The following post is by Derek Boser. Enjoy!
Functionality is your business’s ability to perform well according to its intended purpose. There are two ways to help your small business increase functionality. Either you need to have more employees who are working longer hours to get more done, or they must find better ways of doing the job. For most small businesses, hiring more employees or extending employee hours is not a practical option. It increases business expenses and those costs may outweigh the overall benefits, particularly when functionality is already strained. If your profit margin is shrinking, it may seem counterintuitive to spend more money. However, by investing in high-quality barcode scanners and a system to organize them, you can greatly increase efficiency in several areas of business. Startup costs are low and you can see a return on your investment relatively quickly.
Barcode Scanners in the Shipping and Receiving Area
Barcodes can help with new shipments upon arrival before they are placed in storage, as well as organizing outgoing shipments to e-commerce customers. “Laser barcode scanning is a simple, easy-to-use and affordable process that offers a large scanning area and working range,” points out Material Handling and Logistics news writer Jorge Schuster. He recommends using the latest technology for the most accuracy in scanning. It may cost slightly more, but it will save time messing with sloppy machines.
When new shipments of product come in, they can be immediately scanned and added to inventory. This means they can also be distributed quickly, rather than waiting or becoming misplaced in a quick “out of the way” area. Likewise, the barcodes on items can be scanned before shipping to keep track of what has left the facility and what has not. For businesses that hold inventory for both in-store and online sales, this is important. Tracking sales in both areas means that inventory needs to be accurate for both as well. Having a high-quality barcode printer at your facility means that you can quickly and efficiently print new barcodes as needed.
Barcode Scanners in the Warehouse
Barcodes make a big difference in organization for warehouses and storage areas. Unless your business includes only a few products, keeping an accurate count of what you have requires attention to detail. Many small businesses still use spreadsheets to track inventory. However, a barcode system can simplify this process and help guarantee that those number are accurate up to the minute. When a warehouse barcode system is coordinated with point-of-sale registers, the result is a constantly accurate evaluation of real data.
When you are conducting an annual audit, the process can be time-consuming and require many employees. An example showed that a business which typically required 25 employees over a weekend could perform the same task using barcode scanners with just four employees in only five hours. For all businesses, time is money. When a barcode system can cut your time to a fraction, the overall savings are significant.
Barcode Scanners at the POS Checkout
Utilizing a barcode scanner at the checkout can improve your point-of-sale activity in multiple ways. First, a barcode ensures that the price on the product is accurate. There is no need to price check an item or key in the price by hand when a simple scan puts all the relevant information at your fingertips.Inevitably, when an individual is responsible for accuracy, mistakes are going to be made. Most barcode scanners are easy to use and require only minimal training. When the checkout moves smoothly, customers are happy and more likely to return.
Second, a barcode scanner can help track sales information and calculate taxes. According to Entrepreneur.com, “Perhaps the most valuable way POS systems help you gain better control of your business is through their reporting features.” The POS system can be synchronized with QuickBooks to maintain accounting records. Each sale is tracked using the software, giving users access to daily sales totals and at-a-glance tax amounts. Use this to analyze the most popular products, compare in-store sales with online sales, and see which payment methods are preferred.
Choosing the Right Barcode Scanner
For small businesses owners, a barcode scanner needs to be fairly inexpensive, simple to use, and compatible with existing hardware. The point-of-sale system offers an all-in-one solution for upgrading all technology at once. It requires only a single iPod to coordinate and barcode technology uses the most up-to-date scanning capabilities. The Socket Mobile 1D barcode scanner is wireless, connects with your computer using Bluetooth technology, and has a battery life of up to 19 hours. Get more done throughout your shop every day. This sleek and efficient device offers a lot of benefits in a little package. It is also compatible with most other hardware, including both PC and Mac Computers.
