Barcode verifiers are expensive. But price is one kind of number, and cost is another kind. How much does it cost to own a verifier? There are several factors:

  • Maintenance
    • annual re-certification to ISO compliance
  •  Repairs
    • scratched or damaged scanner glass
    • damaged or worn USB cables
    • broken buttons, cracked or damaged housings
  • End of service life replacement

What is the Total Cost of Ownership of a Barcode Verifier?

Together with the purchase price, these are the total cost of ownership.

Unlike many other things you might buy, like your car, there are things you can do to control the total cost of a barcode verifier. Here is what we do in our barcode test lab:

  1. Re-certify the verifier yourself. A PQ (Performance Qualification) Test kit is available from some verifier manufacturers. It contains barcodes with engineered errors; scan them with your verifier and confirm that the verifier reports the errors accurately. If it does, you can re-certify your verifier. This keeps your verifier current, the ISO auditor and your CFO happy.

This also saves the time and cost of shipping the verifier back to the manufacturer, and keeps your verifier on-site and available for use. One PQ test kit can re-certify many verifiers—you do not need multiple copies.

  1. Maintenance contracts are available from some manufacturers, and often this includes the necessary re-certification.

micheile henderson on unsplash

 

Verifiers change Total Cost of Ownership–they pay for themselves

In a printing or packaging company, a verifier changes the Total Cost of Ownership: verifiers pay for themselves.

While the bookkeeper is writing off the capital investment, the verifier is quietly, steadily and literally paying for itself in savings.  Earlier this month, a verifier in a Pennsylvania textile manufacturer eliminated chargebacks due to bad barcodes. This completely paid for the verifier in the first month of ownership.

 

How does this happen? By:

  • detecting a barcode problem before it becomes a full blown failure
  • avoiding marginal or bad barcodes from escaping into the supply chain
  • strengthening customer trust and loyalty based on documented quality

How does a verifier provide as this quiet protection?  It is no secret–and it is not dramatic. It just avoids mistakes and the resulting costs.

What is the Total Cost of Ownership of a barcode verifier? The cost could be better than break-even. It will save a customer, prevent corrective actions and chargebacks, and it will guard your reputation and your future business. How much you value a worry-free night’s sleep?

Comments are always welcome. Contact us here.

 

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3db Barcode Testimonial

Our company (an advanced software company) recently worked with Barcode Test to source a barcode verifier.  Not long ago, we were awarded a contract requiring products to be marked with IUIDs in accordance with MIL-STD-130.  For that standard, marking labels must pass a verification test that evaluates many variables (contrast, size, clarity, syntax, modularity, and more).  After a thorough search, we reduced our options to a select few.

In our search for a verifier, the Axicon line caught our attention.  Barcode Test is our regional reseller for this product.   From the beginning, they were very prompt with their responses.  We ended up having a quick call with John Nachtrieb to go over our needs.  John was extremely easy to work with and provided a lot of great information.  He was very knowledgeable on the matter and was quick to offer up a demo unit (free of charge).

Upon receiving the demo verifier and testing it, a few questions arose.  John joined a call with us and answered all our questions.  Ultimately, the Axicon verifier wasn’t the best fit for us, so we shipped the demo back.  John was completely understanding.  A few weeks later, Barcode Test reached back out with another possible verifier for us to try.  While they didn’t sell that brand, they just wanted to help us find the best option that met our needs. They even offered to send us the unit that they have in-house to see if it worked to our liking. 

Barcode Test is truly a great company to work with.  Their service and willingness to help the customer are far beyond what you typically get from other companies.  They are experts in barcode quality assurance and seem willing to help in any way they can (even if that means not getting a sale and recommending another option that better fits the customer’s needs).  If anyone is in the market for barcode verification/scanning services or products, I would highly recommend giving Barcode Test a call.

Regards,

Production Manager