Why bar codes? What is the big fuss about? Why should I utilize them in my business? These are all honest questions that every business owner has to ask themselves.
In reality, there are countless reasons to use EAN bar codes. A life without them would look a lot different to the one we take for granted today. There are endless ways that they make our lives easier.
Firstly, using EAN bar codes in your business will reduce the number of mistakes that are made on a daily basis. The honest truth is that every one of us is human and mistakes are normal. However, mistakes often mean a loss of profits or at the very least an enormous waste of time. And as they say, time is money.
Using them in your business makes every day processes a lot smoother and more efficient, saving you both time and money. In the long term, this can mean the life or death of your business.
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It allows you to be able to pass more customers through your business and store on a daily basis as the point of sale system is digital and the cashiers are able to process the checkout and payment process quickly, whereas before this all had to be done manually, with the cashiers entering in the pricing of each item into a till.
Secondly, using them assists in an issue that faces every business worldwide. The training of employees. The ideal is to get your employees trained in the processes of your business as quickly, thoroughly, and efficiently as possible. This can be a daunting prospect, especially for first-time business owners. In addition, there is a high likelihood of mistakes being made during this training period which can cost the business both time and money.
Introducing a barcoding system assists by making it easier for the employee to learn the new processes without making too many mistakes. Using a scanner is very simple and easy to learn. You do not require expert skills to operate one. Even though it may seem daunting when you are not familiar with it, you will soon see that it has been designed in such a way that it only simplifies things, not complicate. Which of course was the main goal when inventing EAN bar codes and scanners for retail.
Thirdly, on top of these two massive benefits, they also assist in inventory control. How does one control how much stock is entering and exiting your business? Leaving stock control up to chance is like rolling some dice on your business. The more control you have, the better your business will perform.
Inventory control used to be a long and laborious process, often involving having to close the business for the duration. This inevitably led to a loss of profits. Now, all it takes is a swipe of a scanner, which can take only an hour or two for small businesses.
And lastly, if you decide to broaden your format to be used in your business you could look into using QR Codes. These are a newer more modern format that was created in 1994 and that is able to store a lot more information than your normal UPC and EAN bar codes. They were first invented in order to be used in the car manufacturing industry and that is why they are able to be scanned and read in such a quick manner.
QR is short for quick response as once scanned they immediately take you through to the required web page that has been linked to the code. These bar codes are 2 dimensional. Below is a picture of an example, you may have seen them in many places but were not aware that they are a part of the family of bar codes.
I think the first time that we started seeing these images regularly was with Blackberry Messenger, where the image would need to be scanned in order to connect and chat with the other person.
Some companies have been known to use them on their business cards as it is a modern way in which you to get potential clients to engage with your website and business and gather information on your business and the services that they offer.
As per Wikipedia “During the month of June 2011, 14 million American mobile users scanned a QR code or a barcode. Some 58% of those users scanned a QR or barcode from their homes, while 39% scanned from retail stores; 53% of the 14 million users were men between the ages of 18 and 34. QR code usage decreased to 9.76 million in 2018 but is expected to grow to a total of 11 million households by the end of 2020.”
They also assist in enhancing the client’s experience in your store. Having a smooth, efficient check out procedure means that there are shorter queues and clients can be helped quickly and efficiently. This will encourage the clients to become loyal and thus, increase your profit margin.
Starting a business in South Africa is not easy. You will need all the help that you can get. Bar codes are not expensive and are easy to design and print. In addition, they do not require a big financial investment to get started. All you would need is a handheld scanner, a sales system and the bar codes themselves.
It is clear that the benefits far outweigh the costs. They will allow you to monitor what is happening in your business and they will assist in the ordering process. You will be able to know exactly how many items you have in your store when you must reorder certain products as well as how many of each item to order. Having this control over your stock will limit wastage and over-ordering and raise your profit level. All this information will enable you to make more profitable decisions in the future.
In conclusion, in order to boost your business profits as well as your reputation in the business world, this is the way to go. If you would like more information on how to go about establishing a barcode system in your business, please feel free to contact us http://www.barcodeworld.co.za
Staff writer
