Are you currently using a Barcode Inventory System in your ecommerce business? If not, you are missing an opportunity to save money and time from human error in your inventory management and shipping. Let’s look at how using a barcode inventory system can improve your bottom line.
Barcode Inventory System for Small Business
Universal Product Codes (UPCs) are used to identify products universally, meaning the same code is used everywhere to identify the same product. Governed by the Global Standards Organization, UPC codes are used by most businesses to organize and describe products so everyone understands.
Every UPC has both a numerical twelve-digit code and a scannable barcode that includes all of the relevant product information like a product description and weight. All of that information is the same for whoever’s scanning, whether you’re an e-retailer or wholesaler — it’s universal.
UPC codes are ideal for managing inventory and tracking it throughout your business, from purchasing from your vendor to stocking in your warehouse to shipping to your end customer.
Barcode Inventory System Excel Template
There are free inventory app like Excel which offer free templates for small businesses to use when first getting started. However, while these templates and apps are free upfront, they can easily use up resources during implementation and management. While Excel seems to be a good choice because it integrates perfectly with accounting software like QuickBooks, using it to manage your inventory invites human error. And unfortunately, human error can be very costly.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Excel to Manage Inventory
As a small business owner, your primary focus is growing your business. That leaves very little time for hassling over Excel spreadsheets. Excel spreadsheets are time-consuming and don’t grow as your business grows. You need inventory software that will scale up as your business does.
Although Excel is a free platform, it still takes a lot of time to manually input information, leading to the possibility of more human error. This system doesn’t have the capability to grow with your business or to process more complex needs like multichannel sales, or more than one inventory warehouse. As your business grows, a spreadsheet system becomes inflexible and unwieldy.
Manual Inventory Software
Another problem with Excel is that you enter information into Excel manually. Manual entries allow for more human errors, leading to lost time and money. Since Excel isn’t built for managing inventory, you can’t link it to your sales software, only one person can use it at a time, and it doesn’t operate in real-time.
Consider these limits of using Excel.
- Tracking large quantities of items in Excel increases the likelihood of data entry errors, especially if your inventory moves frequently from location to location.
- Having a single Excel workbook limits user access.
- Excel lacks real-time inventory data.
- Excel limits your ability to quickly analyze historical data.
How to Implement a Barcode System for Inventory
Consistency is the key to implementing your new simple barcode inventory system.
- Barcode everything — Make sure everything is labeled, and if not, create codes for unlabeled stock. Give each item a profile and link it to your inventory software.
- Train your team — Register team members and make sure they understand the barcode system.
- Document your goals — Goals can be anything from reducing loss and theft to reducing customer wait times.
6 Steps to Set Up Your Barcode Inventory System
1. Define all SKUs and variants
Key all SKUs and variants into your database with descriptors and notes needed to organize your inventory.
2. Choose a barcoding inventory software system
Of course we recommend Ordoro.
3. Define your barcodes
Decide which type of barcode to use.
- Numeric — Often used in retail, warehousing, and industrial settings
- Alpha-numeric — Used anywhere from grocery shelves to automotive factories to the military
- Two-dimensional — QR codes capable of containing over 7,000 characters in one code
4. Create inventory barcodes
Your software will create barcodes for each item.
5. Update your inventory system with your new barcodes
This is where integrated software works well.
6. Print barcodes and put labels on everything
Some items may require special labels so they don’t fall off.
What Will You Need to Prepare Your Business for Barcoding?
To start, you need some physical equipment and supplies.
- Barcode scanners
- Computers
- Barcode printers
- Barcode labels
- Barcode or QR code generating software like Ordoro
- A digital inventory list
You can use traditional barcode scanners or scan using a tablet.
How Ordoro Can Help You Set Up
Don’t worry, Ordoro gives you a lot of support to help you set up your barcode inventory system. These support articles are a good place to start:
- How to set up UPCs for barcode scanning
- How do I create barcodes in Ordoro?
- Want to take advantage of Ordoro’s barcoding features but don’t have barcodes right now? No problem. Ordoro makes creating barcodes easy.
- Create barcodes using parameters like SKU or UPC code. Ordoro helps you generate barcodes that tell you the product name, price, location, and more.
- Which barcode scanner does Ordoro recommend?
What are the Benefits of Using Barcode Scanning in Your Business?
Using an inventory scanning system with barcodes gives your small business lots of benefits.
- Easy access to your data
- Reduce human error
- Efficient inventory monitoring
- Improved inventory control
- Good management of valuable assets
- Automate tedious time-consuming processes
Barcodes help reduce picking and packing errors, which saves you time and money. What is the real cost of picking and packing errors?
- Lost sales due to customer dissatisfaction
- Returns due to shipping the wrong product
- Additional or expedited shipping costs
- Customer service costs from fielding customer complaints
- Repackaging the returned item
- Warehouse labor costs picking, packing, shipping, etc.
- Sales costs due to customer dissatisfaction, cost overruns requiring higher prices, lower margins
The Best Barcode Inventory System
Now come on, how could we talk about barcode scanning and NOT talk about Ordoro. If we don’t say so ourselves, we would like to consider Ordoro as the best barcode inventory system on the market because our software makes your job easier, saves you time and money.
Picking and Packing Errors Plummet
Secure yourself peace of mind and reduce costly fulfillment errors. Simply pull up one or multiple orders and Ordoro will tell you what needs to be picked, scanned, and packed.
Raise the Bar for Your Workflow
Ordoro supports UPC barcodes, and scans, sets, and searches for UPC codes.
Sort by Location When Picking
Assign an aisle, bin, and warehouse location to every product in Ordoro. Ordoro will organize your picking list by location to make picking faster and more efficient.
Can I track warehouse aisle bin location for my products?
Ordoro Scan to Verify Pick List
Use barcode scanning to ensure product accuracy and improve warehouse picking efficiency.
How do I use barcode scanning for my warehouse pick workflow?
Bulk Scan a Selected Batch
Select a batch of orders from the order list page that you have created with good barcodes.
Verify Multiple Orders Using Barcode Scanning
Ordoro’s newest version of barcode scanning allows you to verify multiple orders at one time.
How to verify multiple orders via barcode scanning
What Happens if the Wrong Item is Scanned in Ordoro?
Don’t worry. Ordoro will recognize that the item isn’t in the current order, and will generate an error message.
What to do if you scan the wrong item
Can I initiate actions with a barcode scanner in the barcode scanning workflow?
How Do I Print Packing Slips and Picklists?
How to print packing slips and picklists
Can I Scan in Barcodes for PO Goods Receipts?
How to scan in barcodes for PO goods receipts
Ready to Get Started with the Best Barcode Inventory System For Small Business?
Want to give Orodoro’s barcode scanning a try? Start your 15-Day FREE Trial today!
