Barcodes are an integral part of today’s digital-first business and operation environment. This tool is essential for tracking, managing, and processing products across various industries, including logistics, production, and retailing. Regarding ubiquitous, different types of barcode formats and standards cater to a diverse range of needs in various business contexts. Facilitating seamless inventory management, efficient checkout processes, and enhancing customer engagement, the significance of barcodes is interrelated with its numerous benefits and capabilities. Tailored to different functional requirements and technological environments, barcodes are crucial to meet specific business objectives and improve overall efficiency and connectivity.
Understand the versatility and functionality of barcodes to get in-depth insights into selecting the right one for your needs.
Barcodes – What Exactly It Is?
Nowadays businesses must optimise their operations and in this regard, the selection of an appropriate barcode system becomes crucial. Barcodes are machine-readable representations of data, typically consisting of a series of parallel black lines and white spaces of varying widths. Designed to encode information about a product, person, or location, it allows efficient data retrieval and processing. Barcode readers scanned and interpreted the visual format of encoding data.
Generally, a typical barcode consists of the following components
a) Quiet Zone
b) Start Character
c) Data Characters
d) Check Character
e) Stop Character.
All these components are essential to design the barcodes in a precise and uniform way. The scanners read and transmit the encoded data to a computer. Further, these components help to reveal the country of origin, product category, and manufacturer to ensure effectiveness and accuracy in product tracking and management.
Barcodes – Why It Is Necessary?
As vital components of today’s business operations, barcodes provide an array of benefits to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and overall productivity across various sectors. Their necessity can be attributed to several key factors –
- Operational efficiency – Streamlining processes barcodes allow for quick and easy data entry. Compared to manual data entry, scanning barcodes is significantly faster to improve operational efficiency.
- Data accuracy – Barcodes eliminate the possibility of manual entry errors of product information at the receiving end. With instant verification and streamlining the automated data capture, barcodes enhance traceability and improve inventory management practices.
- Real-time data – Barcodes ensure accurate and up-to-date data entry and reduce the risk of manual error. Integrated into enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, barcode scanning allows real-time visibility into product movement, inventory levels, and sales performance. By facilitating real-time tracking of inventory, barcodes help companies monitor stock levels accurately and respond to reordering and stock rotation on time.
- Enhanced traceability – In industries like food safety and pharmaceuticals, where traceability is a crucial factor, barcodes play a pivotal role. Apart from accurate data recording, barcodes help businesses to track products throughout their lifecycle. By maintaining accurate records at each stage, barcodes enable the companies to quickly respond to recalls or audits. Thus, it ensures compliance with industry standards.
- Cost savings – Barcode technology ensures accurate data capture and reduces the costs related to product information, like incorrect shipments, returns, and customer dissatisfaction. The elimination of these errors leads to significant cost savings and improves overall profitability.
Barcodes offer the benefits of real-time data and actionable insights to help businesses adjust their strategies quickly in response to market changes.
Barcodes – How to Select them?
Barcodes can transform business operations with real-time data collection and analysis across various segments. Accurately capturing information about products and transactions, this technology helps to drive efficiency and improve decision-making with valuable insights. As an integral tool of modern business operations, barcodes provide efficient means for tracking, managing, and processing products across various industries. However, selecting the right barcode system is essential to maximize operational efficiency and ensure the accuracy of the data captured.
Types of barcodes
Generally, barcodes can be broadly categorized into two types - 1D (one-dimensional) and 2D (two-dimensional) barcodes.
1. 1D Barcodes
These are the traditional linear barcodes that most people recognize. Encoding data in a series of parallel lines and spaces, the common types of 1D barcodes are –
- UPC (Universal Product Code) – Widely used in the retail sector for product identification, UPC consists of 12 numeric digits and is used in consumer goods.
- EAN (European Article Number) – Similar to UPC but used in Europe, it can be 8 to 13 digits long.
