We’ve all used barcode scanners before, right?

Even if you don’t use them in your warehouse, you’ve surely used them to scan a membership card on a gym, check out your groceries, get something from the library, or even used your phone to scan a barcode to check prices (or see if it’s cheaper on Amazon), we’ve all used barcodes at some point in our daily life.

So why doesn’t your warehouse? There’s a surprising number of warehouses and distribution centers out in the world that rely on non-barcode methods of tracking inventory, scanning shipments, and more. If your warehouse hasn’t quite made the leap yet, or if you’ve got a manager too married to their way of doing things who might need a little…convincing, here’s four good reasons to switch to a barcode-based tracking system:

Productivity gains: Barcode scanning is one of, if not the, fastest way to get inventory counts completed. Inventory systems can be synced up with barcode scanners to track inventory changes across your entire network much more quickly than doing them by hand or by using manual-input methods.

Increase in accuracy: Above and beyond the productivity increases, barcode scanners allow you to increase the accuracy of your retail counts. By gaining a better understanding of your current inventory and where it’s located you can reduce shrink, improve overhead, and make better use of your available warehouse storage.

Reduction of errors: We’re not saying your staff doesn’t know what they’re doing by any means, but any human-based process brings with it the risk of error – it happens, and it’s preventable. Barcode scanners can help reduce the chance of an item being miscounted or double-counted, and any decrease in inventory errors and miscounting will only help your overall productivity and revenue stream.

Reduction of costs: Finally, perhaps the biggest benefit of implementing barcode tracking in your warehouse is the ability to save money by simplifying your processes. A more automated inventory process allows for the streamlining of operational costs and can reduce overhead in the long run by making inventory more consistent, easier to access, and easier to track.