Thursday, February 17, 2011

How are Barcodes Applicable in Construction Industry?

Barcode technology is an automatic identification technology which is used for identification and data collection. It is used for assembly checking, fixed asset inventory control, job costing and tracking in different fields. Library automation, time and attendance systems, and others also include barcodes. They can also be used in construction industry for reducing the amount of construction wastes.

Barcodes can be used in various areas of construction industry including quantity takeoff, field material control, warehouse inventory and maintenance, equipment/tool and consumable material issue, timekeeping and cost engineering. The system is also useful in areas of purchasing and accounting, scheduling, document control, office operations, and other information management processes.

A barcode system consists of barcode labels, barcode printers, barcode scanners, and databases. In construction industry, material ID labels and group ID labels are created. These labels are scanned by specific barcode scanners. When the labels are scanned, the data on materials and groups of labor on construction site is provided. It is stored in a database for further management.

The main purpose of barcode systems is providing instant information of quantities of materials exchanged between the storage keeper and other group leaders. This can be helpful for tracking the amount of materials used and wasted. Barcodes help in tracking real-time data of the following:
  • New construction materials of the site
  • Unused materials of the site
  • Debris of waste materials on the site
  • Package of materials and equipments
  • Construction materials used in the project

Data on these issues is collected for monitoring consumption of materials by various working groups on the site. Data on these issues can be sent immediately to head office through internet or intranet. Hence different companies of construction industries use Symbol barcode and others for proper management of construction materials.


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