Despite being around for nearly 50 years, there are still some common misconceptions around barcoding systems in warehouse and distribution environments and many companies have yet to take advantage of the many benefits of barcode scanning. There is a lot of power in barcodes – tracking inventory with barcodes helps to reduce human error, improve data collection, validation and management, and eliminate manual tasks, ultimately lowering costs and making your company more profitable and efficient.
In a previous conversation with Noel McKeon, Business Development Manager at Barcoding, Inc. (Barcoding, Inc. is a certified hardware partner for Blue Link’s Barcode Scanning and Mobile Picking iOS app), we explored three key benefits of barcode scanning technology, which you can read about below. Since then, we've seen even more value emerge as businesses continue to adopt and expand their use of barcode solutions.
Here are three additional advantages we've observed:
- Paperless Warehouse
- Accurately Associating Lot Numbers with Sales Orders
- Advanced Reporting Capabilities Through Barcode Scanning
Paperless Warehouse
Adopting wireless barcode scanners is a powerful step toward creating a fully paperless warehouse environment, especially for small and growing businesses. Traditionally, warehouse operations relied heavily on printed pick tickets, handwritten notes, and manually entered data, which were not only time-consuming but also prone to human error. With mobile barcode scanning devices, these inefficiencies are eliminated.
Instead of printing pick tickets, warehouse staff can access sales orders directly on their handheld devices. This enables them to simultaneously scan and pick items as they navigate the warehouse floor, streamlining the fulfillment process and reducing the risk of picking errors. Additionally, when new inventory arrives, employees can immediately scan items into the system, updating the back-end ERP software in real time. This real-time synchronization ensures inventory levels are always accurate and up to date, enhancing visibility and operational efficiency.
Going paperless not only saves on printing costs and reduces clutter but also contributes to a more agile, eco-friendly, and error-resistant warehouse. The result is a more modern, scalable operation that can adapt quickly to demand, improve order accuracy, and boost overall productivity.
Accurately Associating Lot Numbers with Sales Orders
For small businesses that manage lot-tracked inventory—such as food, pharmaceuticals, or electronics—accurately associating lot numbers with sales orders is critical for both compliance and traceability. Manually comparing lot numbers, jotting them down on paper, and entering them into a system later can be tedious, error-prone, and risky, especially when speed and accuracy are essential.
Barcode scanning software simplifies and streamlines this process by automatically verifying and recording lot numbers at the time of picking. As warehouse staff scan products, the system ensures the correct lot number is matched to the appropriate sales order in real time. This significantly reduces the chance of human error and ensures that every item shipped can be traced back to its source.
This level of accuracy becomes especially important in the event of a product recall. Rather than sorting through stacks of paperwork or manually sifting through records, businesses can quickly and confidently pull detailed lot history from their ERP system. Not only does this enhance customer safety and regulatory compliance, but it also protects brand reputation and minimizes operational disruption.
By integrating barcode scanning into their lot tracking process, small businesses gain the confidence and control needed to maintain accurate records and operate more efficiently in today’s fast-paced supply chain environment.
Advanced Reporting Capabilities Through Barcode Scanning
Modern barcode scanning technology empowers small businesses with fast, reliable data capture and near-instant transaction confirmation. Each time a product is scanned—whether during receiving, picking, packing, or shipping—data is automatically captured and either updated in real-time or uploaded in batch to the company’s ERP system. This immediate and accurate data transfer significantly improves visibility across the entire operation.
By reducing the need for manual paperwork, handwritten logs, and duplicate data entry, businesses not only lower the risk of human error but also cut down on labor costs and streamline workflows. Perhaps even more impactful is how barcode scanning standardizes the way data is collected across the organization. Whether it's tracking inventory levels, processing orders, or managing returns, all information is captured in a consistent and structured format.
This standardized and timely data collection paves the way for more advanced and insightful reporting. Decision-makers gain access to up-to-date metrics and performance indicators that are accurate and complete, empowering them to respond more quickly to trends, bottlenecks, or demand changes. It also ensures that all departments—from warehouse staff to finance to customer service—are working from the same set of reliable information.
Ultimately, barcode scanning transforms raw operational activity into actionable insights, giving small businesses a competitive edge through smarter, data-driven decision-making.
A Conversation with Noel McKeon of Barcoding, Inc.
As a supply chain automation and innovation company, Barcoding, Inc. helps warehouse operations be more efficient, accurate and connected. Blue Link’s barcode scanning app, combined with hardware from Barcoding, Inc., will allow your warehouse staff to scan and pick barcodes from the warehouse floor, simplifying the receiving, put-away, picking, packing and shipping of inventory.
We spoke with Noel and put together a list of some of the benefits of barcode scanning:
- Barcoding systems work with any budget
- Barcoding systems reduce overall costs
- Barcoding systems automate processes and increase efficiencies.
