March 22, 2012

Catalogue Management, Asset Tracking & Field Data variety Using a Smartphone and Barcode Scanning

In new decades, barcode scanning has come to be a cost-effective data capture technology for improving processes in virtually every industry and market. Low-cost scanning solutions heighten execution 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 sacrifice the attempt of Managing corporal Items


When integrated into an facts system, barcoding allows businesses to track merchandise and achieve catalogue management, asset tracking and field data collection. catalogue 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 collection can be performed with fewer errors and barcoding provides more accurate data while saving both time and costs.













Combined with data-collection technology, bar codes provide a rapid, accurate, and sufficient means to collect, process, transmit, record and conduct data in a collection of industries along with retail, storage management, healing tool tracking, construction site tool tracking, heavy tool inspections (cranes, forklift), fire extinguisher inspections and fire alarm testing and inspections.

Tracking catalogue manually is a laborious process. With barcodes applied to each item in inventory, movable scanners can be used. Barcode catalogue operate provides accurate, real-time catalogue updates. This allows a company the chance to sacrifice stock levels and thereby sacrifice carrying costs. It also reduces the time taken to gain data for purposes such as every year inventories. With improved efficiency, operating costs are lower.

Reduced cost is the most determined advantage of barcode data collection. In many cases, this cost savings alone is enough justification for implementing such a system. Reduced earnings losses resulting from data collection errors can however surpass the savings in labor costs.

Although hard to measure, improved supervision and best decision production due to automated data collection technology could be the best advantage of a barcode system. A barcode system can nothing else but gain facts that would be difficult or impossible to gain in other ways. This allows managers to make fully informed decisions that can sway the direction of a division or company. Faster way to facts goes hand in hand with best decision-making.

A Broad Range of Barcode Types Exist to Meet the Needs of Many Industries

A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data. The mapping between barcodes and the data that the barcode represents is called a symbology. The three original categories of symbologies are linear (1D), stacked and matrix (2D). The most tasteless barcodes describe 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 sticker 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 commonly referred to as barcodes as well. Examples of 2D codes comprise 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 nothing else but hold the whole database. For example, you can embed an Excel spreadsheet into a 2D barcode, to use as a movable 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 conclude what type of barcode symbologies can be read.

A laser scanner sweeps a beam of light over the barcode in a straight line, reading a slice of the barcode light-dark patterns. Laser scanners can task a beam of light a long distance 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 wish scanning range flexibility, such as forklift operations where packages are often placed on high shelves or hard-to-reach areas.

Stacked linear symbologies are also optimized for laser scanning, with the laser production many passes over the barcode. 2-D symbologies cannot be read by a laser as there is typically no sweep pattern that can encompass the whole symbol. Laser scanning is the favorite technology in high-throughput areas that wish petition insensitivity, such as supermarkets, where users can rapidly swipe item after item over a fixed scanner, and the required symbology is itsybitsy 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 best for reading damaged or poorly printed barcodes as well as barcodes under plastic film or covering and are ideal for a collection of applications along 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 singular row of pixels within the image. This allows linear imagers to decode a 1D bar code, but not whole 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 originate the digital image. Decoder software in the imager locates the bar code within the image, and processes its data using developed 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 singular row of sensors, a video camera has hundreds of rows of sensors arranged in a two dimensional array so that they can generate 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 whether the smartphone camera supports autofocus and whether 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 companies in this space, Trimble, offers an Android version of their Trimble Nomad rugged handheld.

Smartphones with Barcode Reading capability Links corporal 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 determined uses, however they can also function as data collection devices. Their capability to operate with the corporal world via barcode scanning and image and voice capture, along with their capability to operate with the virtual world via web-enabled applications that can communicate with software services that exist in the "cloud", offer some unique capability to securely create, update, disseminate and conduct company facts from in any place and at anytime.

Three functional areas that have broad applicability are catalogue 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 catalogue with sell and storage supervision being markets that can obviously advantage from an catalogue supervision system. Most businesses have some form of assets and industries as diverse as condition care and construction can advantage from an asset tracking system. Many businesses have the need to gain data from a location that is not tethered to a desk. This includes inspectors, field aid personnel, home inspectors and installers. In many cases, the field data impacts protection and compliance. Electronic capture increases productivity, reduces errors and reduces oversights.

Inventory supervision is concerned with What You Have, What You Need to Order and What You Cannot catalogue For

Inventory supervision is concerned with maintaining optimal catalogue levels to ensure that items are available when needed (for buy 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 operate 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 buy orders and sent to the catalogue software for update.

