I've been writing this column since 1983 – hard to believe! And all that time I've been educating people about how to use automatic data capture (ADC) to enhance the performance of existing or new computer control systems.

The good news for many companies is that the use of bar codes is almost a given these days. But the bad news is that many people are just accepting the way bar codes were used in the past and they are not expanding their usage. They are not leveraging the existing system or creating new ways to use inexpensive, reliable technology to drive down operating costs.

Some people now responsible for operational performance have only recently been exposed to bar codes and other forms of ADC technology for that matter. They must now define, design, use, and maintain systems based on ADC technology. The old system has been in place and now the ADC technology is taken for granted.

The fact is that many systems that use bar codes, and even those installed only 3 years ago, are achieving only 30% of what they could. To begin, many companies that print and apply bar codes for their customers are not using bar codes internally. And at other companies that do use bar codes, these systems are not linked to all the business systems that could use the information being collected.

Still other companies should be considering the use of other forms of ADC like radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, voice technology, or biometrics. But they just don't know what could be done or how to use the technology. Here are some ideas:

• Has anyone thought about using simple tracking software and bar codes or RFID tags to keep track of assets?
• Why do you still print labels for every box you receive? Could your supplier do that for you? Just because they couldn't do it 2 years ago doesn't mean they can't today.
• When people return items, could you use the Internet so these individuals print out a return label, including a transaction ID bar code, off their own printer and include it with the return shipment? If they did that, you could receive the return, reconcile it, and dispose of it or return it to stock within 5 minutes of receipt at your door. Furthermore, they could do so with no double-handling and no added management or customer service cost.

I could go on but there is only limited space.

Let's suppose that you agree that maybe you could be overlooking the picking of some "low hanging fruit." Or maybe you should rekindle more ADC awareness in your company. How would you do it?

My suggestion is to call in an ADC expert. It may be an equipment salesperson, a systems integrator, your warehouse management system supplier, or others. Ask them to tell you what's new and get them to brainstorm some ideas to use ADC technology to save you money. You might be surprised at what they tell you.

But if your ADC "guru" says that nothing is new, that person may not be the right one for you. There's plenty of opportunity out there. All you have to do is find it.