Barcodes remove typing, and typing is where most till and stock errors begin. For a shop with more than a few dozen items they usually earn their cost quickly.
What improves
Scanning makes work faster and more accurate.
- Sales ring up in a second
- Prices come from the system, not memory
- Stock counts take minutes
- New staff learn the till quickly
Items without a barcode
Many suppliers print one already. For your own products, print labels from the system, so each item has a code that matches your records.
Start small
Begin with your fastest selling items, run for a month, then add the rest. Choose a scanner the software supports, and keep a spare.