3PL barcode scanning for end-to-end warehouse management

Posted by:

Jess Saxton

Every 3PL warehouse is unique, with unique services and rates offered to customers. CartonCloud gives you more flexibility in managing your warehouse inventory and workflows, ensuring end-to-end accuracy with barcode scanning and automated reporting.

We’ve created a few guides here, with some helpful warehouse hacks to simplify your workflows — while giving you greater control and flexibility in how you manage locations and inventory through pallet label barcode scanning.

We will start by exploring how pallets are handled throughout CartonCloud's WMS, making it much easier to use pallet barcodes from receiving to locating and picking.

Let’s take a look at how you can use pallet barcodes to move stock within the warehouse, combine stock to a single pallet, or split stock within a pallet — giving you greater flexibility in your warehouse workflows and enhancing inventory record accuracy.

CartonCloud’s WMS end-to-end pallet handling gives you greater control of how you manage your warehouse location space and inventory — and how you manage inventory rates and charging.

Why? Managing how you accept incoming stock and manage stock within your 3PL warehouse locations can be a massive time saver, help you to get more from your warehouse space, allow you to implement complex rate cards, and ensure inventory reporting and picking accuracy at all times.

Any 3PL warehouse manager will tell you the way a 3PL WMS allows you to manage end-to-end pallet labels and inventory, is a game changer.

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Combining incoming stock with stock already in the warehouse

How does it work? To allow pallet barcodes to be used throughout the warehouse, you will be able to retain pallet barcodes when stock is moved in and out of single pallet warehouse locations. The enhancement simplified inventory management and tracking, updating from the previous workflow where the pallet barcode/id would be removed.

When accepting incoming stock to the warehouse, CartonCloud makes it easier to allocate incoming stock to a pallet location with existing stock under one barcode.

Simply scan the warehouse location barcode or the pallet label barcode to view the pallet stock in that location.
Then scan the barcode of the incoming pallet, and select the items to be assigned to the new location.
From here, you can retain both pallet labels assigned to that location (the stock will all be allocated to the same warehouse location but listed on different pallets), which allows you to charge different rates per pallet, even when they are in the same location.
Alternatively, you can scan the pallet barcode of the incoming inventory and then scan the pallet barcode of the current pallet allocated to the warehouse location — which will allow you to add the incoming stock to the existing pallet, combining the two.

Check out this DIY helpful tip from Vincent, while visiting a customer’s warehouse with multiple braces stacked close together on an inbound pallet.

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Want more warehouse tips! Check out our Bulk Print Pallet Label feature

We've made it easier to optimize warehouse pick efficiency by reducing the time spent walking to and from barcode printers. With CartonCloud, pallet barcodes can be pre-printed in bulk from both the web and mobile apps, to be stored on forklifts or near work areas, and then assigned to stock as the stock arrives. Find out more.

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Get started with barcode scanning in your 3PL warehouse sooner!

Our customer success is our ultimate goal, and at CartonCloud, we;ve made it easier to get up and running with barcode scanning in your warehouse.

Our mobile app is native to both iphone and Android devices, and can also be used on specialist, rugged warehouse mobile computer hardware. This means you can get started today, using the device you already have!

To get started with mobile barcode scanning today, simply connect your phone to a Bluetooth scanner for around $100 and start scanning barcodes. Check out everything you need to know about barcode scanning in the warehouse here.

For more information, visit the CartonCloud Help article on Pallet Handling, or check out these video guides below!

Jess Saxton

CartonCloud Marketing Manager, Jess works closely with daily users and customers to understand the key topics and trends impacting the logistics industry — drawing on expert knowledge from across the CartonCloud team to deliver solutions, tips, and tricks for smarter, more efficient warehousing and freight management.

CartonCloud Marketing Manager