Adding a barcode printer to your business is a practical decision that has affected business operations for many small business owners. It might seem unnecessary if your business has few employees or operates from a single storefront location. However, for many businesses, it has been an excellent decision. Barcode is changing the way people do business everywhere. Here are 10 ways a barcode can benefit small businesses.
1. Barcode Systems Are More Accurate than Humans
It is called human error, because all humans make mistakes at some point. The mistake might be small, but a study by Mathias, MacKenzie & Buxton showed that, even the best trained data-entry person will make at least one mistake every 250 keystrokes. When it comes to numbers, mistakes can be costly. Although computers are not flawless, they can be programmed once to print the same barcode again and again.
2. Barcode Technology Can Save Money
An article in Small Business Trends notes that the best way for a business to save money is to keep an accurate inventory. It balances supply and demand for products, reduces costs for stocking items that are not moving, and avoids rushed shipping for out-of-stock purchases. Barcodes are the catalyst that makes tracking inventory much easier and virtually foolproof.
3. Small Businesses Can Be as Professional as Big Ones
Although a small business might not be in direct competition with a big box retailer, there is no reason that it cannot maintain the same level of professionalism. Customers expect more personalized service from small businesses, but they want that service to be efficient. A shopper purchasing several items does not want to wait while the cashier types in the price for each item individually, and barcodes can complete the checkout process in a fraction of the time.
4. Owners Receive Alerts when Inventory Drops
Using an integrated POS system that works with barcodes and an inventory database helps business owners know exactly how much of each item is available. For products that are the most popular, it is important to reorder those often so that they do not run out of stock. When products are unavailable, customers cannot purchase them. Keeping these items in-stock can increase revenue significantly. According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. retailers lose $45 billion from not having inventory in stock.
5. Barcodes Can Boost Productivity for Manufacturers
In the manufacturing industry, many businesses are attempting to become leaner. Providing real-time data to clients gives the manufacturer control over the process and improves efficiency. Orders are more accurate, overhead costs for storing unsold items are reduced, and customers are satisfied.
6. Computerized Systems Are Superior to Paper
Surprisingly, many small businesses still rely of paper records for tracking inventory. When products are limited and sales numbers are low, this might be practical. However, if a business suddenly takes off or decides to push for growth, electronic inventory is important. To review sales for a certain time period, one would need to rifle through a stack of papers to find the date and then visually scan to find the desired information. With a barcode system, inventory is always accurate and organized to the minute.
7. UPC Barcodes Are Useful for International Commerce
If a business will be working with several retail outlets, especially major retailers, having a unique store identification number and coordinating UPC barcodes is important. A different barcode can be generated for each product and either attached to a product or integrated into the product packaging design. The Wall Street Journal suggests that these can be purchased from resellers, but this is not always a practical option.
8. Barcodes Can Keep Detailed Product Information
For most products, printing every fact about the item on its packaging or label is impractical. However, if a customer has a question about a particular product, it can easily be scanned to access that data. Code as much information as needed into a product’s barcode, including measurements, materials, washing instructions, and anything else that might be relevant.
9. Barcode Is Compatible with QuickBooks
If revenue is tracked using QuickBooks, it can easily be integrated to a barcode system like Shopify. Not only will inventory be updated, but daily sales numbers can be entered into the QuickBooks program efficiently. This guarantees accuracy and that no information can be missed. This is particularly helpful when daily transaction include not only sales, but also product returns or exchanges.
10. Barcode Can Be Run from a Tablet
For most retail shops, the POS system is little more than a tablet. This is incredibly convenient and allows for flexibility. Integrate barcode into an existing tablet program for easy access.
Ultimately, a barcode system has a generous number of advantages. When looking at a single benefit, it might seem trivial. However, when a business owner considers the big picture and the potential for growth, a barcode seems a small investment
[Source:outofyourrut.com]Sourse: Thefinancebucks.com
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