3 Reasons Barcode Technology Stands the Test of Time

Barcode technology is as ubiquitous as almost any other technology. We encounter it almost daily. If we do not see it in action, we probably at least see barcode symbols everywhere we go. The technology has a long history that has allowed it to stand the test of time.

Decades in the Making

According to Smithsonian, the barcode was first put to commercial use in Ohio in 1974. A product marked with a Universal Product Code (UPC) was scanned at a checkout of Troy’s Marsh Supermarket. National Cash Register (NCR) had installed scanners and computers leading up to the historical day.

The first item scanned was a Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum. It was a fitting product to use because of its small packaging. Today, the barcode has been proven to be suitable for almost any sized product and on almost any surface.

Nowadays there are many barcode symbols. There are 1D and 2D barcode types too. Barcodes are commonly seen on product packaging as those vertical lines of varying width. These lines are what are scanned to decode the information behind them.

Barcodes have evolved to go places. They can be printed directly on a product too, such as on metals and plastics using dots instead of lines. Growing more and more in popularity is the QR code which is scanned many times over using a smartphone.

Throughout history, the barcode has adapted to overcome the test of time. It has evolved from a barcode scanner at the end of a conveyor belt, to a being capable of scanned with a handheld scanner, a to being scanned using a webcam, and today being scanned using most common smartphones carried around in billions of people’s pockets.

High Usability Helps

The most widely used barcode symbols are 1D barcodes, or one-dimensional barcodes. These are linear in type and, as mentioned, consist of vertical lines of varying widths. The lines have specific gaps resulting in a particular pattern.

The 2D barcode is a two-dimensional barcode and are more complex. They encode data typically in square or rectangular patterns of two dimensions. The most popular 2D barcode is the QR code, which is often used with smartphone cameras to scan them.

Nowadays there are countless apps for Android and iOS devices that provide barcode scanning functionalities. But businesses need not invest in creating apps. They can design web applications to scan barcodes. This removes the extra effort behind dedicated apps and keeping them updated to support two varying operating systems.

With a web app, and using a barcode scanning SDK to expedite deployment, barcode scanning can become more universal as almost any common browser – mobile or desktop – can be used. It is adaptabilities like this that have kept barcode technology in play. At retail centers everywhere, they expedite our checkout process. Behind the scenes at warehouses, they expedite inventory processing and management. We see them at airports to check luggage or at security checkpoints to allow access.

They are quick to use, practically allowing for scenarios like the above to play out with little time wasted. Furthermore, scanning them with commercial-grade equipment and barcode scanning software has practically eliminated errors. It is rare to see a barcode needing to be repeatedly scanned to decode it. Advanced software today has even allowed it to overcome most cases where a printed barcode symbol is damaged or skewed.

Widespread Uses Across Industries

We most commonly see barcode technology in play in the retail sector. This industry heavily relies on barcode technology. It is not just on the consumer-facing side either. Before a customer checks out, barcodes assist with inventory management. It helps inform a store what is getting low in stock or has an abundance of stock.

Inventory management stretches beyond retail. Warehousing significantly uses barcode technology to track movement of its assets. This stretches into shipping and transportation. These industries fully understand the importance of inventory tracking. It is estimated that for every dollar US retailers sell, they are sitting on $1.43 in inventory. They are holding more than they are making. This is typically because of the part of the industry not using barcode technology for inventory management. Another report found that 43 percent of small businesses still do not use an inventory tracking system or are using obsolete manual methods.

Government organizations also rely on barcode technology where they have used it for some time. For example, there are applications like having barcodes on federal agency ID cards that are frequently used for access control to a facility. They are also used at the city level, such as for tracking assets and tagging evidence in investigations.

In Pennsylvania, the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department has reportedly used them to scan the barcodes on drivers’ licenses and registration cards. This scan then auto-populates citation forms with information from the ID cards. It saves officers the time from manually writing the name, driver’s license number, registration details, and so on. So, officers can more rapidly print citations in their vehicles and send the record of the citation to the courts.

In healthcare, the electronic health record (EHR) will seemingly rely a lot on barcode technology. The EHR is arguably still in infancy. However, the history of the barcode innovating industries is proof healthcare will likely need it to advance widespread use of the EHR.

Barcodes are also used in tracking an organization’s assets. For example, an IT department can use them to track IT assets such as computers, switches, monitors, phones and more. It can help provide insight to who has what. It can help with accounting and IT troubleshooting, and more.

Inventory and barcode software does not just have to be for the large businesses. There are clever uses for the technology for individuals too. For example, there are iOS and Android apps to inventory items you have at home, room by room. This might sound senseless but if you have home or renter’s insurance, cataloging your own assets might come in handy if you ever need to file a claim.

Barcode technology has evolved from a single application of the supermarket to countless ones. The average consumer now commonly uses them daily. These adaptations over decades are what has allowed the technology to stand the test of time.