1. A system for selectively controlling operation of a means for reading or marking encoded information on an article, the system comprising: means for identifying an input provided by the means for reading or marking; data processing means for processing the input so as to generate a desired output; control means for controlling operation of the means for reading or marking in a manner that is responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of: the input and the output; and means for selectively generating and retrieving historical records related to the performance of the system.