Barcode Asset Tracking: How Does It Work & Why is it important?

A barcode asset tracking system can be used to track the location of assets that have been physically tagged. It also keeps track of warehouses, documents, and inventory so that management can be notified when stock levels are low.

Warehouse Management

Inventory Management

Asset Management

Document Tracking

What is Barcode Asset Tracking?

Barcode asset monitoring is a simple and cost-effective method of managing and tracking physical assets for businesses of all sizes. Barcode asset monitoring is made possible by the combination of a barcode label and a reader, which can be used for inventory and stock control as well as lifecycle management.

Barcodes exist in a variety of sizes and designs, ranging from 1D to 2D barcodes like Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix and Quick Response (QR) code respectively. Each type of barcode label has different capabilities for storing data. This data is encoded as a series of numbers and letters that must be decoded by a reader, which is typically a barcode scanner or a mobile device.

How does it work?

Barcodes are utilized in a range of businesses that provide a variety of processes, including travel, entertainment, advertising, and games, in addition to tracking company assets. However, the technique remains the same regardless of whatever barcode technology is utilized. Barcode asset tracking is basically based on three things-

Barcode

When it comes to asset tracking, businesses can either buy barcodes from a distributor or print them themselves. Firms must understand the difference between 1D (linear) and 2D (two-dimensional) barcodes. UPC is one-dimensional barcodes that may hold up to 100 characters of data and are commonly encountered on retail items. 2D barcodes, on the other hand, may contain up to 2000 characters of data and are commonly found as QR codes in publications and advertising pamphlets.

Scanner

Each barcode has a unique pattern that can be read by a machine and is associated with a certain object. In this case, it's a barcode scanner. The reader decodes the data into 1s and 0s and transfers it to a computer after scanning the barcode and reflecting light off each black and white region. Mainly, there are four types of scanners that are used in barcode asset tracking: charge coupled device barcode scanner, Pen-type scanner, Laser-scanner and Image barcode scanner.

Tracking

A bar-coded asset's data must already be saved on a system before it may be accessed. Quantity, location, maintenance history, and purchase date, will all be attributed to a specific item in a database. After that, the object is assigned a unique code, which is then converted into a barcode and attached to it. When a barcode is scanned, the scanner instructs a computer to open a specific record that contains the asset's data. Asset data can then be examined, modified, and acted upon.

Why it is important?

Asset Tag is essential for various purposes in several Industries, but mainly used for:

Product-tracking-

Manually checking things in and out is really challenging in the business. The information and address of the operator and receiver are encoded in a barcode. A product's asset tag is used to track it in real time. Employees can only learn about the products and its location by scanning it.

Inventory control-

Companies can use Asset Tag to execute one of the most important tasks: inventory management. Taking inventory without an asset tag is a difficult operation, but with an asset tag, organizations can take stock in less time than if they entered the data manually.

Save time and money-

Employee training is not required while using asset tags. For asset tag, only the first setup is required. Asset tag thus saves the organization time and money. As a result, every time an employee scans a barcode, the database records are updated automatically.

Reduce human error-

Human error is common in businesses, warehouses, and other facilities that rely on manual data entry. When entering data by hand, it's all too simple for employees to flip numbers, skip a line, misunderstand a number, or use unreadable handwriting. On the other hand, barcode asset tracking limits the risk of human error. Barcode scans are more efficient than human data input because they are faster, more reliable, and take less time. When barcodes are scanned, the images are rapidly and properly transformed into a display in software on a computer or a mobile device.