How Custom Barcode Labels Can Improve Inventory Management

January 06, 2016

Barcoding is more than a trend in warehouse and inventory operations. It is essentially revolutionizing industries that rely on accuracy and constantly fluctuating inventory demands. Below, learn more about barcode labels and how they can help improve your business.

How Do Barcodes and Barcode Labels Work?

Barcodes have been used for years as a way to track merchandise, largely in retail. They function much the way a numbering system would — only because barcodes use encoded information in unique visual patterns, they can be more easily understood by automated machinery.

Both retail and industrial barcode labels use sharp black and white patterns easily deciphered by a computer. Even slight variations of a barcode can represent a different item. As such, barcodes can be used to track countless items. Individual objects can be made searchable by item, serial number or lot number. In the end, barcode labels enable your business to track inventory levels, as well as movement of merchandise within your warehouse or stock rooms.

How Does This Benefit You?

One of the biggest struggles in any business is managing complex inventory needs. Companies with larger inventories stand to benefit the most from barcode labels, but companies of all sizes can improve their operations. Whatever your company’s size, being overstocked can be just as inefficient as being understocked. Custom barcode labels can help in key ways:

- Inventory. Barcoding provides an incredible level of detail that helps you track incoming and outgoing inventory. When you know where you stand inventory-wise, you can make better business decisions. You can maintain dynamic stock levels that more accurately meet the demands of customers.
- Accuracy. Anyone who has overseen warehousing operations knows that human error is the biggest obstacle when it comes to accurate counts. Barcoding eliminates a crucial complicated step and can significantly reduce the likelihood of errors. This helps you better track inventory and can reduce the amount of time required counting and recounting. In addition to eliminating counting errors, barcoding decreases data entry errors from manual keying of data.
- Sales. The two points above both help to reduce lost sales that commonly occur as a result of inaccurate inventory numbers. Barcoding helps you to organize, manage and forecast — all of which help to improve your bottom line.

What Can Chicago Tag & Label Do for You?

Chicago Tag & Label is an industry leader when it comes to custom barcode labels. We offer high-quality, smart solutions that help you manage and track inventory levels.

In addition to barcodes, we offer print solutions for form labels, automotive labels, inventory labels of all kinds, retail labels, packing slips and more. We understand how inventory tracking needs vary from business to business, so our experts are always more than happy to help you make the best decision. We make it our business to understand, identify and analyze your current process so that you can improve it.

Contact us today to find out more about how Chicago Tag & Label can improve your inventory management.