One Sunday, I was watching the Travel Channel’s show Mysteries at the Museum, and lo, and behold it was about the first barcode. Now that I’m an “expert” on barcode history, I can tell you that barcodes first came on the scene back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At first barcodes were developed simply to help track food inventory in grocery stores. Now the barcode is used in a plethora of different global markets.
In fact, it is amazing to think how far barcode technology has come, even in just the past five years. There seems to be an application for everything these days that includes scanning a barcode. For example, the Amazon Student app gives you three options: Buy stuff, sell stuff, or scan a barcode. I am seeing this “scan the barcode” option more and more, aren’t you? We, as consumers, even have the ability to scan an item using a mobile device that presents us with a list of which stores carry that specific product for the best price.
Now even weight loss programs have mobile applications! Weight loss applications such as Weight Watchers and MyFitnessPal give you the option to scan the barcode on packaged food. The app will provide all of the nutritional facts, as well as log what you eat each day. It will even track the number of calories you have left in the day to help keep you on track! The barcoding app also works the same way when grocery shopping. Customers no longer have to spend their time reading nutrition facts, since they can scan and upload that data while they shop!
That being said, you may be wondering how to take advantage of the barcoding craze in your business. Is it worth the up-front expense? Will barcode technology easily integrate into your existing business processes? You might want to start by reading this blog to learn more about how barcodes can truly have a positive impact on your organization’s productivity and efficiency.
Next, if you’d like to learn more about achieving a positive return on investment and decreasing your company’s 
expenditures, I would recommend contacting a supplier of high quality barcode scanning solutions from widely-respected manufacturers such as Honeywell Scanning and Mobility. L-Tron Corporation is one such supplier with over 35 years of experience and a great reputation among a wide variety of industries. L-Tron strives to understand each organization’s unique challenges and find an effective, affordable solution.
Barcodes are here to stay – wouldn’t you agree? I’ll bet at some point today you have seen at least one barcode or barcode scanner. Tell us where on Facebook or Twitter!