Every warehouse operator, stockroom manager, or transportation company can tell a tale or two about lost inventory or missing assets. Sometimes, the consequences are relatively minor. But in other cases, they're nothing less than dire, as these real-life examples offered by Wasp Barcode Technologies attest:

• The Case of the Missing Radioactive Container. Back in 2010, FedEx was charged with delivering three packages containing radioactive rods used in computerized tomography (CT) scans to a hospital. When one of the packages failed to arrive at its destination, FedEx initiated a nationwide search and alerted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Fortunately, the package was recovered and no one was exposed to the container's low-level radiation.
• The Case of the Vanishing Weapons. In late 2010, tens of thousands of machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers that were to be provided by the U.S. military to the Afghan National Police went missing. According to an article in **ital{Stars and Stripes,} a breakdown in communications and the Afghans' own logistical shortcomings were to blame for the disappearance. Despite a search by coalition forces and the Afghan police, the whereabouts of the missing weapons remain unknown.
• The Case of the Forgotten Medical Supply. Surgical items can blend into their surroundings during medical procedures and may be overlooked. The most common such mistake: accidentally leaving surgical sponges inside a patient, which can lead to serious infections and even death. Without some method of tracking the items, nobody knows they're missing.

Bar-code technologies can help prevent such asset-tracking nightmares, said Wasp's executives. Ultimately, they said, stories like these serve as a reminder of the importance of having a solid inventory control or asset tracking system in place—whether you're tracking AK-47s in the field or surgical supplies in the operating room.