Warehouses deal with a lot of inventory tracking. Because of this, inventory tracking needs to be efficient when it comes to having competitive pricing, minimal errors, and timely services. Barcode scanners are a smart strategy to help make inventory tracking efficient and deliver the aforementioned aspects.
Barcode scanners are a great addition to your business and are a great investment to consider. They offer various benefits for the supply chain. If you’d like to learn five of these important benefits, feel free to read all about them below.
What Is A Barcode Scanner?
A barcode scanner is an electronic device that is used to read a barcode. It consists of a light source to illuminate the barcode; a lens to scan the barcode; a photoconductor to translate optical impulses into electrical impulses; and a decoder to analyse the data and send it to a host computer.
5 Benefits of Barcode Scanning for the Supply Chain
For the supply chain, there is a wide range of benefits that a simple barcode scanner can offer you. These benefits include the following:
1). Reduction In Errors
Manual labour when it comes to tracking inventory can be prone to human error. This is eliminated by barcode scanners because they actually produce one error for every 70 million pieces of information that they read. They are capable of reading at incredibly fast speeds without error to produce increased data collection. Because of this, barcode scanners are great for receiving, picking, shipping, and inventory management tasks.
With barcode scanners, the flow of information is greatly increased both within the company and between the consumer and the company.
2). Increased Mobility
Barcode scanners are no longer the traditional, bulky pieces of machinery they were before. Nowadays they are compact, portable, and hand-held. There are also many wireless barcode scanners which means that you can easily use them around the warehouse.
Additionally, there are long-range barcode scanners that can capture information from certain distances. In fact, some barcode scanners can scan items from up to 10 to 20 metres away. This makes barcode scanners highly efficient and less prone to delays.
3). Cost-Effectiveness
Barcode scanners used to be quite expensive, but nowadays they’re very much affordable. Of course, the price point may vary depending on the model of barcode scanner you purchase, but barcode scanners can reduce costs such as labour costs. This can make all the difference to your cost savings for the business.
Additionally, because of drastic advancements in technology, barcode scanners have a variety of advanced features that can be bought at affordable prices.
4). Time-Effectiveness
Barcode scanners are both cost-effective and time-effective. Manual labour for inventory tracking can be very time consuming as you have to physically search for items in the warehouse. This task can be quite effort-intensive. With barcode scanners, you’ll be able to get the same job done in just a matter of seconds.
5). Visibility In Real-Time
Digital barcode scanners can transmit data to a cloud server or computer instantaneously. Whether you are a sales executive or a manager, all stakeholders in the supply chain need to be able to track an item’s movement in real-time for the benefit of the customer. This can help in the resolution of problems and bottlenecks without causing any inconvenient delays.
The most important aspect of this feature is that real-time visibility can help promote transparency in supply chain management. This is an important characteristic that many larger entities will be looking out for.
Summary
Barcode scanners are simply but incredibly handy devices for the supply chain. They can reduce errors, save time and money, increase mobility, and deliver transparency through real-time visibility. As such, investing in a barcode scanner will be greatly beneficial for your business especially as you continue to expand and grow.
If you are looking to purchase barcode scanners, ASP Microcomputers are the market leader when it comes to the development of customised and packaged solutions.
This includes Inventory Management, Portable Barcode Readers, Supply Chain Management, Time and Attendance and Asset Tracking to name but a few.
ASP Microcomputers is here to help you run your operations in a smooth and convenient manner by providing you with the right equipment for your company needs.
Contact us so we can sit down and discuss your goals, needs, and business structure. Armed with this information, we can help determine exactly what equipment you need to achieve success.
Please call us today on 03 9578 7600 or 1800 061 642 or leave an inquiry on our contact page.
