Step 1: Clean up your SKU list first
Before generating any barcodes, export your current item list and look for duplicates, inconsistent naming, and items sharing the same code by mistake. A barcode system only works if each physical item maps to exactly one unique identifier in your software any ambiguity here becomes a scanning error later.
Decide on a consistent SKU format now short, unique, and readable if someone needs to type it manually when a scan fails. Retrofitting SKU formats after hundreds of labels are printed is far more work than fixing it before you start.
- Deduplicate items and merge any duplicate records
- Assign a unique SKU to every item, including variants (size, color)
- Flag items that already carry a supplier UPC/EAN to map rather than relabel
Step 2: Choose your barcode symbology
For internal warehouse and bin labels, Code 128 is the standard choice: it encodes any SKU format, needs no license, and scans on any standard 1D scanner or phone camera. For products already sold at retail, keep the existing UPC or EAN rather than generating a new code.
Only choose a QR code if you need to encode more than an identifier on the label, such as a batch number and expiry date together, or if your team will scan primarily with phone cameras rather than dedicated scanners.
Step 3: Generate and print labels
Generate barcodes directly from your item master in your inventory software rather than a standalone generator tool this keeps every code tied to a live SKU, so reprints and new items stay in sync automatically. Choose a label size that matches your use case: smaller labels for parts bins, larger ones for shelf or carton labels.
Use a direct thermal or thermal transfer printer for ongoing daily printing; a standard printer with adhesive sheet labels is fine for a one-time setup of under a few hundred labels. Always leave a quiet zone (blank margin) around the barcode and include the SKU as human-readable text underneath.
Step 4: Apply labels and verify by scanning
Roll out labeling in phases one aisle or category at a time rather than the whole warehouse at once. After labeling each section, scan a random sample of labels with the same devices your team will use daily and confirm the software returns the correct item and quantity before moving to the next section.
This catches print calibration issues, label placement problems, or symbology mismatches early, when only a handful of labels need reprinting rather than an entire warehouse.
Step 5: Train your team on the workflow
A barcode system only pays off if staff actually scan consistently at receiving, picking, and counting rather than typing quantities from memory. Walk the team through the exact scan-to-confirm workflow in your software, and make scanning the fastest path not an extra step layered on top of the old process.
Add barcode labeling to your standard procedure for onboarding new SKUs, so unlabeled items never reach the floor. Revisit your symbology or printer choice only if volume or hardware changes consistency beats switching tools for minor improvements.
Go from spreadsheet to barcode scanning in one setup
StockFlow imports your item list, generates Code 128 barcodes automatically, and scans with any phone no separate barcode software or hardware purchase required to get started.
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