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Getting started
with warehouse barcoding

Bringing barcoding into your warehouse can improve efficiency and accuracy, but it's not without hurdles. If you tackle these challenges head-on, you'll set yourself up for a much smoother shift to a more modern, digitised operation.

Introducing barcoding into your warehouse operations can significantly boost efficiency and accuracy. Yet, embarking on this modernisation journey comes with its fair share of challenges. 

It’s crucial to understand these hurdles. This guide explores five key areas that are often overlooked but are vital for a smooth and successful barcoding rollout to integrate with your Sage solution.

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Why consider barcoding for your warehouse?

Barcoding can transform warehouse operations in several significant ways, making it a worthwhile consideration for many stock focused businesses. Here are some key reasons why you should consider adding barcoding to your warehouse:

Increased accuracy

Barcodes reduce human errors in data entry and tracking.

Efficiency improvements

Barcoding speeds up warehouse processes, including receiving, picking, and shipping. 

Real-time stock management

With barcoding, stock levels are updated in real time as items are scanned allowing for more accurate stock levels.  

Enhanced traceability

Barcodes allow for detailed tracking of stock throughout the supply chain. 

Cost reduction

By improving accuracy and efficiency, barcoding can lead to significant cost savings. 

Scalability

Barcoding systems can easily scale with your business, handling increased volumes of products and transactions. 

Integration with Sage

Barcode systems can be integrated with your Sage solution to facilitate better insight and decision making.

What to consider before embarking on a warehouse barcoding project

We’ve worked with many distribution and manufacturing businesses when implementing a barcoding solution to integrate with their Sage system. At the start of each project, we discuss the five pitfalls that we commonly see arise so that our customers can better plan ahead for a successful outcome.

These are: 

  • Inadequate WiFi infrastructure
  • Choosing unsuitable hardware
  • Illogical bin locations
  • Inefficient layout and movement design
  • Overlooking scalability and future growth

With the right thought, planning and actions ahead of the project, these pitfalls can be addressed to provide a better barcoding solution for your warehouse. 

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Pitfall 1: Inadequate WiFi infrastructure

The backbone of any successful barcoding system is a robust WiFi network. Without reliable and strong WiFi, the real-time updating and tracking capabilities of barcoding are severely compromised. You’ll need to assess your current network's strength and coverage to ensure seamless barcode scanning and data transmission across the entire warehouse.

Questions to consider:

  • Does our current WiFi network provide consistent and strong coverage throughout the warehouse?
  • Can our WiFi infrastructure handle increased traffic from barcoding devices?
  • Have we experienced connectivity issues in the past that could impact barcode scanning?

Action Step:

Perform a WiFi assessment in your warehouse - use a smartphone or tablet with a WiFi analyser app to test signal strength throughout different areas. Identify zones with weak signals, note the router's position, and consider the need for stronger routers or additional access points to improve coverage.

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Pitfall 2: Choosing unsuitable hardware

Selecting the right hardware for barcoding — including scanners, printers, and mobile devices — is critical. The hardware must not only be compatible with the chosen software but also suitable for the warehouse environment. Durability, battery life, and user-friendliness are key factors to consider, ensuring that the equipment can withstand the rigours of warehouse operations.

Questions to Consider:

  • What types of hardware are best suited for the specific environmental conditions of our warehouse (e.g., cold storage, dusty environments, high humidity)?

  • What is the expected lifespan of the hardware we're considering, and what kind of support and maintenance services do manufacturers offer?

  • Have we considered the ergonomic needs of our staff in using these devices? 

Action step:

Consult with your warehouse system vendor to get advice on what to adopt. Conduct pilot tests with different devices to determine which ones best suit your operational needs and environment.

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Pitfall 3: Illogical bin locations

Efficient barcoding requires a well-organised warehouse. Bin locations should be logically arranged to streamline the picking and stocking processes. An illogical layout can lead to increased time in locating items, thereby diminishing the efficiency gains promised by barcoding.

Questions to consider:

  • Do we currently use bin locations?
  • Do we have a logical and intuitive system for organising our stock?
  • How often do we encounter delays or errors due to poor bin placement?

Action Step:

Undertake a thorough review and reorganisation of your stock and adopt or update your bin locations. Implement a system that is logical and easy to navigate.

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Pitfall 4: Inefficient layout and movement design

The physical layout of the warehouse and the design of movement paths greatly impact the effectiveness of a barcoding system. Optimising the flow of movement to minimise travel time and avoid bottlenecks is essential. This might involve rethinking the warehouse layout to ensure smooth and efficient operations.

Questions to consider:

  • How is the current layout of our warehouse impacting the efficiency of picking and putaway?
  • Are there frequent bottlenecks or areas of congestion?
  • Can the movement of staff and goods be optimised to reduce travel time and increase productivity?

Action Step:

Redesign the warehouse layout. Focus on creating a more streamlined flow of movement, reducing travel distances, and eliminating bottlenecks to enhance overall efficiency.

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Pitfall 5: Overlooking scalability and future growth

A critical aspect often overlooked is the scalability of the barcoding system. As you grow, your needs will change. The chosen barcoding solution must be adaptable to future expansion, capable of handling an increase in stock, and flexible enough to integrate new technologies. This forward-thinking approach ensures that the investment remains beneficial in the long term.

Questions to Consider

  • Have we considered potential growth in stock or operation in our system requirements?
  • How flexible will our selected system be in adapting to new products, technologies, or changes in warehouse layout?
  • Have we considered the long-term costs and benefits of our chosen barcoding solution?

Action Step:

Choose a barcoding system with scalability in mind.

Opt for solutions that offer flexibility to accommodate future growth, product diversification, and technological advancements.

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In summary

These five pitfalls represent common issues that can derail the implementation of barcoding in warehouses. By addressing these challenges proactively before you make a start on digitising your warehouse through barcoding, you can ensure a smoother transition to improved operations in 2024.

Whip your warehouse into shape

If you're ready to introduce barcoding to your warehouse operations, you can arrange a tailored demo with one of our Sage experts who will show you how you can enhance your Sage solution with integrated warehousing and stock management.

Schedule a tailored demo

See barcoding add-on solutions

Take your warehouse operations to the next level with our barcoding add-on solutions for Sage 200 and Sage X3. 

 

Explore Sicon Barcoding for Sage 200 Explore Fusion Capture for Sage X3
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