| What are barcodes and what are they used for? | | | | industrial barcode readers can cost thousands of |
| Barcodes store machine-readable information and this | | | | dollars, but they process enormous amount of barcode |
| information is read with the help of barcode readers, | | | | labels in a single day, so in the long run they are likely |
| also called barcode scanners. The most common | | | | to save an organization hundreds of thousands. Large, |
| barcodes store less information than most of us would | | | | omni-directional scanners are used in the postal offices |
| think, but their use saves businesses tremendous | | | | for processing packages and at the airports for the |
| amounts of money and time. Typically, the primary | | | | same purpose - these scanners can read barcode |
| purposes of the common, 1D barcode is to store a | | | | labels that are wrinkled and even damaged, and are |
| "code" that identifies specific product; in retail stores if | | | | often used in conjunction with other sorting equipment |
| barcodes weren't used, each product's information | | | | in order to establish the parcel's weight, origin, and |
| would have to be typed in manually at the register, | | | | destination. |
| which takes on average three times longer. | | | | Barcodes are also error-free! Well, almost - barcode |
| However, this is only one side of the process - when | | | | scanning produces less than one error per one million |
| the product's label is scanned by the barcode reader, | | | | characters, while manual writing and typing leads to |
| not only the price of the product is obtained and added | | | | one error per 300 characters. Barcode scanning is |
| to the customer's bill, but the item is deducted from the | | | | also much quicker - even with a handheld scanner, a |
| inventory's list. In case when the inventory system is | | | | label can be read in a matter of seconds. |
| fully computerized, as soon as the stock of this item | | | | Barcodes also allow information to be stored in a way |
| goes below certain level, either automatic order will be | | | | that is tailored to a specific industry, which is possible |
| placed with the supplier, or the item will be added to a | | | | by using different symbologies. Typically, the barcodes |
| database of low-stock items and a manager will | | | | are used with database-driven software applications, |
| decide if more quantities need to be ordered. | | | | and when specific types of barcode symbology |
| Barcode and barcode readers are also widely used | | | | become standard for an industry, this ensures smooth |
| because they are inexpensive; of course, large | | | | processing of goods and documentation. |