Scan to sell at the till

A new barcode scanner arrived at Perera Stores (a sample grocery) this morning, in a box with a cable and a leaflet Nimal did not read. He has two questions before the eight-thirty customers arrive. Will it just work? And what happens when a customer brings a bottle the shop has never sold before?

This tour answers both, on the counter computer, between the morning rush and the late-morning lull.

What does the scanner test show?

It shows the code the scanner read, how many characters it was, how long it took and whether the scanner pressed Enter at the end. That last one matters: a scanner that does not send Enter will type the code into the till but never finish adding it.

Step by step

1. Plug in the scanner. At 08:15 Nimal plugs the USB scanner into the counter computer. A USB scanner behaves like a keyboard, so there is nothing to install and no setting to switch on. A Bluetooth scanner is paired with the computer in keyboard (HID) mode, the mode most of them offer.
2. Open the scanner test. He goes to Settings, then Printers and scanner. The Barcode scanner panel has a box marked Scan anything to test.
3. Scan any product. He scans a tin from the shelf behind him. The panel reads Scanner works and lists the code, 13 characters, 41 milliseconds and Enter at the end. The scanner is ready for the till.
4. Go to the till and just scan. At 08:20 a customer puts a milk packet on the counter. Nimal does not tap a search box or select anything; he scans. The till dings and Milk packet goes into the current order at Rs 120.
5. Scan the same thing again for one more. Two soap bars: scan, scan. The line reads Soap bar ×2, marked scanned twice. There is no quantity to type.
6. Scan a multipack for the whole pack. The next customer runs a canteen and takes a sealed pack of twelve biscuit packets. The pack's own barcode has its pack size saved, so one scan adds twelve biscuits at Rs 260 each, and the line says Multipack barcode, pack of 12. Nimal does not count packets.
7. Meet a code the till does not know. At 08:24 someone brings a 400ml ginger beer from a new delivery. The scan gives a soft no sound, and the New barcode sheet opens with 4792024011236 already in it and the words Not in your products yet.
8. Check the name and type the selling price. The name is filled in from the barcode database when the code is known there; here it reads Ginger beer 400ml. Nimal types the selling price, Rs 180, and presses Enter. Under More he can add the cost, how many he has and the category now or later.
9. Save and add to sale. The product is created and goes straight into this customer's sale. From now on it scans on every till like any other product.
10. Link instead of creating, when it is a new code for an old product. If a supplier changes the barcode on a soap Nimal already sells, Link to a product saves the new code on the existing item instead of creating a duplicate.

Why record the cost on a new barcode?

Because a price without a cost is a guess at profit. The ginger beer is a good example:

Rs 40 a bottle is fine for a cold drink that brings people in, but it is lower than many grocery lines. Typing the cost under More while the invoice is in your hand means the profit reports are right from the first bottle. The difference between margin and markup is explained in markup vs margin.

What does the till sound like, and why?

Two sounds do most of the work. A ding means the item went in. A soft no means it did not, and the New barcode sheet is waiting. In a busy grocery Nimal is often looking at the customer, not the screen, so the sound tells him whether to keep scanning or look down. It also stops the classic mistake of bagging an item that never made it into the sale.

Tips for scanning in a small shop

• Test after every move. If the scanner is plugged into a different port or a new computer, run the test again. It takes five seconds.
• Save case barcodes with their pack size. Biscuits, soap and soft drinks often come in packs with their own barcode. Saving the pack size means a canteen order is one scan, not twelve.
• Add the cost the first time. It is easiest when the supplier's bill is on the counter.
• Keep quick keys for loose goods. Bread, eggs and anything sold loose have no barcode. They belong on quick keys, as the morning rush tour shows.

Common mistakes

• Creating a new product for a changed barcode. It splits the stock of one item into two. Use Link to a product.
• Guessing the selling price at the counter. If you are not sure, check the shelf label or the supplier's suggested price before saving.
• Scanning a single packet's code for a sealed pack. It adds one packet instead of twelve. Scan the code on the outer pack.
• Ignoring the soft no sound. It means the item was not added. Look at the sheet before handing over the goods.

What to do next

With scanning sorted, the rest of the counter day is about money. Rice and dhal on the book shows credit for a regular, and before the distributor calls shows how the stock that scanning keeps accurate turns into a purchase order.

For the bigger picture, stock control explains why accurate counts start at the till, and how to choose a POS system covers what to look for in scanners and tills.