Barcode technology makes real-time data collection possible. Despite the multitude of barcodes in existence today, universal product codes remain among the most useful to a small business.

See UPC code example above right. That means a bottler would have to shut down the bottling line, and insert a new label, just for New York. Distributors would need to arrange warehouse space ...

When that first UPC code was scanned, it was the culmination ... UPC system encouraged other industries to adopt barcodes. For example, within a span of three years, Walmart, the Defense ...

It survived all of that to mark its 30th year this month. Happy birthday to the Universal Product Code. The UPC, the most common version of the so-called bar code, wasn't as warmly embraced or as ...

For example, grocery stores previously didn't ... Lest you think Ideal is behind the times, Moore said it uses UPC codes when customers order groceries online from its Web store.