Over the years, barcodes have been widely used for inventory management in warehouses and other businesses. There are many benefits that businesses get from using a barcode system for their inventory control.
Benefits of using barcodes
They are cheap
The time that barcode technology cost businesses a fortune is long gone now. Barcode technology is everywhere now, and they are cheap to design and print.
There are even phone applications that enable barcode software that can be used to scan and read details of a barcode. Compared to all the things that a barcode will simplify for your business, it is a huge advantage.
They reduce errors
If you want to reduce the number of errors made in inventory management, barcode technology is the way. No matter how careful your employee might be while typing the inventory details, making errors is imminent.
Since a barcode scanner reads and records exactly the writings on any product, you’re guaranteed to have fewer or no errors in the end result.
They are efficient and time-saving
When using a barcode reader, all is needed is to scan an item, and its information is displayed in the connected computer system. This saves a lot of time as compared to manually recording information about thousands of items.
Barcodes are efficient for businesses with extensive workloads because they can scan and accurately record all the items into the systems in the shortest time possible.
They are versatile
Barcodes can be used for different purposes, such as inventory tracking, pricing and sometimes they can be programmed to do both tasks simultaneously.
Also, barcodes can be attached to almost any surface, which means your business is not limited to using barcodes for specific items.
How to create a barcode
Creating barcodes isn’t hard, and it’s a great option for those creating barcodes for their own businesses. It’ll save you the cost of hiring someone else to do it for you.
You can use a barcode generator or type them in Microsoft Word. With 12 digits in the UPC-A symbology, you’ll need to break down the hierarchy so that it can be easily distinguishable what a certain barcode is for.
The 12 digits can, however, be broken down to represent more categories for those who would prefer a detailed barcode.
After you’ve created a barcode, the next thing is to get a barcode scanner that can either be wired or wireless. They cost not more than $100 in various wholesale and retail stores.
After you’ve generated barcodes and stuck them to your products, barcode software is needed to tie the barcodes to the actual product names in your inventory system. To accomplish this, it costs a few hundred dollars depending on the software you choose.
Conclusion
Barcodes have taken over now, and even small businesses are adopting the technology. If you’d like more efficiency in your business operations, you can create your barcodes using your home computer as it is simple and even cheaper.
