There are many reasons why you might feel like you’re outgrowing your bar code scanning device, and have just as many reasons why you can squeeze a little more life out of what you have. We’ve all been there. The first step is admitting you have a problem; or two … or three.
Here are some telltale signs that it may be time for a change:
- Rapid growth
- Difficulty maintaining quality standards
- Difficulty maintaining customer service standards
- Lines of business have been added
- Increasing amount of remote locations
- New facility or workflow process
- Existing devices are 5+ years old
- Looking for ways to reduce costs and increase worker productivity
There are a lot of choices out there, so it’s important to make a list of the priorities you have for your business; from there you can identify the areas where your current solution falls short. You may require a faster operating system, longer-range scanning ability, or a way to operate wirelessly. Where you begin will depend on where the need is greatest. The important thing is to do your research first, and set a budget before making any decisions.
Walk a Mile
We’re firm believers of walking in the shoes of your workers. Understand the day-to-day tasks and what the workflow is of your operations. For example, a large device like a laptop isn’t the right fit for a field technician who works in HVAC or office equipment applications where space is limited. The same theory can be applied to smaller, handheld devices. If your workers are accessing manuals and other large documents, having to read information on a small screen would be just as ineffective for them even though the devices would be nifty to have. Perhaps you have a large number of remote users and you’re finding it increasingly difficult to manage and maintain tethered devices in the field; wireless devices with remote device management capabilities may be a better, more cost-effective solution.
Other features to keep in mind include choosing between a rugged device, industrial handheld device and a commercial device. What size hand will be holding the device? How many hours a day will the device be used? Increasing worker effectiveness is the overall goal when selecting the right equipment for the job.
You will also find that choosing one device for a specific task, like asset tracking, may also work well for other areas of the business for a variety of tasks like warehouse shipping and receiving. Understanding what types of functions are needed to improve current operations is critical. Functions like scanning inventory levels, order picking, order packing, looking up a service record in the field, capturing a delivery signature in the field, or getting route directions may give you the edge you need to improve customer service and leap past the competition.
For more information on how and when to upgrade your mobile computers and handheld scanning devices, contact us for a complimentary evaluation of your operations.