SP to manage physical document like a record manager

Understand that SP recommend Record manager to manage/track the physical documents. but after reviewing all the related post, just want to make sure i get the solutions correct.

1. create more document metadata to track the hardcopy location record.

2. enable barcode features.

questions:

1. is it all SP record manager can do for record (physical document) management

2. if by using document metadata to update the current hardcopy document status, there will be no history to track the trail of hardcopy document

3. how to fully utilise the barcode? can have a scanner to scan on the barcode that printed out and stick on the physical document for system to automatically update the document metadata in SP?

I am using Interwoven Record Manager as reference.

Thanks

Wendy