Barcoding speeds up data input, increases accuracy and can make a dramatic impact on your bottom line. Barcodes can be found in all sorts of environments, from retail, manufacturing and transportation to healthcare, time management and even customer service.
Drive down costs
The most obvious benefit is the reduced cost of labour. Many of yesterday’s data entry roles have already been replaced, with scanners inputting information many times faster than a skilled typist. And more often than not, the cost savings on labour alone can pay for the data collection system.
But scanning barcodes isn’t just fast, it’s also far more accurate than keyboard data entry, so costly errors (and the hours it takes to correct them) are minimised, and information is available just when it’s needed.
Make better informed business decisions
Having the right information at the right time is the key to making first-class business decisions. Barcoding enables information to be collected by computer systems in real-time: not only can the tracking of stock and processes be automated, potentially enabling savings through ‘just in time’ ordering and ‘build to order’ manufacturing systems, but accurate information is instantly available to inform management strategy for the future.
Improve processes and enjoy hidden gains
In industrial settings opportunities to improve processes and quality through barcoding abound. The very fact that data entry can be carried out so quickly means that assembly line efficiency can often be improved and sped up. And standardising the way information is recorded can improve communications throughout an organisation.
So which print technology is best for barcodes?
At first sight there’s a bewildering choice of machines on the market suitable for printing barcodes. You can even order pre-printed labels or forms from a bureau, although this limits flexibility because they may not be there when you need them, and they can be harder to customise.
Dot Matrix
Dot Matrix printers are very inexpensive to run and are ideal for printing continuous form documents containing barcodes (such as invoices and reports). These printers are less suitable for small barcode requirements but are an inexpensive way to print large format (6-8 inch) business to business labels.
Thermal
Thermal printing is great for on-demand barcodes. There are two methods of thermal printing, direct thermal and thermal transfer.
Direct thermal printers, which use heat-sensitive media, are simple to use, cheap to run, and create sharp print – ideal for scanning. And thermal transfer creates crisp, durable, long-lasting labels on a vast array of materials.
