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Setting up inventory system and POS
barcode scanners
POS scanners are no
longer a luxury but a necessity in most
of the retail businesses. Point of sale
scanners help in speeding-up consumer
checkouts, price accuracy assurance and
tracking stock. Barcodes are series of
narrow and broad lines which are present
on a label or tag. Each bar on the label
is the representation of a character
which can be interpreted by bar code
readers. The reader uses a photo sensor
for converting the barcode to electrical
signals when the scanner passes across
the bar lines. The barcode reader will
measure the width of spaces and lines
and converts the pattern to normal
characters. After this, the converted
characters are sent to a computer or to
a terminal. Though all barcodes seem to
be the same, there are different
standards for barcodes.
Though almost all the
stores use bar-coding, not all the
traders have the right technology in
place. Due to this, they do not get all
the advantages of bar coding. Using bar
coding along with the POS software helps
traders to serve their consumers quickly
and with accuracy. Scanning barcodes at
POS instead of typing the SKU manually
will eliminate errors that occur in
inventory and pricing. If all the
merchandise is bar coded, it will help
is saving time while checking consumers
out as well as helps in the instant
implementation of markdowns. In addition
to this, the trouble of switched prices
can also be eliminated. By having UPCs
on all the POS products traders can
eliminate the need for having price tags
put on the goods itself. This not only
saves time but also helps in lowering
handling costs. Another benefit of this
is that the inventory can be checked
instantly. If a trader purchases a
portable data-terminal, then the
inventory details can be entered by
scanning all the purchases being made
with the help on a PDT. A PDT stores the
inventory count which aids in uploading
it into the POS software.
For the effective usage
of the barcode technology, it is
important for trader to consider their
individual requirements. For instance,
if the merchandise has UPC codes
already, then a barcode printer will no
be required. If the merchandise does not
have UPC codes then a trader will have
to purchase a bar code printer for
creating labels that have codes. A bar
code printer can be purchased at a
minimal amount from any of the
refurbished POS vendors. It is always
advisable to approach a POS vendor
before a purchase is made. This is
because these vendors have the knowledge
to tell traders which printers and
scanners are best suited for their
business. In addition to this, the
vendors tell how the point of sale
inventory software should be set up so
that the printer and scanner can be
integrated into the POS system. After
this is done, all the existing goods
need to be bar coded. As the new
merchandise is received, it can be bar
coded. |
