We’ve been working towards having barcodes on our labels for quite some time now. Here recently, we finally got the new label designs in. We’ve been running these labels with barcodes on them for a few weeks now, but this week, our inventory went live on the server! Though there are always growing pains associated with putting new systems in place, within a few weeks we’ll have these new changes down at This Old Farm!
The most obvious benefit to having a barcoded product is inventory. We’ll now be able to keep track down to the individual package count with a nearly 100% accurate count. The aspect of barcoding that is not as easily noticeable (if even used) is the traceability of your product. Here at This Old Farm, we pride ourselves in our ability to give credit back to the farmer. They raise the food, not us, and they deserve the credit. Putting the farmer name on the label also allows us to give specifics on how that particular animal was raised. We keep a strong and living communication running with our farmers in order to best represent their product, and having their name on the label makes it easier for us to do that.
Barcoded labels are helping us take that to the next level! Now we can identify each package not only to the farm it comes from, but the animal it comes from. This way, we can makes sure you get exactly what you want, and ensure that it came from a strong, healthy animal.
Though it seems like only yesterday we were meeting with the programmer and starting to hammer out a general design, looking back we realize how long we’ve really been working on it! More professional labels were first conceived over two years ago! People rarely realize how much time and effort go into some of the simplest things. Between coming up with how to designate specific traits in codes of numbers and letters, to designing the custom barcode generation software online, to the aesthetics of the label, and all the details in between. It’s been a huge undertaking, seconded only by putting a new facility in place in six months in my opinion. With this project completed, we look forward to moving on to new plans and projects, and thank all of you for sticking with us through it!