Barcodes are used everywhere – and linked to this, some industries very much rely on barcode scanners for the day-to-day operations of their businesses.
With this in mind, let us take a look at three industries where appropriate barcode scanner repair and maintenance are absolutely essential.
- Education
How are barcodes used in educational settings?
Barcodes in education have skyrocketed in popularity over recent years as technological advancements have increased. However, the applications of barcodes in school settings still remain largely unknown to the general public. There are two main applications for barcodes in educational settings: firstly, to keep track of assets, and secondly for automating processes.
Barcodes can be used to keep an account of assets such as books, laptops, tablet computers, and even things like lab equipment. This allows schools to keep an accurate record of who has used what, for how long, what is overdue, and how many copies of assets exist in the catalogue.
In addition to this, barcodes can be used for taking attendance and opening locked doors to areas with restricted access. Something such as a student card can be programmed using a barcode to open doors, and can be scanned by a teacher when the student turns up to class.
Why does education rely on barcode scanner repair?
Compliance is everything in the education system. Certain students must attend X number of classes in order to meet the requirements of their visa or funding, and accurate records of assets must be kept for financial, taxation, and grant purposes.
Thus, barcode scanners must be properly maintained, ensuring that all automated processes and asset management is achieved accurately. If a barcode scanner is broken, this can not only cause the institution to get into trouble with authorities, but might also cost them a lot of money in losses. This means that educational institutions heavily rely on barcode scanner repair.
- Retail
How are barcodes used in retail stores?
Retail is probably the best-known industry for using barcodes. In fact, the barcode was invented in the late 1940s for the purpose of making supermarket checkouts more efficient. Interestingly, although barcodes were patented in 1952, the scanners that could read them were not invented until much later.
Nowadays, barcodes are on almost every item we buy in supermarkets or other retail stores. They can either be scanned by an attendant at the checkout, by yourself as you shop (via schemes such as Lidl Go, Asda’s Scan & Go, Tesco’s Scan as you Shop, M&S’ Mobile Pay Go, and Sainsbury’s SmartShop), or using self-service checkouts.
In this sense, retail is entirely reliant on barcodes and scanners. The process is used to calculate the cost of purchases, log stock coming in and out of the premises, and keep track of inventory. This quantifiable data can then be used to gain useful insights into buyer behaviour and the popularity of products, and thus helps to reduce wastage.
Why does retail rely on barcode scanner repair?
Broken barcode scanners can be catastrophic to the retail industry. If a scanner cannot recognise barcodes effectively, it will be much harder to account for and keep track of sometimes large quantities of stock that come in and out of warehouses and stores.
Barcode scanner repair can ensure that purchases are properly logged, with customers paying the correct price for their items. It can also ensure that less stock is wasted – be it by getting lost or failing to be purchased. All in all, barcode scanner repair ensures that retail sales and profits are maximised.
- Restaurants and hotels
How are barcodes used in hospitality?
Barcode and QR code usage in restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality establishments have particularly seen an increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the hospitality industry was allowed to reopen its doors, many businesses used barcodes as a way to keep an account of the details of the people who walked through the door; in addition, such codes provided a link to a virtual menu, online ordering, and contact-free payment system.
In hotels, barcodes have been used for a while for entry keycards. During the pandemic, not only were these keycodes utilised to reduce close contact, but barcodes and QR codes were introduced for contact-free check-in and check-out.
Why does hospitality rely on barcode scanner repair?
Although the barcodes in the hospitality industry might look a little different to others, they are no less important to day-to-day functionality. Without barcode scanner repair, diners and vacationers would not be able to check into their rooms or order from the comfort of their table – contact-free processes which have become more important in the wake of the pandemic.
So, there you have it – three sectors of the economy that depend in some way on barcode scanner repair. Without regular scanner maintenance, these industries would all suffer from loss of functionality, business, records, and money.