How Barcoding Solves Inventory Management Issues

November 5th 2014 18:34:13 PM

If your inventory management troubles have you feeling like you want to pull your hair out, we understand. Out of all the problems we hear coming out of warehouses across the country, inventory management reigns supreme. No one has it figured out, and everyone is desperate for a solution. As the holidays draw near and customer demand increases, retailers and warehouse managers alike are scrambling for ways to find the method in the madness that is inventory management.

If you’ve been around the warehouse management technology scene, then you have probably heard the benefits of barcoding being praised from the rafters. Designed to automate manual processes and increase efficiency, barcoding has been used for years to help manufacturers, distributors and retailers look up product information and keep track of inventory. Package delivery services like UPS even use barcoding to track products from the warehouse to their customers’ doors. It’s not a new phenomenon, yet many warehouses still aren’t using barcoding for inventory management purposes.

It’s All in the Barcode

If you look around your warehouse or browse through the closest retail store, you will most likely see barcodes everywhere. These small stickers hold the key to the inventory information you need. One quick scan and you can discover everything you ever wanted to know about that product. The information packed in the label is truly remarkable and is one of the biggest reasons manufacturers and distributors turn to barcoding in the first place.
That’s not the only thing barcoding is good for, however. When used effectively, barcoding can transform your inventory situation and provide you with the boost you need to reclaim lost profits due to poor inventory control. Our clients are using barcoding solutions (some even directly from their smartphones!) to:

• Identify the products they have on hand for ordering purposes
• Track inventory as it moves throughout the warehouse
• Automate the receiving, putaway, stocking and shipping processes
• Create up-to-date reports about stock levels, usage, and reorder schedules for all of the items in inventory
• Simplify cycle counting
• Enter data into an existing ERP or WMS system
• Identify where products and inventory are located in the warehouse

So What Inventory issues does barcoding actually solve?

If you read the list above, you can see that barcoding simplifies a lot of processes involved in inventory management, providing warehouse managers and workers with more time to work out issues as they arise. Barcoding eliminates the guesswork in inventory counting, providing managers with an accurate view of the inventory in their warehouse so they know how much to order and when. Companies who use barcoding solutions also report fewer errors in shipping, as employees are required to scan and verify items prior to shipping. Items can be tracked through the warehouse, eliminating the common occurrence of lost or stolen items.
Companies who use barcoding solutions to improve inventory management know what they are doing. The clients using our Sage 100 barcoding solutions have reported fewer shipping errors, an increase in productivity, improved efficiency, and cost-savings in several areas. Because barcoding only requires the barcode and some type of scanning device, warehouse workers can use tools they already have to get the job done. Many of our clients even use their iPhones to scan barcodes during the inventory counting, put-away, receiving, and shipping process!

While we cannot wave a magic wand and solve your inventory issues for you, we CAN point you to a wand that solves virtually every one of your inventory problems. It’s not magic, but it sure looks a lot like it! Contact us today to learn how you can re-imagine your inventory picture with Sage 100 barcoding solutions.