be the more cost-effective method for inventory control than other systems.

How Barcodes Can Help Reduce Costs

Barcodes are not often thought of as a tool for cost-cutting but companies are actually making it a viable option if you want to improve efficiency levels in your business while also reducing overhead costs. Here’s how barcodes can do this:

A barcode system requires shorter training time

It will only take your employees a few minutes to learn how to use a barcode scanner. It also eliminates the need for them to become familiar with your entire pricing system or product inventory, which means employee training is reduced and its associated costs such as trainer’s fees and overtime training pay.

Barcodes are versatile and precise data collectors

You can use barcodes to collect practically any kind of important data, including inventory or pricing information. Furthermore, barcodes record data accurately, helping to reduce or maintain adequate inventory levels to keep overhead costs from ballooning. Costs spike up when there is excess inventory because more resources are needed to manage and store it. Also, you can attach barcodes onto almost any type of surface, so they can be used to track not just products but outgoing deliveries and equipment too. This means when an equipment is presumed missing, it is easier to track its location with the help of a barcode instead of spending time searching for it and spending money unnecessarily for replacement.

Barcodes obtain accurate data rapidly

Because barcodes can read data instantly and this data is directly transmitted to your system, information is readily available to business owners and decision makers. The quick access to data ensures no time is wasted on manual data entry or data retrieval. This also helps improve a company’s decision making process by providing timely and accurate data necessary for more informed decisions that, in the end, saves money and time.