In industries such as retail, accurate inventory management is extremely important. This is especially true when it comes to perishable products, or products that have a limited shelf life. In addition to receiving goods, wall-to-wall inventory counts can be time-consuming and require great attention to detail from employees. Errors in physical counting can lead to excess inventory, out-of-stock items, incorrect orders, and lost profits. On the other hand, physical counting when receiving goods can cause employee frustration as it consumes too much of their time instead of focusing on the customers and their satisfaction.
It’s a fact! One of the worst jobs in retail is receiving and counting inventory. Imagine being able to get rid of this boring job? Hey, wait a minute. Why dream about it, when there is already a solution? One way retailers can improve the efficiency of their physical counts is with higher-performing and more flexible scanning devices. Many retailers are now deploying app-enabled mobile device cameras to scan inventory. New barcode scanning technologies combined with smartphones and tablets can offer retailers inventory management solutions to improve efficiency and reduce costs. However, the most important thing is for the employees to save time.
We are very pleased to inform you that we have released a new NP WMS app for Android in which one of the new functionalities is related to multiple barcode scanning. The main benefit of this new functionality is reflected in speeding up the receipt of goods and counting, as well as improving the accuracy of the stocks themselves. In order to introduce this new functionality, we joined forces with Scandit and their Smart Data Capture technology to add the power of their MatrixScan solution to our NP WMS solution.
Below we’ll give you more information on all the great possibilities of this new functionality, and how this functionality can improve your inventory to receive and count workflows:
- What is MatrixScan?
- Who can use MatrixScan?
- How can MatrixScan transform your store operations?
- Five reasons why we integrated this barcode scanning solution into our NP WMS solution.
1. Need to scan more than one barcode at a time? Get to know MatrixScan!
Can you imagine the hectic working day of a store associate? Today, store associates have many tasks to perform on a daily basis, from filling online orders to checking inventory, to receiving products in the store. To help their staff handle all of these in-store operational tasks, retailers need to equip their employees with the right tools and technology they need to succeed.
What is the one device that will help you do all this and more? The smartphone. When equipped with a scanning app, smartphones (and tablets) can now exceed the performance of many dedicated scanners. Scandit’s MatrixScan technology allows the user to scan multiple codes in one sequence. A store associate can quickly wave the device across the shelf and capture any codes in sight, significantly reducing the time needed to perform inventory counts. Thanks to Scandit’s MatrixScan technology, store employees can hold the mobile device however they want and scan dozens of barcodes in seconds, whereas it could take much longer with a traditional scanner.
The main advantages of this solution are reflected in improving the efficiency of inventory counting, goods receipt, shelf management or capturing labels with multiple codes. On the other hand, enabling employees to perform physical counts more efficiently can also reduce labor costs or allow the retailers to deploy those employees to perform high-value tasks.
2. Who can use MatrixScan? Give superpowers to customers, store associates and retail operations
Who can use the MatrixScan solution? The answer is simple. If you have inventory, then you need this solution.
Over the years, Scandit has worked with hundreds of clients around the world, and they know what their main challenges are, as well as what makes a mobile barcode scanning app successful. They have also learned to speak the language of many industries. These are just a few of the industries in which they have specific knowledge and expertise: retail, healthcare, post, parcel and express, air travel, field services and manufacturing.
If we talk about the retail industry, the MatrixScan solution gives superpowers to customers, store associates as well as retail operations. In this industry, many leading retail companies are already taking full advantage of Scandit’s MatrixScan technology to improve the efficiency of their store operations.
3. How can MatrixScan transform your store operations? Let the items come to you.
Stores need to do more work than ever, and the smartphone can be a store associate’s extra helper. But with Scandit Smart Data Capture technology, this can be taken to the next level.
Below we will give you just a few examples of how MatrixScan can transform and improve your existing store operations:
Click and collect:
The pandemic has had a significant impact on customer behavior and more and more customers are shopping online and picking up their products in-store. Frequently, once the products have been picked and packaged, they are taken to a collection point. At that point, the only key distinguishing factor may be a label and a barcode. In many cases, the store associate will need to examine or scan each order to find the right one. Scandit’s technology can simplify the entire process. Scandit’s MatrixScan technology overlays with Augmented Reality (AR) which enables the store associate to scan multiple items at once and have the right product highlighted on the device’s screen.
Replacing returned products:
We all know that returning products is common for retail. That is why it is extremely important to manage the stocks well, as well as to have information on which product is in a certain store at any given time. With Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK, AR can be enabled to scan barcodes and overlay information about them on the device screen. In this situation, a simple scan of the barcode will reveal where the product should go.
Discounts and price changes:
Store associates are continually adjusting product prices, an area where barcode scanners play a crucial role. With Scandit’s MatrixScan and AR, it is now possible to scan multiple barcodes at once, examine that information and use the device’s screen to display where the new pricing should go.
Receiving and shipping:
When receiving goods, stores accept several pallets per week. The pallets are generally made of boxes that contain either boxed or loose items. Standard processes, at a minimum, require the store associate to scan each box on the pallet and, if necessary, open each box and scan each item. Also, receiving is often done in an environment where there is limited space and light. Scandit’s barcode scanning technology can solve all these challenges very easily. The reason for this is that MatrixScan can scan and analyze multiple barcodes simultaneously, as well as allowing the user to scan at narrow angles.
Better customer experience on the shop floor:
With Scandit’s barcode scanning technology, staff can scan a barcode and give customers instant information about a certain product, as well as if it is in stock and where it is within the store.
The reasons why we integrated this barcode scanning solution into our NP WMS solution:
Whether users are comparing prices in-store, tracking assets through the supply chain or managing inventory in the back of the house, the right barcode scanner SDK can turn your smartphone into a powerful business tool. When considering the option to upgrade our NP WMS mobile app with barcode scanning functionality, it was extremely important for us to have a barcode scanner SDK that is fast, easy to integrate, and provides the best user experience. These are just some of the reasons why we have joined forces with Scandit Smart Data Capturetechnology and added the power of their MatrixScan solution to our NP WMS solution.
Scandit’s barcode scanning capabilities can handle all of the challenges below. Our NP WMS app needs to do that as well.
Low lighting:
Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK can scan accurately in low lighting conditions. In fact, it can even scan barcodes below 1lx.
Damaged barcodes:
Damaged barcodes are not a problem at all. Even if the barcode is ripped in half, as long as the bars are there, our new app – using SDK – will be able to decipher it instantly.
Light glare:
Store lighting can sometimes be reflected on the barcode surface. Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK’s ability to handle glare is a key differentiating factor.
Angles:
People hold products up quickly and briefly. Their scanner SDK will be able to scan the barcode even from a 45° angle. This is crucial in the current shopping environment where people want to be in and out of the store as quickly as possible.
Don’t let the wrong technology ruin the experience of your customers.
If you would like to know more about our new NP VMS application, or how to improve the efficiency of inventory counts, receiving goods and shelf management, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be more than happy to have a 1:1 meeting with you and share all our knowledge and expertise on this topic.