Barcode in Microsoft Dynamics Nav 2016

Barcode in Microsoft Dynamics Nav 2016

The Importance of Barcode Management for Inventory Management. Barcodes are integral to managing any retail operation. It is important that your POS has powerful barcode management and generation capabilities built into it. By using barcode technology, your inventory management and tracking will be much more accurate.

What is a Barcode?

A barcode is a square or rectangular image consisting of a series of parallel black lines and white spaces of varying widths that can be read by a scanner. Barcodes are applied to products as a means of quick identification. They are used in retail stores as part of the purchase process, in warehouses to track inventory, and on invoices to assist in accounting, among many other uses.

Two Kinds of Barcodes

There are two general types of barcodes: 1-dimensional (1D) and 2-dimensional (2D).

1D barcodes are a series of lines used to store text information, such as product type, size, and color. They appear in the top part of universal product codes (UPCs) used on product packaging, to help track packages through the U.S. Postal Service, as well as in ISBN numbers on the back of books.

2D barcodes are more complex and can include more information than just text, such as the price, quantity, and even an image. For that reason, linear barcode scanners can’t read them, though smartphones and other image scanners will.

There are more than a dozen barcode variations, however, depending on the application.

Business Benefits

Barcodes were developed to improve the speed of sales transactions, but there are other potential benefits to businesses, including:

Better accuracy – Relying on a barcode to process data is far more accurate than relying on manually-entered data, which is prone to errors.

Data is immediately available – Because of the processing speed, information about inventory levels or sales is available in real-time.

Reduced training requirements – Thanks to the simplicity of the barcode scanner, employees need little in the way of training in how to use it. Additionally, thanks to barcodes, there is much less for employees to have to learn and retain.

Improved inventory control – Being able to scan and track inventory yields a much more accurate count, as well as a better calculation of inventory turn. Companies can hold less inventory when they know how soon they will need it.

Low-cost implementation – Generating barcodes is quick and easy, as is installing a barcode system. Potential savings can be realized almost immediately.

Reason to use Barcode

  • The great advantage of barcodes is their cost-effectiveness. (Although it depends upon the complexity of the application, it really only costs pennies per barcode label. Over any given period of time, barcoding saves money.)
  • Barcodes provide asset & security tracking, theft deterrence, peace of mind, and a demonstrable reduction in loss/liability. (Barcodes reduce liability.)
  • You can lower your overhead and cut down on training time and labor, which improves productivity. Across many industries, barcodes offer automatic product identification, extremely fast recognition, and implementation of data. (Barcodes save time.)
  • Handwriting is a pain; barcoding is a breeze.
  • Barcodes can be affixed to just about any surface you need them to adhere. (If you have something hard to label, we have the hard-to-find labels!)