How to Use Barcode Scanner for Inventory
You've undoubtedly seen barcode scanners before. They're the tools that cashiers use to checkout customers at a store. The staff member scans the barcode that's attached to a product, quickly adding it to an order or transaction. Now barcodes are everywhere.
What Is a Barcode?
To understand how barcode scanners work, you first need to understand how barcodes work. A barcode is a scannable code with a numeric counterpart at the bottom. It features a pattern of parallel lines that are typically black against a white background. Although, that's not always the case.
1D Barcodes:
One-dimensional barcodes are made up of vertical black lines and the space between the lines allows the scanner to identify the product.
2D Barcodes:
Two-dimensional barcodes are typically square-shaped and consisted of different dots and shapes that store information. These barcodes can hold more information than 1D barcodes. 2D barcodes can also store website information, and you can scan the barcode with your phone to take you to that website.
Barcode scanners typically have one of three types of scanning hardware:
1. Laser - This is the most well-known scanner type. It uses a laser to read the reflectance of the black and white spaces in a barcode.
2. Linear imager - Like laser scanners, linear imager barcode scanners only read 1D barcodes, but they do so by taking a picture of the barcode and analyzing information in the image.
3. 2D area imagers - These scanners work like linear imagers, except that they can read stacked and 2D barcodes. They can also scan barcodes in any direction.
There are thousands of barcode scanner on the market. Here i will suggest Rakinda barcode scanner. Handheld barcode scanner is widely used in warehouse. Most of them are designed with WIFI, plug and play. Or you can try our scan engine, it can easily embedded into a PDA for invontory management. This is the perfect way to customized service.
What Is a Barcode?
To understand how barcode scanners work, you first need to understand how barcodes work. A barcode is a scannable code with a numeric counterpart at the bottom. It features a pattern of parallel lines that are typically black against a white background. Although, that's not always the case.
1D Barcodes:
One-dimensional barcodes are made up of vertical black lines and the space between the lines allows the scanner to identify the product.
2D Barcodes:
Two-dimensional barcodes are typically square-shaped and consisted of different dots and shapes that store information. These barcodes can hold more information than 1D barcodes. 2D barcodes can also store website information, and you can scan the barcode with your phone to take you to that website.
Barcodes for Inventory Management
Using barcodes makes it much easier to organize and manage your inventory. For a smarter approach to organization, you can label each piece of inventory with a unique UPC. That UPC can correspond to another code on your storage shelves, so you always know what goes where. Barcodes help with inventory management because they make it easier for business owners to know how much of a product they have in stock. You can do a quick inventory count by scanning the barcodes on your boxes instead of manually totaling up inventory with pen and paper.
Barcode scanners typically have one of three types of scanning hardware:
1. Laser - This is the most well-known scanner type. It uses a laser to read the reflectance of the black and white spaces in a barcode.
2. Linear imager - Like laser scanners, linear imager barcode scanners only read 1D barcodes, but they do so by taking a picture of the barcode and analyzing information in the image.
3. 2D area imagers - These scanners work like linear imagers, except that they can read stacked and 2D barcodes. They can also scan barcodes in any direction.
There are thousands of barcode scanner on the market. Here i will suggest Rakinda barcode scanner. Handheld barcode scanner is widely used in warehouse. Most of them are designed with WIFI, plug and play. Or you can try our scan engine, it can easily embedded into a PDA for invontory management. This is the perfect way to customized service.
