With this increased ability to locate and track inventory points could be identified where the material was going astray. Inventory can be reduced by rapid re-distribution to the appropriate facility. Ware houses can be automated and bar coded cartons can be sorted easily reducing manpower needs, increasing the level of order completeness and decreasing shipping errors. Logistic movement of material from vendors can be managed easily by bar coding the part numbers and purchase order numbers on to the documents that are provided by the vendors. One of the easiest applications of bar code implementation is in inventory control.
All items can have bar coded labels attached or have bar codes imprinted on the outer cartons.
The time to perform physical inventory can be dramatically reduced in favour of cycle counting when bar codes and appropriate software are used. Cycle counting is a process in which different items are scheduled to be counted periodically in insure correct inventory balance. Consistent cycle counting is a very effective way to maintain the integrity of inventory counts and builds confidence in inventory level validity. The concept of cycle counting and its preference over full blown physical inventories are very popular these days. Library Management is another of the areas where Bar codes can play an important role.