Barcodes

Barcodes are an extremely useful tool for accurate inventory management. The seemingly innocuous barcode can be utilized by inventory software to significantly speed up the the data entry process by simply scanning the barcode. This process of scanning is not only faster but less error prone as well due to the decreased need for hand entering item numbers for products.

Scanning Barcodes

Scanning barcodes has become more common with the explosion of smartphones and the QR Code. While the smartphone has its place in the world of scanning barcodes, any application that needs more than a casual use of barcoding would be well served to use a traditional barcode scanner that is purpose built for the task. Smartphones utilize a camera to essentially take a picture of the barcode and then decipher it. If the image is unstable the barcode will not be decoded. Similarly if there are “low light” conditions the smartphone camera will not be very successful. Make sure you look at both the need for quick accurate scanning as well as the typical conditions that the scanning will take place in when selecting the technology to use for scanning.

Printing Barcodes

Barcode printing can take on many forms. Perhaps you want to print out labels for the racks in your warehouse to define locations that users will scan when moving inventory around. Or maybe you want to print out a barcode on a receipt so that your accounting or point of sale system can quickly look up a transaction. You may even want to label equipment with specific serial numers or tags for tracking assets. Each of these implementations has some unique needs in both the size of the barcode and the durability of the printout. We can consult with you and determine the best way to print the barcodes that your particular solution requires.