What to do with goods that have no barcode

Counting with a scanner is convenient, but not every item carries a barcode. In markets and wholesale depots, building-materials shops, clothing and the products of local makers there are plenty of positions without a code. Leaving them to be counted "by hand, we'll sort it out later" is the biggest mistake: these are the goods that slip through the count and turn up as shortages. There are two reliable ways to count goods without a barcode.

Where uncoded goods come from

There are usually three groups:

• The manufacturer did not apply a code: a local workshop's product, a handmade item, an old batch.
• The code exists but has peeled off or cannot be read.
• The item is sold loose or by measure: nails, screws, fabric, dried fruit, food raw materials.

Before the count, compile a list of such positions. It is enough to filter the rows where article and name are filled in but the code column is empty. That tells you in advance how many problem positions there are.

The first way: search by name or article

The fastest option: the counter types part of the name or the article number into the app's search, picks the right row from the list and enters the quantity. If uncoded positions are few and their names do not resemble one another, this is enough.

The risk is that similar names get mixed up. It is easy to confuse "Cable 2x1.5" with "Cable 2x2.5", especially at the end of a shift. So write the name in full with sizes, and when choosing from search results let the worker check the name on screen by eye.

To make the search dependable, add a group abbreviation at the start of the name, for example "CB Cable 2x1.5". The list then splits into groups and the counter finds the item quickly within one group.

The second way: an internal label

If there are many uncoded positions or you count them regularly, an internal label is the better answer. Each position gets a barcode or QR code of your own, stuck on once, which speeds up every later count.

1. Give each uncoded item a unique internal number. The article number itself is usually used.
2. Print the number as a barcode or QR code on ordinary sticker paper. A thermal printer is handy for good results, but a regular printer works.
3. Stick the label on the item itself, on the box or on the edge of the rack.
4. Link the new code to the article in the table.

For example, a building-materials shop has 200 uncoded positions. Preparing the labels once may take a day or two, but at every later count a one-second scan replaces a search by name.

For loose goods and large volumes, the label goes on the box or the shelf, not on every unit. The counter reads the label and enters the quantity.

Counting loose goods by weight

Small parts cannot be counted piece by piece. For these, the sample weighing method is used. Say 20 screws weigh 150 grams, so one screw weighs 7.5 grams. If all the screws on the shelf weigh 12.6 kilograms, divide 12,600 by 7.5 and you get roughly 1,680 pieces. Accuracy depends on the sample size: the larger the sample, the more accurate the result. The scale must be checked and zeroed, and the weight of the container subtracted.

This method gives an approximate result, so agree beforehand what deviation is acceptable in the books. For expensive parts that can be counted exactly, piece-by-piece counting remains.

Common mistakes

• One item is given two different internal labels and becomes two positions.
• An internal label gets mixed with the manufacturer's code, and it is unclear which one is in the list.
• The label peels off from damp or dust. Choose good-quality stickers and a clean surface.
• When searching by name, the worker confirms the first matching row in the list.

Conclusion

Goods without a barcode should not stop the count. When positions are few, searching by name or article is enough; when there are many, an internal label saves time in the long run; and for loose goods, sample weighing works. The StockCheck team picks out uncoded positions in the warehouse beforehand, chooses a suitable method for each and hands over the count result together with the discrepancy list.