Retail catalogue supervision Tracks Counts of personel Items at the Point of Sale

Retail catalogue supervision is the process and methods used to keep track of the stock in a sell business. These methods operate 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 catalogue supervision 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 describe a time sufficient means to managing sell inventory, production sure that products are all the time removed from the system as soon as they are sold. The same is true for receiving shipments of new stock and performing audits usually to make sure the computerized system is accurate with what is nothing else but in stock. Smartphone technology and catalogue supervision software can provide every company an affordable means to achieve catalogue management. Even part-time eBay businesses can advantage cost-effectively.

Warehouse supervision Tracks the In-flow, Inspection and Out-Flow of Palettes of Items

A storage catalogue supervision system handles all aspects of catalogue movement, from receipt to shipping platform. The software tracks catalogue based on each Sku (stock holding unit) and its location within the warehouse. The system will also track all catalogue 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 follow in customer or seller complaints and errors that are not in your favor may go unreported.

A storage supervision system incorporates an catalogue operate application designed for routine cycle counting. This software will conclude which catalogue to count, track these counts, and record any catalogue irregularities.

A barcode storage supervision system offers efficiencies over manually accomplishing these tasks. Smartphones as part of a storage supervision system allows a singular device to track catalogue 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 capability to locate, identify, and assign assets to an organization, location or person. Assets are different than catalogue 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. catalogue items are consumed by the assosication in the policy of doing business.

An asset tracking system provides the capability to know the location and status of the assets in the organization, and allows you to do diagnosis of those assets to conclude current status, total utilization, depreciation levels and maintenance requirements.

A barcode system can provide an sufficient asset tracking means. Assets can be tracked by location or personnel. Tracking assets by location involves assigning assets to corporal places like a room, a building, or a division or Gps coordinates.

Both locations (rooms, construction 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 identify 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 itsybitsy 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 additional organizational disruption.

Hospital employees can scan healing tools and tool as they are used, immediately updating catalogue and ensuring significant items are replaced as significant to warrant they are all the time 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 way facts quickly, right at the point of care. This provides immediate visibility into test results, blood type, and other vital condition 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 many construction Sites Can Be Costly

Controlling expensive tools, heavy equipment, and material at a construction site is significant to a flourishing 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 boss and significant tool maintenance dates can be managed all in one tool tracking system.

Barcode technology coupled with asset supervision software allows construction material advent into a site to be tagged and the tag Id used to uncover 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 uncomplicated series of barcode scans, from a device that you already use in your everyday business. In some cases, a rugged device will be most proper for construction environments.

Field Inspections and Data Collection

Field data collection includes everything from collecting bridge, levee and offshore drilling rig inspection data over a region of a state, to performing food, drug and fire extinguisher inspections in a city, or servicing patients or healing tool in a condition care facility. A lot of field data collection, along with protection 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 significant data is just archived as paper forms. In both cases, this hand-operated process can be error-prone and it is laborious to generate reports and track trends. Barcode technology can be used to rapidly recall that measure of data that rarely changes and ensure that no items are missed when visiting a remote site. Electronic capture of field data introduces a huge number of efficiency to the process and opens up a wealth of chance to use collected data to generate safer best functioning environments.

Inspecting Every Fire Extinguisher in Every public factory Every Month Can Be Daunting

The National Fire protection association (Nfpa) permits electronic record holding 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 uncomplicated prompts to aid with the inspection. Barcode scanners describe an sufficient means to rapidly record data such as unit serial numbers and location identifiers. Smartphones with the proper 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 significant to public protection

Equipment deployed in the field may wish interval based inspections and scheduled maintenance. This will comprise heavy tool such as cranes. When inspectors go on site, they usually read the crane's serial number, find its record 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 record transmits to the web site, where they can download proper 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 proper software, catalogue management, asset tracking and field data collection can be performed efficiently.

Retail catalogue and storage supervision are areas that can advantage from sufficient catalogue capability. Asset tracking of tool at construction sites where many companies are working in the same location, or with significant healing tool where rapid measurement of its location can save lives are leading factors for some organizations. Rapid identification and recall of past results is leading for mandated fire extinguisher inspections. Scanning asset identification tags on widely distributed heavy tool such as cranes can help ensure that that the accurate tool was inspected / maintained by scheduled due dates.

These are just a few examples to get you started mental about what you can do with bar codes. Barcode systems routinely save companies money while improving quality, on-time performance, and other key company factors. Smartphones with barcode reading capability, voice capability and video capture capability describe a convergence of the virtual/information world, communications and the corporal world.


catalogue Management, Asset Tracking & Field Data variety Using a Smartphone and Barcode Scanning

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