list Management, Asset Tracking & Field Data range Using a Smartphone and Barcode Scanning | SmartPhone
SmartPhoneIn new decades, barcode scanning has come to be a cost-effective data capture technology for enhancing processes in virtually every commerce and market. Low-cost scanning solutions improve operation and reliability in a wide range of company activities and deliver benefits such as increased productivity, improved task efficiency, and reduced operational costs.
Barcode Technology Integrated With facts Systems Can reduce the exertion of Managing bodily Items
When integrated into an facts system, barcoding allows businesses to track merchandise and achieve list management, asset tracking and field data collection. list can be reconciled in a fraction of the time required for that of hand-operated procedures. Key assets can be tracked by the location where they have been transferred to or by the personnel that have checked them out. Data range can be performed with fewer errors and barcoding provides more literal, data while rescue both time and costs.
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Combined with data-collection technology, bar codes contribute a rapid, accurate, and productive means to collect, process, transmit, report and administrate data in a range of industries together with retail, storage management, healing tool tracking, building site tool tracking, heavy tool inspections (cranes, forklift), fire extinguisher inspections and fire alarm testing and inspections.
SmartPhone | list Management, Asset Tracking & Field Data range Using a Smartphone and Barcode Scanning
SmartPhoneTracking list manually is a laborious process. With barcodes applied to each item in inventory, transportable scanners can be used. Barcode list control provides accurate, real-time list updates. This allows a company the opportunity to reduce stock levels and thereby reduce carrying costs. It also reduces the time taken to secure data for purposes such as every year inventories. With improved efficiency, operating costs are lower.
Reduced cost is the most distinct advantage of barcode data collection. In many cases, this cost savings alone is enough justification for implementing such a system. Reduced revenue losses resulting from data range errors can any way surpass the savings in labor costs.
Although hard to measure, improved administration and great decision development due to automatic data range technology could be the best advantage of a barcode system. A barcode law can of course secure facts that would be difficult or impossible to secure in other ways. This allows managers to make fully informed decisions that can work on the direction of a group or company. Faster passage to facts goes hand in hand with great decision-making.
A Broad Range of Barcode Types Exist to Meet the Needs of Many Industries
A barcode is an optic machine-readable representation of data. The mapping between barcodes and the data that the barcode represents is called a symbology. The three former categories of symbologies are linear (1D), stacked and matrix (2D). The most tasteless barcodes recite data in the widths and the spacings of parallel lines, and are referred to as linear or 1D (1 dimensional) barcodes or symbologies. Linear barcodes are one dimensional, meaning that the unique facts is in the horizontal plane and the same facts is repeated vertically. The heights of the bars can be truncated without any lose of information. This allows a fastener with printing defects, such as spots or voids, to still be read. The higher the bar heights, the more probability that at least one path along the bar code will be readable.
There are a number of 1D symbologies: Upc (numeric codes found on sell merchandise), Code 39 (numeric, uppercase letters and 7 extra characters) and Code 128 (all 128 Ascii characters) are three of the more popular.
Stacked barcodes are a set of linear bar codes stacked on top of each other. An example of a stacked symbology is the Pdf417 format used on airline boarding passes.
2D barcodes come in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns within images termed matrix codes or symbologies. Although 2D systems use symbols other than bars, they are also generally referred to as barcodes as well. Examples of 2D codes contain semacodes which are optimized for use by cell phones and the similar Qr codes originating out of Japan.
A 1D barcode can only encode a number or string of characters which can be entered into a database, while a 2D barcode can of course hold the entire database. For example, you can embed an Excel spreadsheet into a 2D barcode, to use as a transportable database. Most 2D symbologies can hold at least 2,000 characters per bar code. The typical 1D bar code contains about 10-20 characters.
Not all Barcode Readers Can Read All Barcode Types
Barcode scanners are available with basically four types of readers:
(1) Laser,
(2) linear imagers/Ccd,
(3) area imagers and
(4) two-dimensional Ccd.
The reader type, and software included, will decree what type of barcode symbologies can be read.
