Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

What device is commonly used for scanning bar codes in retail environments?

1. Optical mark recognition

2. Biometric scanner

3. Optical character recognition

4. Bar code reader

The correct answer is: Bar code reader

A bar code reader is specifically designed to scan and interpret bar codes, which are commonly found on products in retail environments. This device utilizes a laser or imager to capture the information encoded within the bars and spaces of the bar code, translating it into a digital format that can be processed by a computer system. Retailers rely on bar code readers to streamline operations such as inventory management, pricing, and checkout processes, enabling quick and accurate transaction handling. The other options are not designed for this specific purpose. Optical mark recognition is typically used for recognizing marks made on paper, such as in exams or surveys. Biometric scanners focus on identifying individuals through biological metrics, like fingerprints or facial recognition, which is unrelated to bar code scanning. Optical character recognition is used to convert different types of documents into editable and searchable data but does not handle the specific uniformity and structure of bar codes.