Retail has an extensive history spanning hundreds of years to become what we know it as today. Even now retail is constantly having to change and adapt to keep up in an ever digitising world. From the local grocer where Brits once did their entire food shop, to a high street packed with retail giants all competing for business both physically and online, the world of retail is a world away from what it was just a few decades ago.

Retail is one of the most important sectors in the world and involves so many different industries and roles. Here we’re going to take a brief look at where retail started, how it developed and where it is now.

When it comes to taking control of your stock and implementing asset tracking solutions, you can’t go wrong with barcodes. Barcoding systems have revolutionised the way so many industries operate. From healthcare to manufacturing, barcoding technology has completely streamlined their processes and significantly reduced the possibility of admin errors.

Tracking software has revolutionised the way businesses perform their operations. The demand for products across every sector has steadily increased over time, and new production processes and technologies have been introduced to keep up. The ever growing supply of inventory owned by businesses demand more sophisticated means of tracking and storing these assets.

Whilst currently there is a multitude of sophisticated and advanced digital technology designed for asset tracking, this was not always the case. Let’s take a look back at some of the first types of asset tracking systems and how they have developed into the systems we use today.

Does your business have issues with stock control? Is there a lack of instant data updates and accessibility? Are there issues with delayed shipments, too low or too high a number of products in your inventory? If these problems sound like your business, then you should consider an efficient barcoding system for your business.

When it comes to stock management, there are so many different types of systems to choose from. All systems have their own advantages and limitations, and which one you decide to go with depends on the needs of your business. But the purposes of these systems are always the same: improve data management, accessibility and reduce costs.

Improving data is considered to be the backbone of operations. Data entry enables a company to produce accurate reports and make predictions about future needs and actions. Barcode labels are the most cost-effective tool for organisations to ensure data credibility and to prevent human error. Apart from near perfect accuracy, barcoding systems enables faster working, as time is saved by eliminating the time needed to manually correct errors.

As winter rolls on, we’re steadily approaching what is, for many companies, the busiest time of the year. December is anticipated to bring higher levels of spending across all product categories, including clothing and accessories, entertainments, toys, electronics, beauty, food and drink, homeware and alcohol. In fact, in the run up to Christmas, the Bank of England estimates that a typical British household will increase their spending by around £500 extra in December.

In today’s rapidly changing world, the pressure is on healthcare providers to ensure high-quality levels of patient care whilst working to greater time and financial constraints than ever before. Barcodes are an essential tool within the healthcare industry to not only streamline administrative processes, but to exponentially increase their accuracy levels, which is vital in an industry where administrative mistakes could cost lives.

Supply chain control and asset management are concerns that need to be addressed in the healthcare industry, and barcoding solutions guarantee optimised processing of patient ID, communication of medical administration, specimen collection and pharmacy management. At GSM Barcoding, our team work with hospitals and healthcare providers to provide integrated solutions. Here are some of the ways that barcode technology can be utilised in the healthcare industry.

Stock control is an important component for so many different industries – manufacturers in particular – regardless of the size of their business. However, stock control can be something that some smaller businesses may often overlook for a variety of reasons. SMEs must be vigilant with their finances to succeed in their industry and compete against much larger companies. A lack of efficient stock control solutions can have huge negative impacts for businesses, so stock control systems are an incredibly valuable tool for these companies.

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From the items in your shopping basket waiting to be scanned at the checkout, to a bag of donated blood at a hospital on its way to a patient, barcodes are everywhere. These incredibly useful labels have been helping streamline business operations for decades, and their uses have only become more extensive over time. Barcodes provide virtually error free, instant data collection. Studies have shown that a proficient data operator will make one error for every 300 characters manually entered, compared to just 1 in 3 million when utilising barcode inventory systems.

Donating blood is one of the greatest gifts someone can give another person. In England alone, 6,000 blood donations are needed every day to treat patients, making the need for blood donors so critical. This life-saving service is required 365 days a year, and every batch of donated blood is tirelessly processed, tested and distributed out to patients who need it.

Every year the NHS need around 200,000 new donors to ensure they have the right mix of blood groups and types to meet patient needs, and to replace the donors who can no longer donate.