Taking stock of barcoding technology

In any large, complex or diversified business, good supply chain management is key to controlling costs. Staying on top of the selection, pricing and distribution of inventory, whether that’s car parts, computer components or textiles, reduces waste, increases efficiency and delivers benefits to the bottom line. 

This fact remains true if you transplant it into the context of the NHS, where millions of items from artificial hip joints to needles and bandages are constantly shuttling round the system. But there’s a critical difference with the NHS that makes supply chains even more important – namely that effective inventory management can also dramatically improve the quality of patient care, in some situations even saving lives. 

This is something that Genesis Automation has witnessed first-hand by working with NHS Trusts across the country. It created an automated traceability and inventory management system that uses barcodes to help healthcare providers address their stock control – in much the same way a supermarket chain would. The system captures virtually any kind of tracking code (barcode, 2D matrix, QR, etc.) including UDI, making it easy to track supplies by batch, lot numbers, and expiration dates. By monitoring every item on its journey from warehouse to patient, the technology gives healthcare providers accurate information in real-time to aid their decision-making.