A laser scanner sweeps a beam of light across the barcode in a right line, reading a slice of the barcode light-dark patterns. Laser scanners can project a beam of light a long length without diverging, or spreading out, as light from other sources do, enabling them to decode high density bar codes over wide ranges. This proves advantageous in applications that want scanning range flexibility, such as forklift operations where packages are often settled on high shelves or hard-to-reach areas.
Stacked linear symbologies are also optimized for laser scanning, with the laser development complicated passes across the barcode. 2-D symbologies cannot be read by a laser as there is typically no sweep pattern that can encompass the entire symbol. Laser scanning is the favorite technology in high-throughput areas that want request for retrial insensitivity, such as supermarkets, where users can rapidly swipe item after item over a fixed scanner, and the required symbology is miniature to 1D linear codes.
Linear Imagers, also known as Ccd barcode readers, use an array of Led's and receptors to decode linear barcodes. Linear imager barcode scanners are great for reading damaged or poorly printed barcodes as well as barcodes under plastic film or face and are ideal for a range of applications together with retail, shipping, receiving, and inventory. Ccd readers can scan 1D and 1D stacked linear barcodes such as Pdf417. Linear imagers use sensors to capture only a particular row of pixels within the image. This allows linear imagers to decode a 1D bar code, but not entire images or 2D bar codes as an area imager can.
Digital area imagers use Led light that illuminates the target bar code. A lens projects the image of the bar code onto a 2D array, and the light is converted to an electrical signal to form the digital image. Decoder software in the imager locates the bar code within the image, and processes its data using advanced decoding algorithms. Area imagers use sensors with pixels arranged in a 2-dimensional grid (multiple rows) and can read 1D and 2D symbologies.
Cell phones employ two-dimensional imaging scanners. They use a small video camera to capture an image of a bar code. Sophisticated digital image processing techniques decode the bar code. Video cameras use the same Ccd technology as in a Ccd bar code reader except that instead of having a particular row of sensors, a video camera has hundreds of rows of sensors arranged in a two dimensional array so that they can create an image.
Most smart phone barcode readers can read 2D codes but not all of them can read and decode 1D codes. The factors for notice here are either the smartphone camera supports autofocus and either it has a macro lens. The Android smart phone and some versions of Blackberry's (the Tour, Storm and the 9700 but this may not be an exhaustive list) meet this criteria. As of the writing of this article, the iPhone does not have a camera lens with auto-focus but there is an app that is optimized to read the numeric Upc and Ean codes of sell products.
There are some extra purpose Windows Mobile/Pocket Pc and to a lesser extent Palm Os devices that have barcode scanning capability. These are typically high-end rugged devices that cost in the 00-00 price range. One of the clubs in this space, Trimble, offers an Android version of their Trimble Nomad rugged handheld.
Smartphones with Barcode Reading potential Links bodily Assets to Wide Area communication and facts Networks
Smart phones are well recognized as buyer electronic devices with a number of personal productivity applications and the Blackberry is vital for many to stay in feel with the office and with clients. Smartphones can also be a game changing tool for savvy businesses to optimize core operations. Smart phones communication capabilities with voice, text and email are distinct uses, any way they can also function as data range devices. Their potential to control with the bodily world via barcode scanning and image and voice capture, along with their potential to control with the virtual world via web-enabled applications that can recite with software services that exist in the "cloud", offer some unique potential to securely create, update, disseminate and administrate company facts from in any place and at anytime.
Three functional areas that have broad applicability are list management, asset tracking and field data collection. Most businesses leverages one of these capabilities and many can advantage from all three. Most businesses have some form of list with sell and storage administration being markets that can obviously advantage from an list administration system. Most businesses have some form of assets and industries as diverse as health care and building can advantage from an asset tracking system. Many businesses have the need to secure data from a location that is not tethered to a desk. This includes inspectors, field service personnel, home inspectors and installers. In many cases, the field data impacts safety and compliance. Electronic capture increases productivity, reduces errors and reduces oversights.
