Changes in consumer behaviour and the ever-altering dynamics of the retail and e-commerce sector has caused big changes in the supply chain industry. Warehouse managers are under constant pressure to ensure that their supply chain is as efficient as possible to meet the ever-growing demands of consumers.

Small Businesses just starting out have a lot to contend with. From getting your brand out there, building a loyal customer base and trying to expand as your business grows, SMEs have a mountain to climb to ensure their business is profitable and heading towards success.

Efficient stock management is one of the most crucial components of running a successful business. It’s estimated that as many as 50% of UK businesses fail in the first two years of operation, and problems with stock control could be a large contributor to this.

The retail industry in the UK is struggling. With department store giant, Debenhams, recently joining the line-up of British retailers having trouble keeping stores open, are the days of brick and mortar retail shops coming to an end?

Efficiency remains at the forefront of improving business operations. Supply chains demand accuracy and fast processing in order to meet market compliance and service demands. Warehouse operations constantly need to be updating and taking advantage of emerging technologies in order to improve.

If there’s one industry that requires the utmost care to prevent administration errors, it’s the emergency services. This industry is crucial for ensuring public health and safety. Police departments, fire and rescue services and emergency response units require a well-organised system for tracking their tools and equipment.

The automotive industry is probably not the first industry that comes to mind when you think of barcodes. However, barcode technology has helped to revolutionise this industry by providing fast and accurate inventory and shipping information to pass among trading partners throughout the supply chain.

Barcodes are incredible. From supermarket check outs to labelling bags of donated blood, these black and white stripes have revolutionised the way so many industries operate. However, for many people, they remain a mystery. We see them being scanned when we buy our shopping, but have you ever stopped to wonder how they actually work? And what other incredible things are barcodes capable of?

With more uses for barcodes and asset tracking systems than ever before, more and more industries have been completely transformed by this technology. Barcode tracking provides virtually error-free data collection, and it’s this application that makes barcodes such an asset to so many different kinds of business operations.

In a previous post, we looked at three industries where barcodes had taken over: healthcare, retail and marketing. Continuing on from that, we’re going to take a look at another three industries that have streamlined and improved their operations through the implementation of barcode technology.

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.