Barcode, in its simplest form, is a set of bars and spaces representing alphabet or numeric data for identification of a particular product, service or a process. Barcode technology is the best-known and most widely used method of Automatic Identification. Automatic identification or “Auto ID” encompasses the automatic recognition and recording of data, most commonly through the printing and reading of information encoded in barcodes thereby eliminating risk of human error. Early applications of bar code scanning, which included retail point-of-sale, item tracking and inventory control, have been expanded to include more advanced applications such as time and attendance, work-in-process, quality control, sorting, order entry, document tracking, shipping and receiving, and controlling access to secure areas. Barcodes have been instrumental in revolutionizing, and significantly increasing efficiency and productivity across the entire supply chain from manufacturers to distributors to retailers worldwide. The packet of Wrigley’s chewing gum was the firs-ever product to be bar-coded and scanned at Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio in the year1974. It now resides in the Smithsonian Museum, alongside other objects of distinction. Ø Download Introductory Guide to ‘Barcode Technology’ |
