Barcode Scanning
Definition
Barcode scanning is the use of optical scanners to read printed codes (UPC, Code 128, QR, GS1 labels) that identify items, cartons, locations, and shipments, confirming every physical move in the system.
In Practice
Barcodes remain the workhorse of supply chain data capture: cheap to print, universally supported, and accurate to roughly one error per million scans versus one per few hundred keystrokes for manual entry. Every WMS transaction — receive, putaway, pick, load — is typically confirmed by scanning the item and the location.
For operations, the discipline matters more than the hardware. Scan-verified processes are what keep system inventory trustworthy; every unscanned 'quick move' is a future mispick or phantom stockout. GS1 standards (GTINs, SSCC pallet labels) let those scans mean the same thing across trading partners.
Example: a picker scans the shelf location, then the item, then the tote; the WMS blocks the transaction if any scan mismatches, catching a wrong-item pick in the aisle instead of at the customer's door.
Related Calculators
Related Terms
A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software that directs and records all activity inside a warehouse — receiving, putaway, picking, packing, and shipping — down to the individual location and unit.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses small tags that transmit their identity via radio waves, allowing items, cases, or pallets to be identified and counted without line-of-sight scanning.
Track and TraceTrack and trace is the capability to follow products forward through the supply chain (tracking) and reconstruct their history backward (tracing) at the shipment, batch, or serial-number level.