The Best Barcode Software
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Barcode software lies at the heart of any inventory management system. Whether used to track inventory or manage labels for shipping, barcode software makes it possible to move items and share important information about them. Depending on your inventory management needs, barcode software can be used as a standalone solution or fully integrated with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application or warehouse management software solution.
This guide will provide you with information on the following topics:
What Is Barcode Software?
Barcode software helps carry out inventory management through the creation and tracking of barcodes. Generated by software and printed on a label, barcodes can be placed on inventory and packaging in order to track or determine information a user requires. Barcode software is typically used in warehouses and shipping operations, ensuring packages are handled properly and routed to their correct destinations.
Complete barcode systems often require barcode hardware and barcode software solutions:
- Barcode hardware includes barcode scanners and printers to read and disseminate barcodes. With barcode software, it’s also possible to use existing hardware like mobile devices and laser printers as opposed to investing in a complete range of new devices.
- Barcode software generates barcodes and keeps track of their information through an inventory management system. Barcodes generated through barcode software can track everything from shipping addresses to serial numbers, giving users powerful tools to manage information and inventory.
Working together, barcode hardware and software can create a full and transparent view into inventory operations.
Features
| Feature | Definition |
|---|---|
| Barcode generation | Create unique barcodes and assign them to products. Store key information such as size, color, dates, and more |
| Reading and scanning | Scan your uniquely generated barcodes at appropriate check points to check items in and out of your warehouse, sell an item at a point of sale, or find the appropriate location for a misplaced item. |
| Printing | Print high resolution barcode images separately or in mass. |
| Label templates | For frequently received items in your inventory, create templates that can speed up the process when new shipments arrive. |
Key Benefits
Barcode software can help any inventory-tracking operation improve its speed and accuracy. When considering barcode software or an alternative, keep in mind some of the key benefits offered by a barcode software platform:
| Benefit | Definition |
|---|---|
| Reduced human error | Inventory control shouldn’t have to remain a process that involves manual data entry, estimation, or guesswork. Barcode software makes it possible to easily track inventory without the need to write down information the old-fashioned way. |
| Ease of use | Barcode software is intuitive enough for nearly anyone to figure out. Scanning a barcode can be easy as pointing and clicking a barcode scanner, reducing the necessary amount of employee training. |
| Automated asset tracking | Rather than depending on a spreadsheet, the checking in and checking out of assets can be assigned to particular employees, customers, or vendors. This ensures the responsibility of assets throughout an entire organization and enables operations to understand the location of a particular item. |
| Loss reduction | Losing inventory, tools, or equipment can be a costly error, whether it’s by accident or intentional. Having to replace the necessary items to carry out everyday work - or the products you distribute - can be a serious drag on your bottom line. Tool-tracking capabilities make it easy for employees to account for the equipment and inventory they handle, ensuring nothing walks off without anyone noticing. |
| Better data | Barcodes are capable of storing much more information than a simple shipping label. Pricing, expiration dates, or other crucial data points can be embedded within a barcode to trigger any number of actions or provide insights upon scanning. |
| Speed | Scanning inventory with barcode software removes the need for manual data entry. As soon as a barcode is scanned, its information becomes available for use and immediately reports an item’s status, reducing potential confusion and providing greater transparency into inventory management processes. |
| Improved accountability | Detailed reporting capabilities can ensure information can be audited and easily traced, keeping crucial assets and documents in a centralized location for ease of access. These capabilities can help guarantee compliance and assist with accurate bookkeeping. |
What Software Does Your Business Need?
Organizations adopt barcoding software for a variety of different reasons. Choosing the right barcode software depends entirely on an organization’s need for barcodes and their potential integration with other software systems.
It’s important to note that many barcode software providers offer complete systems that include both hardware and software, and some vendors choose to offer both components separately.
- Small businesses may be best equipped with a mobile-first barcode software package, enabling barcode scanning on mobile devices without the need for a physical barcode scanner. Mobile-friendly barcode software makes it easy to stay nimble and track inventory on the go.
- Medium businesses may prefer a complete barcode software and hardware package that makes it possible to track and generate labels quickly and accurately.
- Large businesses often consider solutions that fully integrate with other inventory management systems, like enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, supply chain management software (SCM), or warehouse management software (WMS).
Popular Solutions
Every inventory management scenario is different and requires research to determine the proper solution. With dozens of available barcode software options from quality vendors, it’s important to take the time to find the right software to meet your barcoding needs.
For a quick look at some of the available barcode software platforms today, here are a couple of popular choices used today in inventory management systems:
- TEKLYNX CENTRAL is a single solution designed for manufacturing environments that offers complete barcode design, printing, label tracking, and approval capabilities. Through TEKLYNX CENTRAL’s web-based interface, users can access the system through any device using a customizable user interface to reduce errors and misprints.
- CountIT is a QuickBooks-compatible barcode scanning solution designed for counting inventory. CountIT allows users to download QuickBooks inventory to a mobile barcode scanner, take inventory, and return updated counts back to QuickBooks. This solution can greatly streamline the manual entry functions required by QuickBooks. CountIT also generates barcodes that can be sent to barcode printers or laser printers with ease.
Common Pain Points
Inventory managers adopt barcode software in order to alleviate a number of common pain points.
- The accuracy of inventory. When relying on handwriting or manual data entry processes, fatigue or human error can contribute to costly inventory management mistakes. The result can cause a devastating ripple effect throughout the entire supply chain, delaying shipments or distributing goods that are inaccurate or incomplete. Barcode software solves this pain point by making it easy to accurately track and manage inventory on an ongoing basis.
- Working with legacy systems for inventory management. Depending on the solution, modern barcode software can integrate with legacy solutions to enhance their functionality or serve as a comprehensive replacement.
Market Trends
Barcode software developers stay on top of the latest trends in order to provide optimal solutions. Here are a few trends the barcode software market are currently following:
- Cloud-based solutions. Like most enterprise applications, barcode software is moving into the cloud. Cloud-based barcode software makes it easy to store and retrieve data from any web browser, reducing the need to invest in custom computer hardware and enabling worked to be carried out anywhere in the world.
- RFID tracking. It’s important to note that barcode software is not the same as RFID software, which offers wireless inventory management capabilities through radio frequency tags and scanners. Many barcode software solutions have begun integrating RFID capabilities into their platforms, but they’re not available in every solution and require different sets of hardware.