We are all familiar with the barcode, it is on just about every conceivable product that has been made for many years now, and so familiar is it to us all that most of us do not even notice it any more. However, how many people realise the numerous functions that can be performed with the barcode? Put simply, barcodes have become part of our everyday lives.
So what, apart from the familiar pricing information we see at the cash register does the barcode do? They can be used for the identification of property or important documents as an example. This way they are the ideal way to track inventory or stock movement. They can even be used between departments or organisations, possibly to monitor the life cycle of a product is another use for the barcode.
What we do know is that by using barcodes greatly reduces the amount of data errors; no longer do we have to rely upon the human form of entry by hand into registers, computers or manuals. When a barcode is read by a scanner the data in a database is updated automatically, very cost effective and a way which will reduce man hours and business overheads greatly.
By using a simple hand held scanner anyone who needs to access the data held on the barcode is able to have this information easily and quickly, a sure way to improve business efficiency. Systems which have barcodes can provide up-to-the-minute information about numerous things and they are to hand in the blink of the scanner.