Decoding Those Business and Data Collection Acronyms

This week, as I was setting up swimming lessons with my son’s coach via email, I typed “ttys” and hit “send.” A few hours later, I received a reply with details of when and where the lessons would take place, followed by a question: “What does ttys mean?” I was temporarily stunned that someone could…

Extreme Makeover: Barcode Edition

At first glance, barcodes are pretty boring. Black, white, black, white, black…well, you get the idea. But the thing is, they are everywhere! Virtually every product packaged for sale in a retail venue is labeled with a UPC (Universal Product Code) and then later scanned at checkout. Honestly, the product competition out there is fierce…

Hate Standing in Checkout Lines? 5 Ways to Speed Things Up

The main reason that I hate running errands, especially during “busy times” at the store, is not bustling aisles, nor is it congested parking lots, but instead: Slow. Checkout. Lines. I realize that nobody likes waiting in lines, but I particularly dislike waiting in long checkout lines, especially with tired, hungry or just plain cranky…

2D Barcode Scanning is Skyrocketing in these 5 Industries

2D barcodes are leaving their mark on lots of industry applications – pun intended! So why has 2D barcode scanning become so prevalent? Smaller Size While 1D barcodes are small, 2D barcodes are (or at least can be) even smaller…less than ½ inch long x ½ inch wide! Why does smaller = better? Simply put,…

Do you know what these AIDC Terms REALLY mean?

In the world of AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture), there are hundreds of terms, phrases and acronyms. It can be hard to keep up! There are several terms that some people mistakenly substitute for similar-sounding words, when in actuality, they are using the term in the completely wrong context. Below are 10 of the…

Barcodes – The Missing Link Between Physical and Digital

Keep Organization Simple If you’re new on the barcode block, you might be intimidated by all of the different barcode types and their seemingly rigid appearance & confusing lines. There is, however, no reason to be scared. Barcodes are not here to hurt us; rather, they are here to help us by: Tracking critical information…

Behind the Barcode: UPC-A

The UPC-A code is one of the most commonly used barcode types within the United States. Placed on a majority of products sold in retail, this type of barcode identifies the manufacturer and the specific product so that point of sale cash register systems can look up the price automatically and streamline the transaction. This…