5 benefits of an Android barcode scanner app

Starting 2020 off with a bang our development team have been working on our much anticipated feature "Scan put-away for Android". We've just released this feature that will give our users greater choices when selecting their barcode scanner hardware.

Why you may ask has their been such anticipation for this feature? Well it's the last piece of the Android scanning puzzle. As you maybe aware we've had end to end scanning capabilities on iOS, but this update assures users they can go all in, on Android with end to end scanning features.

We also believe their maybe some users that have been holding off to go all in on mobile barcode scanning, due to high costs of iOS smartphones. Now with this update, it gives users more choices with cheap android smartphones for less than $100, making it affordable for smaller operators.

So with this article below, we will dive deeper into the benefits of running an Android barcode scanner app, over traditional pen paper or those large clunky outdated barcode scanning devices you see that look like they're from the 90's.

Removing paper and increasing productivity

Removing or significantly reducing the use of paper in a warehouse environment should be a goal for every warehouse manager. Floor staff have to note on a piece of paper what stock they put away or mark off incorrect details which increases the risk of errors.

Case studies* have shown using an Android barcode scanner, warehouse operators are able to increase productivity by 30%. Not only that staff can type up to 40% faster on an Android scanner device compared to those clunky outdated devices with tiny keyboards. 

Studies* also showed that while it increases the speed of typing, you’d think it you’d have more errors? However it actually reduces errors by 60% as every man, woman and child are messaging on their smartphones today, so another benefit is its very user friendly.

Improving accuracy when picking or packing stock

Products these days with their minimalist package design make it harder to distinguish between different product lines. So being able to be stopped mid packing by an error message pop up displaying you’ve picked the wrong stock is such a huge bonus.

Returns are a huge cost for any company managing stock so even if you've sent out a couple of wrong products a week you may think it’s not a biggy. However think about the overheads and time wasted getting the return and resending the correct stock.

Studies* have shown using Android barcode scanners can get warehouse operators outbound order accuracy rate to 99.9%, which is incredible.

Ability for real time updates on the floor

Once floor staff have finished packing they have to then give it to the admin team to update in the warehouse management system or an excel spreadsheet for processing, this could sometimes be done days after the stock has been put away.

Stakeholders these days expect real time accuracy within their warehouse operations. With ecommerce dominating the retail industry you can’t afford to have lagging stock levels in your warehouse management system, stakeholders want real time data.

With Android barcode scanners being used throughout the warehouse, floor staff can now in real time update incorrect stock that came in or mislabelled stock in locations. This enables ecommerce companies to have live stock levels displayed on their online stores.

Real time notifications for stakeholders

Like real time accuracy, stakeholders have high expectations for real time notifications, they want to know when that shipment landed from overseas. This gives them greater power to control the demand whether it’s through wholesale, retail or ecommerce.

Not knowing when stock has been received can impact the sales and marketing team immensely. Even a couple of days not being notified of stock being received, could equate to 10’s of thousands, or even 100’s of thousands of dollars in lost sales.

Having your Android barcode scanner leveraging a cloud based warehouse management system is what you want. It gives stakeholders the ability to integrate with all sales channels giving them power to scale up sales, especially in crazy promotions like Black Friday or Xmas.

Large range of hardware accessories

Now the last benefit we see in using an Android barcode scanner is the amount of aftermarket hardware accessories available to purchase. Like the rugged hardware accessories you can use in frozen or outdoor environments.

We have a full list of the accessories we recommend here at CartonCloud on our knowledge base, if you're interested in getting your warehouse setup with Android barcode scanner capabilities, contact our team today.

*The studies mentioned above we’re published on the ATN website with a case study of the Zebra’s TC8000, read the case study here.