| Why use Barcodes on Asset Tags? | Hide |
Over the last several years, we have seen a significant shift towards bar-codes for asset tags. The reasons for this are obvious:
• No Costs. It can be exceedingly expensive to retrofit all of your asset and equipment labels and there is no cost to add this feature to your asset labels at the outset.
• Readers in Your Future. Even though you may not have bar-code reading equipment now, it is likely that that you may purchase this in the future. The costs are dramatically decreasing (under $25 each). Bar-code software is also easy. For many bar-code readers, just plug the scanner into a USB port and you will immediately be able to start to scan bar-codes.
• Avoid Errors. Bar-codes eliminate errors and speed data entry. Bar-codes have a low susceptibility to errors and this makes them ideal for a quick inventory of your assets. Again, the cost of adding a barcode to you asset tag is minimal, but the benefits are potentially large.
Your asset tags will likely outlast your equipment. Moreover, the labor to install asset tags is usually more costly than the actual tag itself. As a result, the trend to durable bar-coded asset tags will only accelerate.