- Code 39 – Utilized in various industries like automotive and defence, it consists of alphanumeric characters and is generally used for inventory management.
- Code 128 – Encoding all ASCII characters and of compact size, it is commonly used in shipping and packaging.
- ITF-14 – A type of interleaved 2 of 5 barcodes is used for marking shipping cartons, containing UPC encoded products.
2. 2D Barcodes
Storing data in both horizontal and vertical dimensions, these types of barcodes hold significantly more information than 1D barcodes. Some of the common types are as follows –
- QR Code (Quick Response Code) – Used for marketing and tracking purposes, they can store URLs, text, and other data.
- Data Matrix – Often used in manufacturing and logistics, they support error correction and even be scanned at small sizes.
- PDF417 – Used for identification cards, transport tickets, and shipping labels, they can encode large amounts of data.
How to Select the Right Barcode Label
Selecting the right barcode label depends on several factors –
1. Purpose of Use –
It is related to the primary application of the barcode –
- For product identification, retail environments typically use UPC or EAN codes.
- Inventory management may require Code 128 or Code 39 for tracking items.
- To ensure customer engagement, marketing initiatives often utilize QR codes.
2. Data Capacity
It depends on the volume of information you need to encode –
- For basic product identification, a 1D barcode may suffice.
- If you need to store URLs or additional product details, opt for a 2D barcode like a QR code or Data Matrix.
3. Scanning Environment
Evaluate where and how the barcodes will be scanned –
- In high-speed retail settings, select barcodes that are easy and quick to scan.
- In warehouses or outdoor environments, select durable labels that can withstand wear and tear.
4. Label Material
Select an appropriate label material by considering the environmental conditions –
- Paper labels – Cost-effective but may not withstand moisture or extreme temperatures.
- Synthetic labels – More durable options like polyester or vinyl are perfect for harsh conditions.
- Thermal transfer labels – Ideal for high-volume printing with long-lasting durability.
5. Adhesive Type
Based on application, select the right adhesive type –
- Permanent Adhesive – If the removal is not intended, then it is best for long-term labelling.
- Removable Adhesive – If the labels need to be taken off without residue, then it is suitable for temporary labelling tasks.
6. Industrial Applications
Due to their versatility, barcode labels have industrial applications in various segments.
- Retail – Here barcodes are essential for product pricing, inventory level management, and facilitating quick checkouts at point-of-sale systems. UPC is standard for this sector.
- Manufacturing – Throughout the production process barcode labels are used to track each part. Code 128 is applicable for this sector to encode complex data efficiently.
- Logistics and Shipping – For tracking shipments and managing warehouse inventory, the Data Matrix is often used to store extensive information in a compact format.
- Healthcare – For patient identification, medication tracking, and equipment management barcodes are used in healthcare setting. Codabar is used by healthcare professionals, particularly U.S. blood banks, for simplicity and ease of printing.
- Libraries – To streamline check-in/check-out processes and inventory management libraries utilize barcode labels like Code 39.
Product Examples
The following are product examples that utilize the following types of barcode labels –
- Retail Products – Grocery items use UPC codes, which are printed on their packaging for easy scanning at checkout.
- Pharmaceuticals – Medicines often have unique barcodes to ensure accurate dispensing at pharmacies.
- Electronics – Electronic devices have EAN codes to help retailers manage their inventories effectively.
- Shipping services – To track the product journey through logistic networks, shipped packages via courier services often use QR or Data Matrix Codes.
Conclusion
Barcode technology offers the advantages of data retrieval and processing to optimise business operations. The system helps organisations navigate the complexities of modern commerce effectively, facilitating overall productivity and enhancing accuracy and efficiency. Highly scalable, the barcode systems ensure operational excellence and optimize workflows to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Reducing errors and costs, barcodes offer enhanced user experience and select a solution that best meets their needs.
Interested to learn more about Barcodes and other authentication methods? Get in touch with us and understand how to secure your product in the supply chain today!
