Streamline Your Inventory Management with EasyScan: Generate and Print Barcodes
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- What are SKUs and Barcodes?
- Why are SKUs and Barcodes important for inventory management?
- Generating SKUs and Barcodes with Shopify
- Installing the Easy Scan app
- Assigning SKUs and Barcodes with Easy Scan
- Printing Barcode Labels
- Creating Orders with Barcodes
- Updating Inventory with Barcodes
- Checking Inventory and Generating Reports
- Stock Transfers
- Easy Scan Settings
- Conclusion
Introduction
Welcome to Educate eCommerce, your one-stop destination for Shopify tutorials and eCommerce solutions. In this video, we will be discussing SKUs and barcodes and how you can generate and manage them for your Shopify store. SKUs and barcodes play a crucial role in inventory management, especially when selling products across different marketplaces or offline stores. Shopify offers a unique feature that allows you to easily generate SKUs and barcodes using various apps. In this tutorial, we will be using the Easy Scan app to demonstrate the process. So let's dive in and explore the world of SKUs and barcodes for efficient inventory management on Shopify.
What are SKUs and Barcodes?
SKUs, also known as Stock Keeping Units, are unique identification codes assigned to products. These codes help in identifying and tracking products throughout the inventory management process. On the other hand, barcodes are visual representations of these SKUs that can be scanned to quickly retrieve product information. Barcodes provide a standardized way of identifying products and their variants, making inventory management more efficient.
Why are SKUs and Barcodes important for inventory management?
Using SKUs and barcodes in your inventory management system offers several benefits. Firstly, they help in maintaining accurate stock counts by providing a unique identifier for each product and its variations. This ensures that you can easily track and manage your inventory across different channels. Additionally, SKUs and barcodes streamline order processing by enabling quick and error-free scanning of products. They also facilitate easy stock transfers between different locations or warehouses, ensuring efficient inventory management.
Generating SKUs and Barcodes with Shopify
To generate SKUs and barcodes for your Shopify store, you can utilize various apps available on the Shopify App Store. One such app is Easy Scan, which we will be using in this tutorial. Easy Scan offers a range of features, including SKU and barcode assignment, order creation through barcode scanning, and inventory management with barcode scanning.
Installing the Easy Scan app
To install the Easy Scan app, navigate to the Shopify App Store and search for "Easy Scan." Click on the app listing and select the "Add app" button to install it on your Shopify store. Easy Scan offers a 10-day free trial, allowing you to test its features before committing to a subscription.
Assigning SKUs and Barcodes with Easy Scan
Once the Easy Scan app is installed, you can easily assign SKUs and barcodes to your products. Within the app, go to the SKUs section and click on "Assign SKUs." Easy Scan provides a unique 14-digit SKU for each product variant. You can also choose to use the Shopify product variant as the SKU. Similarly, in the barcodes section, you can assign barcodes to your products. Easy Scan supports various barcode types such as ISBN, UPC, and GTIN. By assigning SKUs and barcodes, you ensure the uniqueness and traceability of your products in the marketplace.
Printing Barcode Labels
Easy Scan allows you to print barcode labels for your products. In the app, navigate to the barcode label section and select the template that suits your needs. You can customize the label with product information, pricing, and choose the barcode type. Once the template is saved, you can print the barcode labels using a compatible barcode printer. Simply select the products for which you want to print labels and click on the print option. This streamlines the process of labeling products and enhances inventory management efficiency.
Creating Orders with Barcodes
With Easy Scan, you can create orders by scanning barcodes. Using a barcode scanner or the device camera connected to the app, simply scan the barcode of a product. The scanned product will be added to the order, and you can continue scanning more products as needed. Easy Scan allows you to add customer details, specify pricing, mark orders as paid, and generate invoices directly within Shopify. This feature enables seamless integration of offline and online sales, optimizing your order management process.
Updating Inventory with Barcodes
Managing inventory becomes effortless with Easy Scan's barcode scanning capability. By scanning the barcode of a product, you can easily update its inventory count. This eliminates the need for manual searching and improves efficiency. Easy Scan also provides the option to check inventory levels across different locations or warehouses. With a quick scan, you can view the availability of a specific product and generate reports for further analysis.
Checking Inventory and Generating Reports
Easy Scan offers features to check inventory levels and generate reports. By scanning the barcode of a product, you can instantly check the available stock count in your inventory. This information is valuable for tracking product availability and planning restocking activities. Additionally, Easy Scan allows you to generate detailed reports based on SKU, barcode, or inventory transactions. These reports provide insights into sales patterns, stock transfers, and inventory management performance.
Stock Transfers
If you operate multiple locations or warehouses, Easy Scan simplifies the stock transfer process. You can transfer stock between different locations within the app, ensuring accurate inventory management. This feature is particularly useful when a product is available in one location but needs to be moved to another. By utilizing the stock transfer functionality, you can seamlessly manage inventory across various channels and locations.
Easy Scan Settings
Easy Scan offers various settings to customize your inventory management experience. You can set preferences for fulfillment, notifications, bin locations, currency, and packing slips. These settings allow you to tailor Easy Scan to match your specific business requirements. For example, you can choose to generate fulfillment and notification alerts for specific order statuses. Additionally, you can design packing slips with custom images and information, maintaining a professional and organized fulfillment process.
Conclusion
Efficient inventory management is essential for any business, and SKUs and barcodes play a crucial role in achieving that. Shopify, along with the Easy Scan app, provides robust tools to generate and manage SKUs and barcodes effortlessly. By leveraging these tools, you can streamline your inventory processes, improve order accuracy, and optimize your overall business operations. So, start implementing SKUs and barcodes in your Shopify store today and experience the benefits of organized and efficient inventory management.