Inventory administration is concerned with What You Have, What You Need to Order and What You Cannot list For
Inventory administration is concerned with maintaining optimal list levels to ensure that items are available when needed (for purchase by external customers or consumption by internal organizations). This includes knowing current stock levels, knowing which items (colors and sizes) are selling well and how much is unaccounted for.
Inventory control software lets you see what you sold, what you need to order and what should be left in stock. Barcode technology can be used to track stock accurately and update current stock levels. As shipments come in, storage workers scan bar code labels on items, cartons, or pallets. The scanned facts is verified against purchase orders and sent to the list software for update.
Retail list administration Tracks Counts of personel Items at the Point of Sale
Retail list administration is the process and methods used to keep track of the stock in a sell business. These methods control everything from ordering, shipping, receiving, tracking inventory, sell turn-over, and storage. The objective is to see what is selling and what is not. Products that spend more time on the shelf should be re-evaluated or discounted to get rid of them. Barcode list administration allows sell businesses to know what they have and where it is. You'll be able to receive, put away, move and ship out (to internal or external users) all the items you have in inventory. Barcodes recite a time productive means to managing sell inventory, development sure that products are always removed from the law as soon as they are sold. The same is true for receiving shipments of new stock and performing audits normally to make sure the computerized law is literal, with what is of course in stock. Smartphone technology and list administration software can contribute every company an affordable means to achieve list management. Even part-time eBay businesses can advantage cost-effectively.
Warehouse administration Tracks the In-flow, Inspection and Out-Flow of Palettes of Items
A storage list administration law handles all aspects of list movement, from receipt to shipping platform. The software tracks list based on each Sku (stock keeping unit) and its location within the warehouse. The law will also track all list changes, sales and receipts of each Sku.
The inaccuracies of hand-operated data recording and data entry are magnified as the number of transactions grows. Errors that are in your favor corollary in customer or vendor complaints and errors that are not in your favor may go unreported.
A storage administration law incorporates an list control application designed for disposition cycle counting. This software will decree which list to count, track these counts, and report any list irregularities.
A barcode storage administration law offers efficiencies over manually accomplishing these tasks. Smartphones as part of a storage administration law allows a particular device to track list with the barcode capability, reorder stock using the web capability, and reconcile discrepancies with employees, suppliers and customers using the communication capabilities.
Asset Tracking is concerned with Knowing Where Your tool (Tools, Computers) Is
Asset tracking refers to the potential to locate, identify, and assign assets to an organization, location or person. Assets are distinct than list in that assets are re-used, and have a beneficial life of 12 months or more. Examples of assets would be things like torque wrenches, computers, copiers and forklifts. Their value is depreciated over time. list items are consumed by the organization in the policy of doing business.
An asset tracking law provides the potential to know the location and status of the assets in the organization, and allows you to do prognosis of those assets to decree current status, total utilization, depreciation levels and maintenance requirements.
A barcode law can contribute an productive asset tracking means. Assets can be tracked by location or personnel. Tracking assets by location involves assigning assets to bodily places like a room, a building, or a group or Gps coordinates.
Both locations (rooms, building sites) and personnel badges can be barcoded. Personnel badges can be scanned at checkout and check-in and locations can be scanned when an item is moved from location to another.
Rapidly Tracking healing tool in a Hospital Can Have Life-Saving Consequences
Hospitals routinely need to recognize the location of healing tool for inspections, repairs and for use in clinical procedures. Radio frequency identification (Rfid) is touted as one means to achieve this. A number of hospitals are evaluating this technology though to date there have been a miniature number of deployments as there are a number of implementation considerations. The first step in such an implementation is to ensure that all tool is identified in an asset tracking database. At this step alone, barcode and smartphone technology can be utilized with no supplementary organizational disruption.
Hospital employees can scan healing tools and tool as they are used, immediately updating list and ensuring requisite items are supplanted as requisite to guarantee they are always on hand for urgent situations. This also accounts for tools after a policy and prevents loss of expensive equipment. Doctors and nurses can scan patients' wristbands to passage facts quickly, right at the point of care. This provides immediate visibility into test results, blood type, and other vital health data, so healing personnel can make informed decisions at bedside, reducing treatment and medication errors based on faulty information.
