Effective inventory management is the cornerstone of any manufacturer or chemical distributor’s business. Keeping on top of all their transactions and being able to track and manage product is essential to meet demand, manage customer expectations, and deliver on time and in full.

The barcode inventory system remains the most common of the asset tracking technologies. Today, some 70 years since its invention, over 90% of companies still rely on the humble barcode because of its low cost, accuracy, and versatility.

The ubiquitous barcode consists of a series of numbers and vertical lines of varying thicknesses to create a machine-readable code. A more modern version called a QR code is also becoming far more commonplace. Data is accessed using a scanner, tablet, or smartphone and allows users to quickly and easily access information about a product and keep track of inventories and deliveries.