In today’s warehouse operation environment in 3PL warehouses, Mobile Barcode scanning is a major competitive advantage.
Today, there is fierce competition in the supply chain segment to meet all of today’s eCommerce demands from customers. 3PL’s must position themselves with as many advantages to stand out and differentiate themselves from the competition.
A few of the reasons why Mobile Barcode Scanning is important
There is a major acceleration of e-Commerce within warehouse operations.
As consumers are demanding quicker deliveries and order fulfillment, it’s imperative that 3PL’s adapt to stay competitive. The use of mobile barcode scanning is extremely helpful for automating warehouse processes and meeting customers eCommerce requirements.
Less errors and enhanced inventory accuracy are often the results when using Mobile BarCode scanning.
Misplaced items, incorrect quantities and shipping errors will affect customers’ trust in the warehouse operation. When using barcode scanning it generally will result in maximizing picking accuracy and eliminating human errors. As items are scanned it will help to eliminate the probability of shipping incorrect products.
Workflows are streamlined when using Barcode scanning.
Having a paper free process there is no need to check paper picklists and juggle clipboards. Using a mobile scanner will enhance productivity within the warehouse operation.
Picking and Packing will also operate more smoothly.
While scanning barcodes during picking and packing processes, it will help to ensure that the proper items are selected and packed. This helps to minimize reworks and order discrepancies.
Using mobile scanners will provide real-time data regarding order status, locations and inventory levels.
In addition, it will help warehouse managers make critical decisions, manage their resources effectively and optimize routing of warehouse goods.
Important Considerations for Implementing Mobile Barcode Scanning
Selecting the Right Mobile Hardware
Choosing the proper scanning device is extremely critical . Important factors to consider include battery life, durability, and compatibility with the warehouse management software system (WMS)
Warehouse Team is Trained
Investing and allocating time to a training program for the warehouse staff is most important. The warehouse group needs to understand how to use the scanners, manage and troubleshoot common issues arising in the warehouse and follow best practices for scanning of products.Its also critical to schedule periodic refresher and training courses for the warehouse team.
Interface to the WMS.
The Mobile Barcode scanning must be integrated with the Warehouse Management System (WMS). Ensure that the WMS captures and processes scanned data accurately. It’s important that there is synchronization between scanning devices and components of the WMS.
Benchmark Data on the Use of Barcode Scanning
- Picking and receiving efficiency increase of 35%
- Shipping errors reduced by up to 80%
- Up to 28% decrease in labor costs associated with inventory management
Core e-business solutions provides tier 1 cloud based warehouse management software solutions for 3Pl’s and other warehouse operations including and not limited to food, pharmaceutical, retail, and cold storage warehouses, to name a few.
The Core Warehouse software includes a comprehensive mobile scanning function and the WMS software can be accessed from all smartphone and tablet devices.