An Inability to Track Tools at complicated building Sites Can Be Costly
Controlling expensive tools, heavy equipment, and material at a building site is requisite to a successful and profitable project. Managing the tools, tool and materials at a site can be quite difficult and challenging. With an asset tracking system, tools can be tracked in and out of the tool crib, tool room or from site to site. Tools can be assigned to a location or site owner and requisite tool maintenance dates can be managed all in one tool tracking system.
Barcode technology coupled with asset administration software allows building material coming into a site to be tagged and the tag Id used to find where on the site the material has to be stored. This technology has the potential to speed up delivery of material to the point of use. Using smartphone technology, this can be concluded with a easy series of barcode scans, from a device that you already use in your daily business. In some cases, a rugged device will be most thorough for building environments.
Field Inspections and Data Collection
Field data range includes everything from collecting bridge, levee and offshore drilling rig inspection data across a region of a state, to performing food, drug and fire extinguisher inspections in a city, or servicing patients or healing tool in a health care facility. A lot of field data collection, together with safety inspections is captured using clipboard, pen and paper. In some cases the paper forms are later transcribed into a computer and in other cases this requisite data is just archived as paper forms. In both cases, this hand-operated process can be error-prone and it is laborious to create reports and track trends. Barcode technology can be used to rapidly recall that quantum of data that rarely changes and ensure that no items are missed when visiting a remote site. Electronic capture of field data introduces a broad number of efficiency to the process and opens up a wealth of opportunity to use collected data to create safer great functioning environments.
Inspecting Every Fire Extinguisher in Every communal installation Every Month Can Be Daunting
The National Fire safety relationship (Nfpa) permits electronic report keeping for fire extinguisher inspection data as an alternative to paper logs. The electronic capture of inspection data reduces the time to achieve inspections, reduces time making ready reports, and ensures yielding by identifying units that were overlooked, tracks every year and multi-year maintenance schedules. Each piece of tool is labeled with a barcode. Each location is also labeled with barcodes, so the user can scan the location, and then scan all the pieces of tool that need inspection at that location. A smartphone application can issue easy prompts to help with the inspection. Barcode scanners recite an productive means to rapidly report data such as unit serial numbers and location identifiers. Smartphones with the thorough software can be an excellent means to capture fire extinguisher inspection data electronically as well as fire alarm test and inspection data.
Ensuring Heavy Equipment, Rig and Crane Inspections is requisite to communal safety
Equipment deployed in the field may want interval based inspections and scheduled maintenance. This will contain heavy tool such as cranes. When inspectors go on site, they normally read the crane's serial number, find its report and then carry out the inspection and make hand-operated notes. Then they send a copy back to the customer. With barcode technology, the inspector's smartphone can automatically register the crane, so they can start to immediately go through the inspection criteria. Once they press save, the report transmits to the web site, where they can download thorough certificates and send reports.
Summary
Barcode scanning can deliver benefits such as increased productivity, reduced errors and reduced operational costs. Smartphone technology has the potential to deliver these benefits to funds constrained small businesses and to departments in larger organizations that are concerned about disruptions to enterprise-wide procedures. When coupled with the thorough software, list management, asset tracking and field data range can be performed efficiently.
Retail list and storage administration are areas that can advantage from productive list capability. Asset tracking of tool at building sites where complicated clubs are working in the same location, or with requisite healing tool where rapid determination of its location can save lives are foremost factors for some organizations. Rapid identification and recall of past results is foremost for mandated fire extinguisher inspections. Scanning asset identification tags on widely distributed heavy tool such as cranes can help ensure that that the literal, tool was inspected / maintained by scheduled due dates.
These are just a few examples to get you started thinking about what you can do with bar codes. Barcode systems routinely save clubs money while enhancing quality, on-time performance, and other key company factors. Smartphones with barcode reading capability, voice potential and video capture potential recite a convergence of the virtual/information world, communications and the bodily world.
Nokia E71 Unlocked Phone with 3.2 MP Camera, 3G, Media Player, GPS with Free Voice Navigation, Wi-Fi, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Version with Warranty (White)
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