{"id":7861,"date":"2013-04-01T09:03:31","date_gmt":"2013-04-01T15:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?p=7861"},"modified":"2019-09-12T14:34:21","modified_gmt":"2019-09-12T20:34:21","slug":"efficiency-is-the-key-to-survival-for-small-and-medium-sized-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/efficiency-is-the-key-to-survival-for-small-and-medium-sized-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Efficiency is the Key to Survival for Small and Medium Sized Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/AA0535821.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-7862\" style=\"margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px;\" title=\"AA0535821\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/AA0535821.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"183\" align=\"right\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/AA0535821.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/AA0535821-300x219.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 249px) 100vw, 249px\" \/><\/a>Warehouse operations can benefit from technology to reduce waste and maximize efficiency. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/solutions\/market-applications\/warehouse.htm\">Warehouse Management Systems<\/a> (WMS) with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/barcode-scanners\/handheld.htm\">handheld bar code scanners<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/portable-data-terminals\/\">mobile computers<\/a> with wireless communications are the tools of a modern warehouse<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>As a business grows, its warehouse and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/solutions\/market-applications\/inventory.htm\">inventory<\/a> needs increase. Often, the tools originally put in place to manage them do not. Inefficiencies from legacy systems usually go undetected and add hidden operating costs to a business. This is particularly important for Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMB).\u00c2\u00a0 SMB\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s have a smaller margin for error in managing their operational costs and need to make the most of every resource.<\/p>\n<p>Warehouse operations can benefit from technology to reduce waste and maximize efficiency.\u00c2\u00a0 Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) with handheld bar code scanners and mobile computers with wireless communications are the tools of a modern warehouse.\u00c2\u00a0 This is true regardless of the size of the business. Today there are WMS systems to fit any sized enterprise \u00e2\u20ac\u201c from an out of the box system for small to medium businesses, to a custom deployed system developed by a staff of programmers and IT professionals.\u00c2\u00a0 There are also cloud based systems that use the internet eliminating the need to purchase additional servers and software.<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Regardless of the size, the basic ideas behind a WMS are simple:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Know what is in the warehouse at all times in order to build products and fulfill orders.<\/li>\n<li>Keep inventory matched to demand.<\/li>\n<li>Eliminate mistakes in ordering raw materials or supplies that are not needed.<\/li>\n<li>Provide outstanding customer service by knowing what products can be delivered and when.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With a WMS, each item ordered, each stock location, and each order processed has a bar code that makes it easy to track and execute.\u00c2\u00a0 Old spreadsheets or clipboards with lists disappear, replaced by dedicated systems and handheld technology.\u00c2\u00a0 Most seasoned warehouse managers are familiar with these modern warehouse systems.<\/p>\n<p>SMB owners and operators may not initially need all the features of a WMS system, but they do need to have a strong grasp of their inventories and have the ability to track orders and shipments.\u00c2\u00a0 Inventories can tie up large amounts of capital, and waste in the warehouse can cripple an SMB.<\/p>\n<p>It is not difficult to see how a warehouse can generate waste.\u00c2\u00a0 If raw materials are exhausted or stored in the wrong location, a domino effect of waste results.\u00c2\u00a0 First, those materials are lost so their value is lost.\u00c2\u00a0 Next, when those lost components are needed, time is wasted by the person looking for them and the production team needing those parts must wait to complete their build.\u00c2\u00a0 Purchasing personnel must place a new order for the parts.\u00c2\u00a0 All this adds up to extra costs in parts, shipping, time, and frustration.\u00c2\u00a0 One simple error can cascade into a costly waste of time and money.\u00c2\u00a0 Repeating these errors can have a disastrous affect to an SMB.\u00c2\u00a0 Clearly knowing what a business has in inventory \u00e2\u20ac\u201c raw materials, work in process, and finished goods is extremely important.<\/p>\n<p>Industry studies have shown that the use of warehouse automation tools can increase efficiency of workers by over 25%. For the large enterprise these savings are soft dollar efficiency increases. For the SMB these savings can be significantly higher.\u00c2\u00a0 Workers in SMB operations regularly multitask.\u00c2\u00a0 Reducing the amount of time a multitasking employee spends managing inventory leaves more time for higher valued work.\u00c2\u00a0 This is where the power of automation pays off for the SMB.<\/p>\n<p>Many SMB\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s use business management software such as QuickBooks. These types of software products have features that can be used to manage inventory.\u00c2\u00a0 Moreover, they have interfaces for mobile computers and handheld scanners that eliminate manual data entry.\u00c2\u00a0 Choosing the right device for use in a warehouse or manufacturing environment is very important.\u00c2\u00a0 The warehouse and manufacturing floor is an environment where ruggedness pays off.<\/p>\n<p>SMB\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s looking to save money may try using handheld scanners designed for retail applications. This would be a mistake.\u00c2\u00a0 Retail products are not designed to withstand the punishment that manufacturing and warehouse applications impart. An industrial grade scanner will yield years of reliability with a fast ROI.\u00c2\u00a0 The Datalogic PowerScan is the leader in industrial handheld scanners. The new<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/datalogic\/powerscan-pd9500.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0PowerScan PD9500 imager<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0has great features like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Omnidirectional reading capability includes 1D\/2D applications<\/li>\n<li>Wide depth-of-field comparable to standard laser scanners<\/li>\n<li>High Density and Long Range features available in the same imager<\/li>\n<li>Robustness and high environmental sealing (IP65)<\/li>\n<li>Datalogic\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 3GL (Three Green Lights) technology and loud beeper for good-read feedback<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For SMB\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the implementation handheld technology for inventory and manufacturing process management is an investment in the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future. Strategic management of resources with the proper rugged tools will help assure the growth and survival of the business.<\/p>\n<p>For help updating your warehouse operations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/support\/contactinfo.htm\">contact us<\/a> at Barcodes Inc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Warehouse operations can benefit from technology to reduce waste and maximize efficiency. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) with handheld bar code scanners and mobile computers with wireless communications are the tools of a modern warehouse As a business grows, its warehouse and inventory needs increase. Often, the tools originally put in place to manage them do [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,224],"tags":[74,522,99,523,252,396],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Efficiency is the Key to Survival for Small and Medium Sized Businesses - Barcoding News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/efficiency-is-the-key-to-survival-for-small-and-medium-sized-businesses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Efficiency is the Key to Survival for Small and Medium Sized Businesses - Barcoding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Warehouse operations can benefit from technology to reduce waste and maximize efficiency. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) with handheld bar code scanners and mobile computers with wireless communications are the tools of a modern warehouse As a business grows, its warehouse and inventory needs increase. 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