Barcoding systems work with any budget
Although this was not always the case when barcode scanning systems were first introduced into warehouse management, it is definitely the case today. No business is too small for the use of barcodes as part of their inventory control strategy. Where it used to be that barcode scanning meant the purchase of sophisticated WMS software with ruggedized barcode scanning hardware, barcode scanning functionality is now built-into many ERP solutions and can be used with more economical mobile handheld devices such as Android or iOS. “Many of today's leading business systems (ERP, accounting software, CRM, etc.) offer native support for barcode scanning,” says Noel McKeon. “It's often simply a matter of selecting the right equipment to support the operating environment and some minor configuration tweaks to existing software and a company can be leveraging barcode scanning.” He further recommends that “investing in barcode equipment should be a thoughtful process and not something done through an eCommerce website. Research what capabilities you might need now versus in the future. It's often best to walk before running and you may want to structure the implementation of such technology with a phased roll-out that can support your initial needs, as well as future needs”.
Barcoding systems reduce overall costs
Sure, there will be some upfront costs if you don’t have a barcoding system in place, and there are some time and labor costs when it comes to training staff and maintaining barcodes, but in the long run, a barcoding system will save you money.
First, barcode scanning increases your accuracy, reducing manual errors. No longer does your team have to rely on manual counts, and deciphering handwritten notes. Instead, by electronically tracking inventory, you cut down on picking and packing errors, thus reducing the expenses that arise when an order is picked, packed and shipped incorrectly.
Second, when paired with an ERP system, barcoding can help you lower the cost of capital associated with carrying excess inventory. Together, these systems make it possible to track inventory levels precisely. When you track inventory (what’s coming in, what’s going out and what is currently on shelves) you can avoid over-ordering and the costs associated with holding excess stock.
According to Noel, “There are still many companies today who are operating with manual processes throughout their business. They have employees using pen and paper to record data or dedicated to data entry, keying data into systems, and many times duplicating efforts across multiple systems. The business is working and for the most part, operations are getting the job done, so why change? Why explore the impact of incorporating barcodes into their day-to-day business? The benefits gained from leveraging barcode scanning are numerous and should be examined by each company. Barcode data collection is inherently faster and more accurate. Greater accuracy means better data to drive operational decisions. Barcode scanning can reduce the labour involved with data collection saving your company considerable money. When barcode scanning is combined with existing business systems, data validation can occur. Data validation can ensure that the data a barcode represents drives appropriate behaviors – for example, the correct product is shipped to a customer, or suppliers have sent you exactly what you ordered, etc.”.
Barcoding systems automate processes and increase efficiencies
When you implement wireless barcode scanning as part of an all-in-one ERP system, you simplify and streamline processes in your warehouse. For example, since ERP systems store information in a central database, anyone with proper access can get instant and accurate inventory visibility and availability, making tasks like purchasing or answering customer questions easier and faster.
Without barcode scanning, businesses are left with often complicated, multi-step processes that rely on humans to complete each step without error. With a barcoding system and ERP software, scanning a barcode is usually a one-step process that instantly transports information from the scanner to your ERP system and barcode scanners help achieve this and eliminate errors associated with manual processes by:
- Itemizing products to be picked based on bin and shelf location to create the most efficient path
- Displaying inventory information at the source, such as pricing, descriptions and additional location information for items on backorder, in overstock etc.
- Identifying pick errors at the source as opposed to when scanning items at a pack station
- Recording received inventory and allocating product to their proper bin and shelf location
With an automated system, you save time by not re-keying inventory information, searching for items in the warehouse, and correcting errors. This, in turn, can eliminate the need for more warehouse employees to pick, pack and ship orders, thus reducing staff count. If you do need to hire new employees, barcode scanning tools make it easier to onboard staff and increase their productivity.
As Noel added, “as outlined above, barcode scanning offers speed, accuracy, and data validation which helps a warehouse environment to ensure greater control and accuracy over the inventory data that the warehouse is operating against. Warehouse operators can be held to a greater level of accountability and prevented from making certain mistakes. When combined with the right software system, barcode scanning can help ensure that the warehouse is picking orders faster and more accurately, which increases customer satisfaction.”
As you can see, there are many benefits of barcode scanning and every company can take advantage of the functionality offered. No matter how big or small your warehouse operations, barcode scanning is a cost-effective way to become more efficient – with more sophisticated functionality available as your business continues to grow.
Noel McKeon, Barcoding, Inc.
With over 15 years of experience in the AIDC industry, Noel McKeon is an accomplished Business Development professional with extensive experience assisting companies understand, evaluate, and select barcode and RFID focused software solutions that improve and elevate their operations.
