Show/Hide Toolbars

SpendMap User Guide (v14.5)

Navigation: Barcode Integration

Barcode Integration – General Information

Scroll Prev Top Next More

 
This section outlines high level information and concepts about the use of barcodes in general, as well as information on the SpendMap-specific use of barcodes.

See also the Barcode Integration overview section.

 
The following topics are included in this section;

What a Barcode Is and Isn’t

Assigning Barcode Numbers to Items and Assets

Scanning Barcodes

Printing Barcode Labels

 

What a Barcode Is and Isn’t

According to Wikipedia, a barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it is attached.

In SpendMap, barcodes are used to eliminate the need to enter or manually select part numbers (either items in the Item Master File or Asset Master File), thereby reducing data entry when performing inventory and asset-related transactions. That is, rather than manually typing the item number for a transaction, you can scan the barcode associated with that item instead.

So a barcode contains an item number but that is all.

Have you ever watched the cashier at the supermarket scan an item and then the item’s price, description and other information shows up on the screen?  If so, you may think that all that information is contained in the barcode. It isn’t. The only information in the barcode is the item/part number; the rest of the information was already in the computer system and was simply found using the scanned part number.

The same thing happens in SpendMap. When you scan a barcode, SpendMap reads the number, then it can go to the Item Master File or the Asset Master File to get other data for the item, but this supplementary data is not in the barcode itself.

Therefore, when performing transactions in SpendMap that require input of data beyond the item or part number itself, additional data entry will be required. For example, you can scan an item when performing an inventory usage (taking an item out of stock) but you will still need to enter the remaining details, such as the quantity that you took, the Cost Center to charge with the usage, etc., as that information is not in the barcode.

 
Assigning Barcode Numbers to Items and Assets

Internal Barcodes

SpendMap will automatically assign an incrementing internal barcode number for each item in the Item Master File and the Asset Master File when the barcode label is printed for the first time.  

The barcode number that SpendMap assigns to each item and asset will be displayed in the respective Master File.  However, the barcode number is irrelevant for the most part, since SpendMap will resolve the barcode number to the applicable item code or asset code whenever the barcode is scanned when processing transactions.

Supplier UPC Barcodes

For items in the Item Master File, in addition to scanning the internal barcode labels that SpendMap generates, you may also want to scan your suppliers’ UPC barcodes.  

This can save you over having to print and attach barcodes to items yourself as they are received.

More importantly, since it is unlikely that your suppliers will attach your internal barcode label to items that they ship to you, the supplier’s UPC barcode is typically the only one available for scanning when processing receipt transactions (that is, if you plan to scan barcodes to simplify the receipt process, which is optional).

For more details, see Associated UPC Barcode Numbers in the Item Master File.

 

Scanning Barcodes

Various settings that affect barcode scanning are available in Barcode Scanning Options.

You can scan barcodes to simplify the following transactions:

Receipts (typically using supplier’s UPC code)

Inventory Usages (taking items out of stock)

Inventory Tickets (physical inventory count of perpetual inventory)

Asset Counts

To begin scanning barcodes, just click the [SCAN BARCODE] button on the applicable data entry screen. When you see the “SCAN” message, simply point the barcode reader at the barcode label and pull the trigger.

To exit/cancel, select [STOP SCANNING].

If a scan in not successful and you need to enter the number manually using the keyboard (e.g. if the barcode is smudged), select [ENTER CODE]. The number is typically printed on the barcode label, below the barcode symbol.

 
Printing Barcode Labels

You can print barcode labels to affix to your items and assets, either when the items/assets are received or on-demand at any time.

Various settings that affect barcode label printing are available in Barcode Label Printing Options.