Inventory management has been a crucial part of business management. Gone are the days when companies relied on pen and paper to keep their inventories updated. Today, barcode inventory systems are widely used to keep track of inventory. These systems help businesses track inventory faster and easier. When a product has a barcode, it’s scanned with a handheld mobile device and synchronizes with inventory management software.
What is a barcode?
Even if you don’t know what a barcode is, we’re pretty sure you’ve seen it because they are everywhere nowadays. But, to picture it out, a barcode is a square or rectangle illustration with a combination of vertical black lines of varying thickness and height, white space and numbers. Together, they identify specific products and their relevant information. That said, barcodes are essential tools for business because it can streamline your daily operation to make it run more smoothly and efficiently.
That said, it brings you to the question, how do barcodes help your business? Here are several reasons why.
Reduce Errors
The use of barcodes can save businesses a lot of time and money. One of the main reasons for this is that barcodes greatly reduce the risk for transcription errors, which are bound to happen when information is manually keyed in or paper forms are scanned. The costs of transcription errors are greater than a human realizes. Barcodes also speed up productivity and can save hours of time. Companies and manual workers can use the saved time to complete more important tasks. Other benefits of barcodes include reduced inventory errors, improved customer service, and streamlined business processes.
More efficient than handwriting/typing
There’s a reason why so many people use barcode scanners in their businesses. Scanning barcodes is much faster than typing or handwriting and it’s also been proven that typing errors are reduced drastically when using this method. So, it’s faster to scan a few multiple barcodes using an app than it is to write them information down.
How can barcode scanners help you? Here are a few examples:
Scanning in a grocery store will allow the cashier to scan your products in less time than if you were to type in the information.
Have you ever entered a piece of information by hand and then had to make corrections? Barcode scanners help prevent errors from happening.
Shopping online is a snap with a barcode scanner. Scan the barcode and you’re done! You won’t have to type in the information or wonder if you’ve entered it correctly.
Easy-to-track inventory
You’ve probably seen barcodes on products when you’re shopping. Barcodes not only let you know what’s in the box, but they also provide a way to track inventory. This can be extremely helpful when you’re running a business. When you can’t tell how much of a certain product you have in stock, you could be losing a lot of sales. Not only that, but it can also be an inconvenience for your customers if they can’t find a needed item. But with a barcode system, you can quickly scan the barcodes of your items and keep track of your inventory. You can also easily tell when you’re running low on products so you’re prepared to fulfill orders.
Cost-effective
Barcodes can provide tremendous value, given the cost is not as high as more elaborate solutions that offer comparable benefits. Work teams can get a hold of just a few barcode labels should they require them for internal use, and with demand rising it’s relatively easy to find an affordable solution without breaking the bank.
Key Takeaway
Barcode inventory systems are essential for businesses to make sure their inventory is accounted for at all times. It is important that businesses use barcode inventory systems because it is a fast and easy way to track inventory. The barcode inventory system will also allow for businesses to use less time and money to track inventory. If a business does not use barcode inventory systems it will take longer to keep track of their inventory. In addition, there is a higher chance of inventory being lost or stolen.
