From the desk of Miss Know-All: How do barcodes work?

(Published on 6 June 2006 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Attending the ‘Chillies’ do, was a real high. The atmosphere was electric. A room full of creative geniuses is my kind of place. Creativity excites me. There were no losers – each campaign was a winner. It takes a Ms Know All to identify and recognise talent – and the Chillies was a sure display of Sri Lankan expertise.

Ever wondered whether a good advertisement can push an average product? The answer is no. One thing I must admit is that the customer is no fool – contrary to what I’d like to believe. No eye-wash and fancy advertising will sell a product if it’s not good enough. There is a shift in the market from selling to buying. Gone are the days when manufacturers used to sell. Today it’s the customer who buys. Observe people at a supermarket. They walk straight to the shelf they want… survey and then pick the product that best satisfies them.

From brilliant campaigns, retail chains to customer gains we, the Miss Know-Alls have an answer for everything.

Talking of supermarkets – have you often seen people staring blankly at products - turning them upside down and then figuring which of the price tags on the shelves matches the product they are holding. It’s very simple sweethearts. The barcode given on the product also has numbers below them. It’s usually a long 7-8 digit number. All you need to do is match the last three digits with the price label given on the shelf. You can’t go wrong with that one.

The technology is simple and easy to understand. Might take you a while – but you don’t have to be a genius to follow this one. A barcode is a machine readable representation of information in a visual format. Barcodes store data in the widths and spacing of printed parallel lines and can be read by optical scanners. That is what the lady uses when you finally bring your shopping cart to the counter. To be scanned, there must be accurate printing and adequate contrast between the bars and spaces. Scanners may be in a fixed position, like most supermarket checkout scanners, or hand-held devices, often used for the taking of inventories.

Since their invention in the 20th century, the use of barcodes is widespread and the technology behind barcodes is constantly improving. Practically every item purchased from a store has a barcode on it. This greatly helps in keeping track of the large number of items in a store and also reduces instances of shoplifting. Rental car companies keep track of their cars by means of bar codes on the car bumper. Even airlines track passenger luggage with barcodes, reducing the chance of loss. Even NASA uses them to keep track of maintenance.

Don’t get your knickers in a twist about this one. You can always walk up to an assistant and give your – ‘I am dumb, please help me’ - look. If it gives you some consolation – as per Aristotle - "There is a foolish corner in the brain of the wisest man."


Miss Know-All
wow@dailymirror.wnl.lk