Systematic Literature Review: Barcode-Based WMS for Inventory Management in Manufacturing

Abstract

This paper presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) analyzing the adoption and impact of barcode-based Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) for inventory management in manufacturing environments. The review covers peer-reviewed studies published between 2021 and 2025, indexed in Scopus, and follows the PICOC framework and PRISMA guidelines to ensure methodological rigor and reproducibility. A total of 22 eligible studies were analyzed to evaluate the effects of barcode-enabled WMS on inventory accuracy, operational efficiency, productivity, and cost performance, as well as their role in comparison and integration with technologies such as RFID and the Internet of Things (IoT). The results indicate that barcode-based WMS significantly reduce manual data capture errors and improve key performance indicators, reporting inventory turnover increases of up to 23.5%, operational productivity gains of up to 29%, and cost reductions close to 10%. Rather than competing directly with RFID and IoT, barcode technology consistently emerges as a cost-effective and reliable foundational layer within digital inventory ecosystems. The review also identifies system integration, process design, data quality, and organizational factors as critical conditions influencing successful implementation. These findings provide engineering-oriented evidence supporting the strategic role of barcode-based WMS as a scalable backbone for inventory digitalization in manufacturing operations.