In my experience I’ve found that most companies wish to barcode a product to allow them to put a traceable unique reference against that item. AKA, if you can’t find it, you can’t use it or sell it.
 
When allocating barcodes to warehouse goods and where the product will not be resold in this format in a retail environment, you will most commonly see Code 39 and Code 128 symbologies being used for the barcode.

If your company uses serial numbers or sell by dating on their products to differentiate between batches these may also be encoded, but thought needs to be given as to how the application differentiates between the “Product Code” and the “Serial Number”, this is normally a function of the application as opposed to the barcode itself.

If your business buys in stock from a third party and it already has a barcode product code on it, the chances of this being your product code is unlikely. Therefore in many cases the product would need relabeling, clearly costing time and money. However, in my time as a consultant with Datalinx Computer Systems they’ve come up with a wizzy little add-on in their warehouse management software that they call a Product X-Reference table that allows you to have one product but lots of different barcodes assigned to it.

I know that some of you reading this will have products that you supply to the retail trade which already have a barcode on, which may have been specified by a retailer or client. With the Datalinx X-reference table you don’t need to apply a 2nd barcode to the product (which you may not have space to do). Their software will allow you to use your current barcode and link that code in your IT system.

Now, there are a few companies who tell you that their software can do this for you, but, of course I’m biased. I know and love the Warehouse Management system from Datalinx, which integrates into your Sage accounting software (not to give them a plug, but I have to show my loyalty you understand!).

If you want to know more about when to change retail barcodes, I would suggest you have a look at the GS1 website where they can advise you in greater detail.