| Portable barcode scanners can drastically improve the | | | | By using portable barcode scanners, the process of |
| speed and accuracy of your inventory count | | | | inventory count can be greatly improved and made |
| processes. Accurate inventory control is one of the | | | | much more accurate. Employees simply walk around |
| most important elements of a successful business. | | | | the store or warehouse with a portable hand-held |
| Accurate inventory tracking can help to increase sales, | | | | inventory scanner and they scan the barcodes on |
| improve inventory turnover speeds, reduce theft, | | | | each item. They no longer need to try to identify the |
| identify low-selling items and improve your profit | | | | exact SKU or item number or model number of the |
| margins. | | | | inventory item they are looking at. All they need to do |
| One of the easiest and most effective ways to | | | | is scan the barcode and the scanner automatically |
| improve the accuracy of your inventory is to | | | | identifies the item they are scanning. Then the |
| implement a barcoding system where each inventory | | | | employees simply need to either enter in a quantity |
| item is tagged with a barcode label the minute it | | | | number of items of the same type or scan the |
| arrives at your store or warehouse. Once each item is | | | | barcode of each of the items. |
| tagged with a barcode and scanned into your point of | | | | Once the inventory is counted with one of these |
| sale or inventory management software, more | | | | portable inventory scanners, it can be uploaded into |
| accurate inventory records can be kept. | | | | your point of sale software and the data can be |
| If the item is sold, it will be scanned during the checkout | | | | analyzed. The speed of inventory count can be greatly |
| process and removed from inventory. Similarly if the | | | | increased with such a system and so it is also easier |
| item is transferred to another location, the barcode of | | | | to improve the accuracy by going back to items that |
| the item can be scanned and tracked more | | | | were counted to verify any discrepancies. |
| accurately. | | | | With such an efficient system, inventory counting can |
| However, where a properly setup barcoding system | | | | be done on a rolling basis throughout the month as |
| really shines is during inventory count. Traditionally | | | | opposed to just once a month or once every quarter. |
| inventory counts were a tedious and often despised | | | | Barcoding systems have come a long way and the |
| part of any business that manages inventory. | | | | integration between barcode printers, barcode |
| Employees hate inventory count because it takes a | | | | scanners and inventory management / point of sale |
| long period of time, it's boring and very often | | | | software has been massively improved over the last |
| inaccurate. | | | | five years. |