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Computer technology in the form of bar code systems
has had a marked impact on retail stores and their efficiency the
world over. Especially at the checkout queue did bar code systems
show their worth. Whereas before each item had to be manually
entered into the cash register, items are now bar coded and scanned
by a bar code scanner instead, significantly reducing process time.
Besides saving time at the queue for the customer,
and getting a properly itemized receipt, this system has the added
advantage that it can be linked to the - central - warehouse, in the
case of retail chain stores, allowing a much more efficient stock or
inventory control and reduced ordering times. This means that items
can be restocked before they run out.
Smaller stores benefit similarly by a bar code
system because it automatically produces reports and overviews of
sales traffic and inventory levels so that administrational and
marketing activities can be fine-tuned quicker and more precisely.
As is the case with many automated systems, it's the
human link in the chain which is the slowest. Despite advanced
checkout systems such as bar coding, the wait at the queue is still
dependent on the speed of the cashier or packer.
Bar code systems speed up retailers
Many companies and organisations with diverse markets and goals
now use a bar code system in order to keep a better control of
(ticket) sales, transport tracking and customer behavior.
In high volume enterprises, such as postal systems, bar coding
has enabled domestic and international postal services to automate
their sorting and routing demands to a high degree by placing bar
code labels on each letter or parcel. This label is read by high
speed readers and the package is automatically distributed into
zoning bins for further transport.
Transport companies use bar code systems to keep
track of where goods are - in the warehouse, waiting to be shipped,
in a container on a shipping vessel, or at a destination sorting
office for final delivery. Linked to a central database you can look
up where your document or parcel is via the internet, for example.
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U.S. Postal Service before and after bar
coding
Source:
USPS |
Old style mail sorting. |
New style mail sorting utilising bar coding and other
technologies (notice the reduction in employees). |
Concert halls, cinemas and movie theaters, sporting clubs and
events, and theme parks use bar coding on their tickets to keep
track of visitor behavior and purchases, for example. Libraries
use bar codes to keep track of books. And so on.
Different companies use different bar code systems and
symbologies depending on their needs. See our
Bar code glossary and
symbologies page for more on this.
As with all new and improved, and often necessarily upgraded,
technologies, there is a reduced need for human workers in the
system. With an ever increasing world population this is a
problem which needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
See also our page on the
Ethical Aspects of Robot technology in our
Robotics section.
As far as bar code systems are concerned the future looks
bright.
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