How Barcodes Help Move Things (and you!) From Point A to point B

There are a million different ways to use barcodes in this modern age. From selling goods in retail stores to controlling medication in hospitals, to getting from point A to point B. Barcodes have become an everyday aspect of our lives. We barely even notice them and we definitely take them for granted. They make our everyday lives much easier and far more efficient. They save both time and money and have changed the way we operate in our work lives as well as in our personal lives. Barcodes take us from Point A to Point B in more ways than one.

Moving Products Around

There are many different types of barcodes and each different kind has its own purpose. Barcodes started out as very simple one-dimensional barcodes – that being the UPC barcode that is still the most widely used barcode today.  The UPC standard was eventually extended by one digit to create the EAN standard. These are retail barcodes that are used in stores throughout the world in order to control the sales process from the beginning to the end. They allow retail stores to control their inventory and save both time and money by ensuring that the whole sales process is as quick and efficient as possible. The whole process starts from when the barcode label is printed or stuck onto the product, by the supplier or by the retailer. The product barcode can then be scanned and read every step of the way as it moves from warehouse to warehouse and eventually from the store shelf to the customer.

Without the advent of barcodes, shipping products in and out of countries as well as around one specific country would be a lot more tricky and would lead to a lot of mistakes. Mistakes cost money. Barcodes have made the shipping process far more efficient, and all but eliminated the possibility of erroneously shipping an item. They give a lot of control over the whole shipping process, and allow for the tracking of inventory from the warehouses, right to the endpoint of sale. The shipping barcode is scanned at each step of the process until it reaches the customer. This limits the loss of profits, saves a lot of valuable time, and provides valuable data as all the information from tracking a product across the supply chain will be invaluable to any distribution business.

Moving People Around

With the advancement of technology, we are now making use of more complex two dimensional barcodes such as the ever-popular Quick Response (QR) code. This code is special for two reasons. Firstly, it can store much more information than a linear one-dimensional barcode. Secondly, it can store an instruction to redirect the scanning device to another site or location. This makes it a very versatile code that can be used in all sorts of scenarios, from displaying multimedia content to electronic authentication to paying for things. QR codes are also used in product tracing where a standard barcode does not convey enough information – such as tracing the supply chain of each ingredient within the product.

In addition, QR codes are being used in getting passengers from Point A to Point B in a fast, efficient and effective manner.  In these busy times, nobody wants to wait in endless queues or hassle over pieces of paper that could easily be lost or misplaced or damaged. QR codes are being used in Train Stations in order to ensure that passengers’ travelling experience is as smooth and effortless as possible. QR codes are being placed around the train station building so passengers can simply scan them in order to get access to train time tables and other such information. QR codes are being placed on train tickets so that all the staff have to do is to scan this barcode to gain access to the passenger’s details as well as to check whether or not they are about to get onto the right train! These days, this QR code can also be sent to passenger’s mobile phones so that they do not even have to carry paper tickets around with them.

Taking this even further, passengers can now buy a paperless ticket from an app on their mobile phone. They will now be ready to buy a train ticket simply by entering their starting place and their destination. This app will generate a QR code that will be scanned at the Train Station itself. In this way, the QR code becomes the ticket. This eliminates any need to stand in long queues and saves travellers a lot of time, money and hassle. In certain countries, such as Mumbai, it is now compulsory to have a QR code E-Pass for all essential category staff travelling on certain train lines. This makes the whole travelling process very quick and efficient.

Barcodes are also used extensively in the airline industry. Many Airlines have initiated the Barcoded Boarding pass for their flights (BCBP for short). This is a boarding pass that has a QR code on it with all the passengers’ details on it. It is designed to eliminate long queues and help to make the flying experience as smooth and pleasant as possible. This BCBP can even be sent to the passenger’s smartphone, eliminating the need for a paper ticket. This QR code will include information such as the name of the passenger, if they are travelling with someone, their seat, their next of kin as well as contact details. All the airport personnel have to do is scan this barcode to access all the information that they need in order to assist the passenger to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Barcodes continue to make our lives easier in so many different ways, and continue to get things from point A to point B efficiently and effectively. At Buy Barcode, we supply all the types of barcodes and are more than able to help your business with all your barcode needs. We are here to answer all of your questions and make sure that you have all that you need to make your business a success. Feel free to contact us for any further barcode related questions you may have. Let us take your business to the next level.