UPC Barcodes

 5 Uses for Barcodes

Barcodes have a plethora of applications and can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of your regular operations. Here are a few of the most common applications:

Inventory tracking: Businesses must be aware of not only their present inventory levels but also the location of those products at all times. Warehouse personnel scan new things as they arrive and again when they're shipped out as part of an order using barcodes; in more automated facilities, mounted scanners could scan products as they move along a conveyor. Of course, each SKU requires a barcode, which must be linked to a database containing all relevant product data. However, once this is done, inventory figures will always be accurate and updated in real-time.

Asset tracking: The most common way for tracking the assets that organizations utilize to support their daily operations, such as machinery, cars, and computers, is to use barcodes. When barcodes are used in conjunction with asset tracking software, firms can keep track of the state and location of their assets as well as keep track of any maintenance or repair records. This is significant because, unlike inventory, businesses frequently hold on to capital assets for years and use them on a regular basis. Barcodes on movable devices such as laptops or vehicles can reveal who used them last and when. They also assist business leaders in determining the utilization and condition of various assets in order to plan future investments.

Invoicing: To make it easier to track accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR), several companies use barcodes on invoices (AR). Barcodes could be printed on invoices to link them to a specific consumer. When a consumer pays, staff can scan the barcode to ensure that the funds are credited to the correct account, and the same procedure might be used for AP debits. The fulfillment process can also be sped up with the use of invoice barcodes. A warehouse worker may print an order's invoice, then scan the code to determine which things to pick and where they're placed, eliminating the possibility of errors. Alternatively, after gathering all of the products for an order, the worker could scan the barcode to ensure the package has all of the correct items.

Businesses may use barcodes to track all of the mail and parcels they send out, just like they can with inventories. They can scan letters and parcels before passing them off to couriers so that tracking information can be linked to the order and sent to clients so that they can check the status of their goods. When mail is returned to the seller, the barcode can be scanned to easily identify the customer who needs to be contacted to fix the problem.

Mail Merges: A mail merge connects a data source, such as a spreadsheet, to another document, allowing the data to be automatically inserted into preset fields. Mail merges allow businesses to create barcodes for a batch of items in only a few clicks.

How to Make a Barcode

Companies who require a modest number of barcodes can generate them using a mail merge or a free online application, then print them with a normal printer. However, if your needs grow, this can soon become inefficient.

Using your accounting or inventory software to create barcodes is a more efficient option—even the most basic systems typically have this feature, making it simple to link each barcode to specific item records in your product database. For most firms, pairing this technology with a barcode printer developed exclusively for printing labels, which can cost as low as a few hundred dollars, will make sense.

Businesses that require barcodes for external purposes, such as tracking things sold by a third-party store, must register with GS1. The organization charges an initial fee as well as a yearly renewal fee, with prices varying depending on the number of barcodes required. Your company will be assigned a unique ID from GS1, known as a GS1 Company Prefix, which will appear on all of your barcodes. This membership also grants you access to the GS1 Data Hub, which allows you to create and manage barcodes as well as export them to a printer.

The GS1 group is a global organization that supports UPC and EAN barcodes as well as various 2D codes.

What Role Do Barcodes Play in Business?

Barcodes are one of the few technologies that have acquired universal adoption over the last half-century, and for good reason. They're a straightforward, practical, and dependable way to keep track of inventory, which may account for a significant portion of a company's potential revenue and expenses.

New firms and those who haven't used barcodes before should figure out which kind of barcodes are best for them and make sure they utilize and scan them regularly. It's a minor investment that pays off quickly with better inventory control and accuracy, as well as access to real-time data. Barcodes play a critical role in providing companies with the visibility they need to keep expenses under control and provide exceptional customer service.