A barcode scanner is a simple but powerful tool for merchants. Barcodes are the backbone of many incredibly effective inventory management systems. Merchants must understand the opportunities and challenges of using barcode scanners to enhance their business.

Barcode Scanner Value for Merchants

Data Capture

With barcode scanners, it can be straightforward for merchants to track their inventory. The scanner can update the inventory management system in real-time with each barcode scanned. This ensures that all transactions are accounted for and dramatically reduces the likelihood of error from manually entering details from each transaction.

Save Time and Costs

As these scanners can work in real-time, companies do not need employees constantly going through the inventory to confirm whether the number of purchases they have recorded matches stock levels. This saves considerable time for employees and does not require the company to pay people to do straightforward and very repetitive clerical tasks. 

Additionally, the easy-to-use nature of barcode scanners allows companies to quickly get new staff up to speed regarding the inventory management system. This ensures that new team members are not making costly mistakes and companies are paying for extensive and unnecessary training. 

Business Analysis

By dramatically improving the entire inventory management process, barcode scanners allow merchants to make more informed decisions about their business. For large companies, it is also effortless to scale these scanners to ensure there is consistent information gathering across the company. 

Considerations with Barcode Scanners

Cost

Implementing an inventory management system that relies on barcodes and scanners is an expensive and time-consuming process. Every item will need its own barcode, and the system will need accurate information about the entire inventory. Merchants that have more extensive inventories will need much more time to get the system up and running. 

Technology Needed

A merchant will need much more than barcode scanners to implement a barcode-based inventory system. They will need additional software and hardware to make the system truly effective. This does require more cost and time on the merchants' part. Staff also need to be trained on all the new hardware and software, which significantly adds to the time and cost of implementation. 

Size of Business 

Considering the considerable costs involved in getting a barcode inventory system set up, merchants must think about whether it's the best decision for their business. Some merchants may have low enough sales volume that a significant investment in barcode scanners does not make sense. 

Essentials of a Barcode Scanner

Merchants must consider various aspects when looking into which type of barcode scanner to purchase. Your business will need a label printer and likely multiple in order to print off the barcodes you need to scan. While this is not typically a part of POS hardware, this is critical for effectively using barcodes.

Scanners can come directly attached to the register, wirelessly connect to the register, or can operate separately as stand-alone POS devices. Another great feature of some modern barcode scanners is their ability to scan QR codes, dramatically increasing their usefulness for merchants. 

Implementing Barcodes 

Auditing

Before attempting to add barcodes to all your products, you must conduct a complete inventory audit. It can be frustrating and time-consuming going through every item and checking. But with a proper audit beforehand, barcodes will be able to keep track of accurate data. 

Organization

Each product or type of product will need its unique barcode for the system to be effective. You will need to go through your inventory and organize your products so they can get the barcodes that make the most sense for them. You will also need unique barcodes if you offer different sizes or colors of the same product. This likely means you will create a lot of unique barcodes for your products. 

Build out the System and Labeling

Ensure that your company has all the steps of the barcoding adequately set up, from making barcodes to scanning them with barcode scanners and then processing that data. The entire system will fall apart if any of these three steps is not functional. The last step is printing out all the barcode labels you need and getting them on your inventory. Suppose you have completed all the prior steps once everything is labeled. In that case, you can start using your barcode scanners to track inventory. 

Other Necessary POS Equipment

Register

This is, without a doubt, one of the most critical pieces of POS equipment. These are often paired with barcode scanners and come in many different forms. Fortunately, modern merchants can rely on something other than large, clunky registers. Many POS systems can function on a tablet; even purpose-built registers have plenty of useful built-in features.

Many registers come with built-in QR codes or barcode scanners. It is beneficial if the register includes a customer-facing display that allows customers to see their transactions clearly.

Card Reader

A register or barcode scanner only matters if you have a card reader to accept payment from credit cards. Not all card readers accept all types of credit card transactions. For most merchants, investing in card readers that can process all transactions from magstripe to tapped payments is a good idea. There are tons of card reader options out there to choose from, and the best payment providers offer tons of hardware options.

POS Equipment With Treati

Whether it's a barcode scanner or a card, reader Treati is ready to provide you with the best POS equipment. We will work with you to find the proper hardware for your business. There are plenty of options to choose from, allowing you to find the perfect fit. Additionally, Treati is designed to be incredibly integration friendly. This will enable you to select the best inventory management software for your barcode scanner system. 

With Treati, you can expect to receive quality customer service, as our team is always ready to answer your questions. Treati also allows your business to use tons of other valuable integrations that can dramatically improve business operations. From accounting to employee management, there is an integration you can leverage with Treati. With Treati, your POS system is more than just payments but a complete business optimization system.