No one can deny that bar codes have revolutionised the retail space throughout the world, as well as in South Africa. In the past, a lot of the practices and systems in retailers were archaic and took a lot of time and money to implement. The creation of bar codes has changed all of this, and these days, the processes in retail are modern and flow like a well-oiled train.
There are many ways that retail has changed for the better in South Africa as a result of the bar coding system. Firstly, codes eliminate the possibility of human error. It is very easy for retail assistants to make a mistake if they have to manually enter the product information, especially if they are in a rush or if they are tired. Scanning an EAN bar code is fast and reliable, thereby saving time and increasing efficiency.
Secondly, using a bar code system reduces staff training time. Mastering the handheld scanner is simple and does not take much time to learn. On top of this, staff do not have to familiarise themselves with every single item in the shop. This lessens the training time needed and saves money.
Thirdly, bar codes are extremely versatile. They have a huge variety of uses, including data collection, stock control, pricing inventory and sales. One of the most important uses of bar coding technology is that it can be used to track products as they move through the retail process. This has improved inventory control. Tracking products becomes an easy and uncomplicated process, which serves to decrease inventory losses and increase profit.
It has also helped in the location of a specific item as it reduces the time spent searching for the item as well as saving the money spent replacing the item that is presumed to be lost. Before codes were created, retailers had to close shop in order to do full manual stock takes. This wasted a lot of time, money and energy. With the emergence of bar codes, the process of stock control has become simplified and there is no need to close shop to do it.
Another way the bar code system has revolutionised the retail space in South Africa is that they provide better access to a larger amount of data. Each individual bar code provides a fast, reliable source of data for a wide range of applications. Codes can also be customised to contain other relevant information, as required.
GS1 bar codes are user friendly and provide an indispensable tool for tracking a wide variety of data, from pricing to inventory control. Bar coding has led to better decision-making ability. Another important way that code technology has improved retail is by improving the ordering process by ensuring the retailer has enough data available to know which items are in higher demand and therefore know how much to order of each item in the store. This helps the retailer to keep up with market demand and thereby make a profit.
Point of sale management has also been transformed by the technology of bar codes. This is because it provides detailed, up-to-date information on the business, which accelerates decisions and the retailer's ability to respond to market demand.
This is done in the following ways:
* Fast selling items can be identified quickly and these can be automatically reordered.
* Identifying slow selling items, which can be removed or sold at a discount in order to prevent inventory build-up.
* The effects of merchandising changes can be monitored, which will allow fast moving and more profitable items to occupy the best space.
* Data captured form codes can be used to predict seasonal fluctuations, which will enable the retailer to respond to changes in market and keep up with the times, thus ensuring the retailer continues to make a profit.
* Items can be repriced on the shelf to reflect both sale and prices increases.
* Bar code technology also allows the profiling of individual customers through a voluntary registration for discounts.
* The use of GS1 bar codes speeds up the customer checkout. No customer wants to be kept waiting for no reason other than the retail assistant can't find the product on the system. This makes the company look incompetent. A fast, efficient checkout process improves customer satisfaction and enhances your business's image. This encourages the customer to become loyal to your company, thus increasing your profits.
Code technology has also revolutionised logistics and supply chain management. The use of ITF-14 bar codes (also known as box or case bar codes) allow for goods to be shipped in bulk. By scanning the box, the scanner enters the exact number of items in the box into the computer. This saves time, effort and money, thereby increasing profit.
Today's business environment can be a cut-throat business and staying competitive is critical to the success of any company. Buy bar codes for your business for a cost-effective and efficient way to meet the competitive challenges and rise to the top of your game.
You can visit our website at http://www.sabarcodes.co.za/
SA Barcodes is here to assist you along this path to success!
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