What is a barcode?

Barcodes are hardly a high-tech solution. The technology is based on Morse code, which has been around since the 1830s. That’s right: if you stretch out the dots and lines in Morse code, you’ll create a character sequence represented by a barcode. Most people think about UPC codes from the grocery store when they think about barcodes, but in reality, there are several kinds of barcodes out there.

Since 1948, the barcode has made data much more available for processing. Before this, cashiers had to ring up items manually, which meant wait times both in stores and in offices were much longer.

Thankfully, today barcodes have a place in everything from our grocery stores to our shipping and logistics centers. One quick scan can record information in your database, retrieve information, and set off a series of automated tasks that significantly speed up your workflow.

Why are barcodes useful?

Even if you don’t run a retail operation where you’re scanning barcodes all day, chances are good that your organization could streamline operations with barcodes. Barcodes help businesses:

• Save time by removing the need for manual data entry.
• Increase the accuracy of the data you are gathering with your scanners.
• Become more organized and informed by acting on data in near real-time.

If you want to use barcodes and you’re already using a FileMaker solution, give the FileMaker barcode add-on a try.