Is Barcode Tracking Successful in Food Manufacturing Industry?

Barcode tracking is one of the oldest techniques used for asset tracking. Indeed, it has several benefits and is very easy to use. The barcode technique is simple; it allocates a unique series of numbers to the fixed assets inside cafes, restaurants, etc. This series of numbers empowers cafes & restaurants to track, monitor, and manage any fixed asset throughout its life. Therefore, barcode tracking becomes really useful, especially when a cafe, hotel, or restaurant has multiple locations. Thus, the barcode is one of the pioneer methods of asset tracking and can be easily implemented in any industry, including the food manufacturing industry.

What is a Barcode?

A barcode is a data representation in code, readable by machines & scanners. Barcodes come in a square shape with some parallel lines in black and white, and right below them, there are a few numbers written. It is used for asset tracking or inventory tracking. The data can also be read by smartphones. Now, barcodes come in 1-dimensional and 2-dimensional forms. 1-D is simple; it can store text data, and product price, and 2-D is more complex, capable of including information like price, quantity, image, etc. According to Shopify, a barcode sticker labels a product or item and gives a unique identification to a product or package. Through this, information about the product can be found by scanning the sticker.

What Is the Importance of Barcode Tracking in the Food Industry?  

In the food industry, several organizations rely on tracking inventory and distribution, and the best way to achieve this is by barcode labels. Any food item that moves along the supply network (from a distribution center to a distributor/retailer) needs a barcode to be traced and managed efficiently. Hence, barcode technology has reduced the probability of human errors. It depends on humans to ensure the technology has no errors. When human inspection and technological innovation are combined, this process ensures that the maximum output is generated with minimal risks.

What Are the Benefits of Barcodes in the Restaurant or Food Manufacturing Industry?  

There are enormous benefits of barcodes:  

- In any food manufacturing company, there are products in abundance; therefore, there are chances of theft. So, this technology keeps track of each item. It is also helpful in avoiding the tap-sale of products at unauthorized points.  

- A food-borne illness outbreak is one situation barcodes can help you avoid. As a result, enhanced food quality & reduced health-risk issues.  

- The asset management software with barcode tracking can help in exchanging information with members of your supply chain and access to precise information about the products in real-time. Thus, asset management real-time tracking assists in tracking shipments and provides great visibility.  

- In a restaurant, products go in and out of the warehouse daily. Barcode tracking lets you know how many products are left in stock. If the warehouse is overstocked or understocked quick actions are taken accordingly.  

- Barcode provides great control over inventory. It tracks inventory so accurately that you can update inventory levels as per your requirements.  

- Barcode makes the process fast and reduces the probability of human error. Because the barcode scanner scans the barcode and takes no time to input the data into the system.  

- If you think the barcode does not provide any data information, you are wrong! With software assistance, you can customize the field to your needs, such as price, weight, quantity, flavor, etc. The data is dependable. This data helps in making business decisions.

What Are the Disadvantages of Barcode?  

- To get a product scanned, barcode scanners need a straight line of sight to the barcode to scan. It won't be able to scan if it's not positioned properly.  

- Barcode scanners have a small range of scanning products. It can be hectic if there are lots of products, as it has hardly a few feet of range.  

- Another problem with barcode scanners is that they scan the product one by one, making it labor-intensive.  

- If the barcode is damaged, tampered with, or not readable for any reason, then it will not be scanned, and there is no way to rectify it.  

- Compared to other technologies and innovations, barcode has less security.

Conclusion

Barcodes are easily accessible, very easy to use, and they are economical too. Barcode tracking is very effective and reliable. They are very useful in the supply chain for monitoring and managing them. There are several brands in the food industry that are using barcodes for tracking. Barcode undeniably is one of the top technologies for tracking. After looking at the above benefits, one can simply say that barcode tracking is successful in restaurants, cafes, or any food manufacturing industry. Barcode labels can be noticed in any food industrial products or other items & daily usable products such as garments, toys, food packets, etc. Therefore, we can say that barcode technology is something that everyone should be familiar with, even now as this technology is constantly improving & adding new features.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the advantages of RFID over barcodes?

RFID tags don't need to be positioned in a line of sight with the scanner. RFID tags can be read at a faster rate than barcodes as approximately 40 RFID tags can be read at the same time. These tags can work within much greater distances; information can be read from a tag at up to 300 ft.

Which one is better RFID or barcodes?

RFID and barcodes have their own advantages and disadvantages. But the thing is which option fits in your business? If RFID fits in business, then RFID is better or if barcode fits in business, then the barcode is better.

Can RFID readers read barcodes?

RFID works on power waves. Therefore, it obtains data from the RFID tag. However, RFID readers and barcode scanners are similar but both of these have different work techniques.

Barcodes and QR codes are the same?

The full form of the QR code is a quick response code. It's a 2-dimensional code that is in machine-readable form. Initially, QR code technology was manufactured to track cars but nowadays they are used everywhere. The objective of the barcode and QR Code is to store product information and both are used for asset tracking purposes. However, they are different.