Tuesday, 9 May 2017

Does Your Business Need A Barcode Warehouse Management System?

By Susan Bailey


In an era where technology is vastly improving efficiency within the commercial arena, a large number of entities still struggle to adapt. And this is especially the case when it comes to back-end operations. For instance, barcoding is a simple yet effective inventory management solution that has largely been ignored, despite being used widely at the front end. If you're struggling to control the flow of products through your supply chain, barcode warehouse management could provide a good deal of relief.

Currently, nearly every package features barcode labels of some sort. This means businesses can use this technology to control their inventory tightly and precisely. Because the tags are fully auditable and traceable, mistakes, mix-ups and incidences of theft can all be minimized. Companies that link their inventory control systems to online portals could further take advantage of barcoding to improve convenience for their end-users.

Not only is manually keying in data a painfully cumbersome task, but errors are also quite common. And this is the last thing anyone needs in their logistics operations, where items change hands multiple times. With a barcode system, you can significantly reduce the burden for your staff, while also improving accuracy in record keeping.

When dealing with large amounts of inventory, it's almost impossible for anyone to collect, process and analyze information within an acceptable timeframe. With the barcoding system, however, the process of registering packages only takes a short while. Besides, the technology can be used to ring up multiple products within a few minutes. Some sophisticated systems can even read package information from hundreds of coded packages as they travel down conveyor belts.

A barcoding system presents a cost-effective solution for your logistics operations. Designing and printing the labels won't cost you much, regardless of how or where you use them. But the cost of implementing the technology appears irrelevant when you consider how much it will be of help in your tax-related operations. Because your current inventory amounts affect your taxable income, the system will definitely make the reporting process much easier. And you'll no longer have to worry about the risk of attracting scrutiny from tax authorities, since the figures you provide will be highly accurate.

Implementing a barcode system in your warehousing operations presents a few challenges, one of which is compatibility with current resources. So take time to evaluate your current inventory management system, and see what features are lacking. This will help you find a compatible system that will make up for the shortcomings. With proper evaluation and selection, finding a suitable solution shouldn't be difficult.

After-sales support is a critical factor when it comes to utilizing your technical resources. And this certainly includes your barcoding-related infrastructure. So don't forget to ensure the vendor you choose to purchase the systems from provides sufficient after-sales support. They should also offer periodic upgrades to keep your system up-to-date.

A large number of retail outlets tend to rely on manual record-keeping for their logistics operations. Not only does this make tracking and accounting for inventory a difficult undertaking, but costly errors are also very likely to occur. Barcoding is a cost-effective, easy and practical way to eliminate these risks and transform your warehouse into a more efficient element of your business.




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