If you’re like me, you probably hate waiting in line at Loblaws, Future Shop or Canadian Tire (to name a few!), but tell yourself that without barcodes and data capture devices, the wait would be endless and the mistakes would be countless! Retail, the champion by definition of per unit sales, had to quickly adopt technology that would optimize its operations. Today, barcodes are used namely for managing inventory, procurement and accelerating the checkout process.
In addition to the three applications mentioned above, barcode applications in the retail industry also consist in the management of discount coupons and gift certificates, client verification of prices, management of loyalty programs, etc.
Logistics at its best
For customers, there are certainly several advantages to using barcodes, but there are even more for retailers. Barcodes provide a myriad of data that, when it’s all connected, allows for efficient and profitable business management, particularly by following the distribution channel. Here are two examples:
Example 1: Efficient procurement management
Example 2: Improved management of hygienic conditions for food products
Of course there are more examples than the two mentioned above. The goal is to give you an idea of the importance of data capture for companies. If using barcodes improves your company’s efficiency, then please leave me a comment about it. Success stories are like candy for product identification experts like those at IMS. I look forward to reading your comments!
