Key points
- Scanning removes the two biggest billing errors: wrong item and wrong price.
- Use maker barcodes where they exist; print your own labels for the rest.
- A USB scanner and a label printer are usually all you need.
- Barcodes make stock counts and goods receipt much faster.
- One item, one barcode: duplicates cause most problems.
Why barcodes matter
When staff search items by name, they pick the wrong pack size, the wrong variant or the wrong rate. Each mistake is small, but over a month they add up to real money and stock that never matches. A scan takes a second and picks the exact item every time.
What you need
| Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|
| Barcode scanner | A USB or wireless scanner works like a keyboard; no special setup in most software |
| Label printer | A thermal label printer for your own barcodes |
| Labels | Sized for your products: small for medicines, larger for boxes |
| Software | Must support barcode billing and label printing |
Two kinds of barcodes
Maker barcodes
Most packaged goods already carry an EAN barcode from the manufacturer. Save it on the item once, and every scan finds it.
Your own labels
Loose items, garments, footwear, hardware and anything without a barcode need your own label. Good software prints labels from the purchase entry, with item name, price and, for clothes, size and colour.
Setting it up
- Clean the item list One item per product variant, no duplicates.
- Scan maker barcodes into items Do this as stock comes in, or in one go during a count.
- Print labels for the rest Start with fast movers.
- Bill by scanning Train staff to scan, not search.
- Receive goods by scanning Purchase entries become quicker and more accurate.
Faster stock counts
Counting stock by scanning shelf by shelf, then comparing with the system, takes a fraction of the time of a manual count. Differences show up item by item, so you can fix them and find the cause.
Common mistakes
- Two items sharing one barcode (or one item with two).
- Labels printed with old prices after a price change.
- Staff typing the barcode number instead of scanning.
- Skipping labels for slow movers, which then cause the biggest count differences.
Barcode billing is in Milaan ERP’s higher plans. See pricing for details.