Shop floor control using bar coded data collection is a growing trend in the manufacturing sector. Increasingly manufacturers are being driven to deliver higher quality products in shorter periods of time. To remain competitive in this new global fast-paced business environment, a manufacturer will need to generate higher productivity from existing resources.

		Confusion on the shop floor is not the result of a lack of effort. Production control personnel and supervisors spend many hours each day to research the current status of all of the jobs on the floor and develop a work schedule.