There are countless uses of Barcodes. Here are a few most popular uses of Barcodes:-
- Tracking inventory:Companies need to know thecurrent location of those products, at all times. Barcodes can resolve that warehouse management issue—warehouse associates scan new items as they arrive and again when they’re shipped out as part of an order; in more automated facilities. Every productsneeds a barcode, of course, and codes must be linked to a database that has all the necessary product information. But once that’s set up, inventory numbers will always be reliable and update in real time.
- Tracking assets:Barcodes are the most popular method for tracking the assets that businesses use to support their daily operations.For mobile items like computers or vehicles, barcodes can show who last used those items and when. They also help company leaders understand the usage and condition of different assets as they plan future investments.
- Invoicing:Many organizations put barcodes on invoices to make it easier to track accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR). Companies could put barcodes on invoices to tie it to a specific customer. When the customer pays, an employee can scan the barcode to make sure they credit the correct account, and could follow the same process for accounts payable (AP)
- Mail:Much like with inventory, businesses can use barcodes to track all the mail and packages they send out. They can scan letters and packages before handing them off to couriers to link tracking information to that order, and then send it to customers so they can check the status of their orders. If mail is returned to the seller, it can scan the barcode to quickly identify the customer it needs to contact to resolve the issue.
- Mail Merges:A mail merge links a data source, like a spreadsheet, with another document to automatically plug that data into preset fields. Business can use mail merges to create barcodes for a batch of items in a few simple steps. It’s a much more efficient method than handling them one by one.
How do Barcodes Work?
As we know that a barcode is a square or rectangular image consisting of a series of parallel black lines and white spaces. The information is encoded between the length of each shaded line and the space between them.
A scanning device uses a laser to “read” the bar code by scanning in the unique bar of shaded lines. A barcode scanner reads the lines from left to right.
A barcode scanner reads pattern of black and white bars which turns the information in the binary code (0 or 1). Computer reads the information in the binary forms only andsame is displayed onthe the screen of the monitor.
The “number” written in the right hand side of the “center guard” informs about the type of the product whether it is made of plastic or by natural things, vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
In the picture given below, If “2” is written instead of 0; it shows that the product is either vegan or non-vegan.
If “3” is written; it means that the product is related to pharmacy
Two digits near the left bar i.e. 0 and 5 inform that the product if either made in USA or in Canada because barcode from 00 to 13 is assigned to these two countries.
The last digit “7” given on the right hand side of the barcode is a check number, which ensures that whether information has been properly read by the barcode reader or not.
Now we are going to discuss about the advantages of Barcodes–
It is very important to understand the advantages of Barcodes and how it can be applied to help your business grow. The following are the some advantages of barcodes:
- Barcodes eliminate the possibility of human error.The occurrence of errors for manually entering data is higher than data entered by barcodes and scanning machines. A barcode scanner is a more reliable and less time-consuming option than to enter data by hand.
- Using barcode systems reduces the time spent in training the employees.It only takes a few minutes to learn and understand how a barcode scanner works for reading barcodes compared to the hours spent training employees.
- Barcodes will inevitably reduce labour cost. Barcodes will do a two-man job. It is perfectly possible for one person to operate it.
- Barcodes are inexpensive to design and print.Generally, they cost very less, regardless of their purpose or where they will be placed. Also, they can be customized in a variety of finishes and materials.
- Barcode usage is extremely varied. They can be used for any kind of data collection necessary. This could include pricing or inventory information.
- Barcodes improve inventory control.Since barcodes make it possible to track inventory so precisely, excess inventory levels can be reduced. Additionally, the location of inventory can be tracked, reducing the time spent searching for it.
- Barcodes provide better data. Since one barcode can be used for both inventory and pricing information, it is possible to obtain data for a wide variety of products.
- Data obtained through barcodes is available quickly.Since the information is scanned directly into a computer, it is ready and accessible instantly. This ensures that time will not be wasted on data entry or retrieval.
- Barcodes promote better decision making.Since the data is obtained rapidly, it is possible to make more informed decisions that ultimately helps saves money and time.
