Barcodes are developed to enhance accuracy and efficiency across applications by eradicating the need to enter data manually and simplifying supply chain tasks. But poorly printed or unscannable barcode labels can eliminate these benefits.
Big retailers levy fines against providers that deliver products that have unreadable barcodes. Sometimes, such fines can be quite substantial. Additionally, barcode errors can result in shipping mistakes, rework, returns and reshipments, as well as lost sales. To make sure your barcode labels meet customer and industry specifications, you must invest in a TSC label verifier.
Barcode Scanning vs Barcode Verification
Some companies want to avoid investing in a verifier by utilizing barcode scanners for spotting check labels. Unfortunately, this is not an effective barcode verification process. Barcode scanning only tells you that the scanner can read a certain label. For applications that require barcodes to be scanned by several facilities, and demand 100% accuracy and readability, barcode verification must be done. A label verifier ensures that barcode labels are readable no matter who performs the scanning. The reason is that labels should be readable to all types of scanners. The verification process makes sure that the codes meet existing ISO standards.
Importance of Integrating Barcode Verification into Labelling and Packaging Processes
By verifying barcode labels in-house, your company can gain the following benefits:
- Avoid chargebacks. By verifying barcodes, you will ensure your barcodes are readable. Thus, you will avoid the fines that big-box retailers levy. Chargebacks can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fines.
- Minimize packaging waste and expenses. If you do not practice proper barcode verification, you could end up wasting packaging and facing increasing costs due to barcodes that do not scan.
- Decrease reprints and reshipments. If your company has unreadable barcodes, it is necessary to reprint them, which increases consumables and ink costs. Then, you also have to deal with the cost of repackaging and reshipping products with unreadable barcodes. Such return processes are quite expensive and time-consuming.
- Improve the quality of your labels. By using barcode verification, you can diagnose and fix print errors that could cause barcodes to be unreadable. The majority of verification software on the market includes reporting tools you can use for addressing such problems and improving your compliance and scores.
- Ensure you comply with industry and contract requirements. Using barcode verification technology lets you comply with industry standards. Additionally, readable barcodes help you avoid the fines you may face when you ship labels that are out of specs to your retail customers.