Using Barcodes To Compete in Recessionary Times
08.09.2009 16:44:51 Ever since barcodes were first introduced, companies of all sizes have utilizing them to make their businesses run faster and more efficiently. Not surprisingly, a 2006 European Labelling Study, reported that 96% of European companies relied on barcodes to increase efficiency, 32% for increasing the accuracy of ordering and invoicing, and 26% for enabling cost reduction efforts.
(live-PR.com) - With the tighter economy, all of these are important reasons for implementing barcode equipment to help the organization run efficiently. The key technologies involved in implementing a barcode system are barcodes, barcode scanners, barcode printers, mobile computers, RFID which are summarized below.
Barcodes are virtually everywhere with a common example being the UPC symbols that show vertical "picket fences" on
the products we buy at the grocery. More complex, 2D barcodes are also available which can store more information.
Barcode Scanners (also called barcode readers) are used to scan a barcode and convert their "picket fence" representation into an ASCII string. This string is typically used by a mobile computer, PC or some other device just as if someone had typed in the information. However, barcode scanners (also called laser scanners) eliminate the need for a person to type in the information (e.g. a UPC code) thus helping an organization increase efficiency and accuracy. Barcode Imagers (also known as area imagers or 2D imagers) are used to scan 2D Barcodes.
Barcode Printers used to print the actual barcode on a label where they can be later scanned by a barcode scanner. An example of these might be a shipping label which identifies the container being shipped. Two common barcode printing technologies are Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer label printing. Essentially, direct thermal barcode label printing uses special rolls of labels where the "ink" us extracted from the label using the heat from a barcode label printer while a thermal transfer barcode label printer using a separate ribbon and label whereby the ink is transferred from the ribbon to the label by the barcode printer.
Mobile Computers are handheld devices that integrate a barcode scanner (or barcode imager) with a computer to provide an integrated barcode scanning device. These devices can vary depending on durability, wireless technologies including WLAN (802.11), WPAN (Bluetooth) or WWAN (GSM/GPRS or CDMA/EVDO), as well as other features like GPS. The devices allow a work to scan a barcode virtually anywhere, whether it be the FedEx or UPS delivery truck driver or the warehouse worker.
RFID – RFID is a new technology and is similar to barcodes in that they carry information which can be electronically "extracted" and do not require the line of sight that barcodes do. The main advantage of RFID over barcoding is that the RFID information can be obtained without having to scan the barcode with a barcode scanner; rather, the RFID reader can read an RFID label (or tag) through the "air"
All of these barcode technologies, barcodes, barcode scanners (laser scanners and imagers), barcode printers, and mobile computers have been used by companies to help them become more competitive by helping them increase operational efficiency, make less errors, and save time.
Barcodes are virtually everywhere with a common example being the UPC symbols that show vertical "picket fences" on
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Barcode Scanners (also called barcode readers) are used to scan a barcode and convert their "picket fence" representation into an ASCII string. This string is typically used by a mobile computer, PC or some other device just as if someone had typed in the information. However, barcode scanners (also called laser scanners) eliminate the need for a person to type in the information (e.g. a UPC code) thus helping an organization increase efficiency and accuracy. Barcode Imagers (also known as area imagers or 2D imagers) are used to scan 2D Barcodes.
Barcode Printers used to print the actual barcode on a label where they can be later scanned by a barcode scanner. An example of these might be a shipping label which identifies the container being shipped. Two common barcode printing technologies are Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer label printing. Essentially, direct thermal barcode label printing uses special rolls of labels where the "ink" us extracted from the label using the heat from a barcode label printer while a thermal transfer barcode label printer using a separate ribbon and label whereby the ink is transferred from the ribbon to the label by the barcode printer.
Mobile Computers are handheld devices that integrate a barcode scanner (or barcode imager) with a computer to provide an integrated barcode scanning device. These devices can vary depending on durability, wireless technologies including WLAN (802.11), WPAN (Bluetooth) or WWAN (GSM/GPRS or CDMA/EVDO), as well as other features like GPS. The devices allow a work to scan a barcode virtually anywhere, whether it be the FedEx or UPS delivery truck driver or the warehouse worker.
RFID – RFID is a new technology and is similar to barcodes in that they carry information which can be electronically "extracted" and do not require the line of sight that barcodes do. The main advantage of RFID over barcoding is that the RFID information can be obtained without having to scan the barcode with a barcode scanner; rather, the RFID reader can read an RFID label (or tag) through the "air"
All of these barcode technologies, barcodes, barcode scanners (laser scanners and imagers), barcode printers, and mobile computers have been used by companies to help them become more competitive by helping them increase operational efficiency, make less errors, and save time.
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