How Barcode Quality Affects Supply Chain Efficiency and Accuracy?

Barcodes are an essential part of any supply chain operation. Not only do they provide fast and accurate tracking throughout the supply chain, but they also help to ensure that goods arrive safely and on time.  However, the effectiveness of these operations hinges on the quality of the barcodes used. Poorly printed or damaged barcodes can lead to significant disruptions, including shipment delays, inventory inaccuracies, and increased operational costs. 

Understanding Barcodes: 1D vs. 2D 

We’re all used to seeing barcodes but in terms of their actual use case, they are usually a set of lines of various thickness in vertical format with spaces, accompanied by a set of numbers.  

Barcodes are machine-readable representations of data that facilitate the identification and tracking of products.  

There are primarily two types: 

• 1D Barcodes: These are the traditional linear barcodes consisting of vertical lines and spaces. Commonly used in retail, they encode information such as product numbers and prices. 
• 2D Barcodes: These include QR codes and Data Matrix codes, which can store more complex data, including URLs, serial numbers, and batch information. Their ability to hold more information makes them increasingly popular in modern supply chains. 

Why Is Barcode Quality Important? 

Barcodes offer much more functionality than just registering if a customer has bought an item in a shop. They’re used to track products throughout the supply chain and contribute essential information to management systems that ultimately keep the supply chain operating smoothly. This can include inventory management, stock accountability, efficient warehousing operations, traceability, serialisation and more.   

High-quality barcodes are essential for seamless supply chain operations. They ensure: 

• Accurate Scanning: Ensures that products are correctly identified and tracked throughout the supply chain. 
• Efficient Inventory Management: Facilitates real-time inventory tracking, reducing the chances of stockouts or overstocking. 
• Compliance with Standards: Meets industry and regulatory standards, avoiding potential fines or shipment rejections. 

Linx continuous inkjet printers, thermal inkjet printers and laser printers are capable of creating durable and legible barcodes. As above, this is critical as products are handled and pass through various stages in the supply chain where barcodes can potentially be compromised. On top of the durability and quality of barcodes, businesses also need to consider the ease of use of these types of printers, in that CIJ, TIJ and Laser printers allow easy changing of information contained within the barcodes without having a detriment to overall production line speeds.  

Applications of Barcodes throughout the Supply Chain 

Manufacturing 

Component Tracking: Barcodes facilitate the monitoring of parts and raw materials, ensuring accurate assembly and reducing errors. 

Quality Control: Scanning barcodes during inspections ensures that only compliant products proceed to the next stage, maintaining quality standards. 

Warehousing & Distribution 

Inventory Management: Barcodes enable precise tracking of stock levels, locations, and movements within warehouses, streamlining inventory control. 

Receiving & Shipping: Scanning barcodes upon receipt and dispatch ensures accurate order fulfillment and reduces discrepancies. 

Order Picking: Barcode-guided systems assist workers in locating and picking the correct items efficiently, minimizing errors. 

Logistics & Transportation 

Shipment Tracking: Barcodes on packages allow real-time tracking during transit, providing visibility into shipment status. 

Route Optimization: Data from scanned barcodes can inform route planning, enhance delivery efficiency and reduce costs. 

Proof of Delivery: Scanning barcodes at delivery points confirms receipt, ensuring accountability and customer satisfaction. 

Retail & Point of Sale 

Product Identification: Barcodes facilitate quick and accurate product identification at checkout, improving customer experience. 

Price Management: Dynamic pricing strategies can be implemented by updating barcode-linked pricing in the system. 

Inventory Replenishment: Sales data from barcode scans inform restocking decisions, ensuring product availability. 

Maintaining high barcode quality is not just a technical necessity but a strategic imperative in modern supply chain management. By investing in quality printing solutions, regular verification, and staff training, businesses can ensure efficient operations, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction. Barcodes can be printed on various substrates, whether that be primary or secondary packaging or even on to the product itself.

At Linx, we’ll assess your packaging type, substrates, and line speeds to recommend the right barcode printer—whether CIJ, TIJ, or Laser. Book a free sample or site visit today.