Effective monitoring of inventory and processes across the supply chain relies on both hardware and software that work hand-in-hand to provide end-to-end visibility. From production to distribution, technology solutions that can seamlessly integrate with connected management databases will allow your business to track inventory, provide status updates and detail shipping manifests.
This article will examine how utilising a barcode solution can create unbroken workflows, streamline inventory management systems and improve the traceability of your products along the supply chain.
Challenges facing inventory management
The ability to effectively manage your inventory faces many challenges. Today’s Australian retailers and warehouse operators are participating in an ever-evolving supply chain with increasing consumer demand at odds with the availability of many critical materials. Additional vulnerabilities facing inventory management systems include:
- Platforms that provide an incomplete picture of your inventory
- Operational efficiency
- Obsolete stock
- Physical counts
- Increasing competition and customer expectation
- Theft
A barcode labelling system can help resolve these challenges by increasing visibility and inventory control monitoring capabilities regardless of your chosen industry.
How barcodes provide end-to-end visibility for asset management
As detailed by Tech Bullion, the barcode printer market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% by 2026 as retailers follow warehouse operators in deploying this efficiency-enhancing technology.
Barcodes help piece together critical details about the fixed assets. For warehouse operations, barcodes offer the ability to categorise and code data regarding the import and export of stock. For retailers, the exact quantity of products on store shelves can be updated with a single scan, creating real-time inventory metrics on connected merchandise platforms.
By providing each item with a unique identifying number, a barcode can be scanned to update stock-keeping units (SKUs) to ensure your inventory is up to date and accurate. This reduces the possibility of manual input errors and provides connected inventory management systems with real-time status updates of stock counts and product details.
Brother barcoding solutions
Australian retailers depend on Point of Sale (POS) systems to provide tracking and inventory management. By deploying a thermal label printer you can produce high-quality barcodes that can be easily implemented to connect your inventory to your POS system for real-time updates.
Warehouse operators looking for ways to automate their intensive manual labour processes also benefit from using a connected solution. Ticking off picked products from a printed order sheet takes time and s operations scale, a more efficient process is required to keep pace.
A reliable warehouse management system (WMS) that integrates with industrial label printers like the Brother Titan TJ-4420TN can help operators increase the efficiency of location scanning and quantity confirmation processes. The intelligent design of the Titan range allows you to simply drop-in, connect and print, delivering stress-free and seamless integration – without compromising productivity.
Barcode labels built to last
Your labelling solution should be able to scan a barcode in any environment – but not every label is created equal. The realities of product delivery often expose your labels to extreme conditions like heat, abrasion, chemicals and water – and your business can’t afford gaps in the traceability of products out for delivery due to damaged labels.
Brother TZe labelling tape is designed with these considerations in mind. TZe label tapes offer exceptional durability and performance for devices like the Professional Desktop Label Printer PT-P900W.
Brother tamper-evident tapes help reduce theft by revealing a pattern if the label is removed without authorisation, leaving behind a residue that contains the product information that was peeled off. This can help your workforce maintain line-of-sight on the journey of products as they move along the distribution process.
Bridging the technology gap
Equipping your retail or warehouse workforce with dependable barcoding solutions will improve your supply chain management efforts. However, this is only possible if your connected software platform is able to monitor the updates these technologies provide.
Brother Software Development Kits (SDKs) provide the bridge between hardware devices and the software programs that provide inventory management and tracking for your business. Deploying an SDK will allow you to easily integrate your Brother label and portable printers into your existing business applications and architecture regardless of the software systems you currently use.
Brother offers an array of barcode printers, document scanners and labellers designed to streamline your inventory management process. To learn about the devices, applications and software that can aid your retail or warehouse management efforts, contact Brother today.
