Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Barcodes are nearly everywhere – they’re used in every industry for a multitude of purposes, from shipping to inventory and asset tracking. There’s a reason for this: they’re an extremely effective method for accomplishing many different tasks for both consumers and companies. But not all barcodes are created equal, and keeping your clients up to date on the latest innovations and solutions can both refresh a customer base and keep clients operating at the highest levels.
As technology consistently changes and evolves, merchants should also change and evolve their purchasing decisions. Today’s merchants can benefit greatly from upgrading to 2D scanners, as older, laser-based scanners and 1D barcodes simply can’t perform as many important tasks. Older, 1D barcodes hold a limited amount of information, and 1D scanners are only capable of reading 1D barcodes that are printed perfectly on paper; they’ll often struggle to read any faded or damaged barcodes, which can disrupt workflow and impede efficiency, particularly in a warehousing environment. Newer, 2D scanners can read both 1D and 2D barcodes on paper, as well as electronic barcodes on mobile screens, allowing for more versatility and obtaining the benefits of a 2D barcode’s capability to hold more critical information.
With a 2D barcode scanner, businesses are capable of achieving much more on a regular basis. They aren’t held back by damaged or poorly printed barcodes, and are capable of reading multiple barcodes with a single trigger pull – increasing efficiency significantly. These readers also have an enhanced range, allowing users to read barcodes from a greater distance than traditional laser scanners, while providing omni-directional scanning to speed things along.
With these added benefits, it’s no surprise that, according to Zebra Technologies, 60 percent of revenues are projected to migrate from laser scanners to 2D imagers by 2018. These 2D scanners are able to scan anything from drivers’ licenses to invoices, while also providing a simpler way to engage with customers who download coupons and participate in loyalty programs through their phones.
These barcodes can be incorporated in many ways in nearly every vertical, with the proper implementation:
- Healthcare: Barcode scanning at a patient’s bedside can greatly enhance patient care, while enabling caregivers to check medication, access records, order tests, collect specimens and more. With 2D imagers, professionals are given real-time visibility that provides the information necessary to ensure the right patient has the right medication in the right amounts through the right routes.
- Hospitality: Exceeding customer expectations is the key to success in the hospitality industry. Satisfied guests can become loyal guests who expect to be rewarded for providing repeat business. This is driving a rapid rise in mobile loyalty applications and the need for 2D imagers in verticals and areas where they were not previously implemented.
- Manufacturing and Warehousing: Real-time access to business data – from every inch of the warehouse or manufacturing space – is vital for success. Productivity depends upon workers being equipped with the information they need to streamline manufacturing processes or to pick, put away and replenish stock more effectively.
- Retail: The main interaction shoppers have with an organization often comes at the point of sale. Fast and accurate transactions keep lanes flowing smoothly, which helps to keep customers returning regularly. In this industry, efficiency at the checkout is paramount, and 2D scanners can help to quickly scan any loyalty barcodes or coupons from a customer’s phone, getting them through the line and keeping them satisfied.
As 1D barcodes and their readers become less useful in practical activities, it will be important to ensure that business owners are kept up to date on the best 2D imagers for their needs. This can help refresh a customer base, as businesses need to migrate from older, less intuitive technologies to newer and more efficient kinds.
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