How Adopting Mobile Scanning Increases Efficiency for Product Companies

E-commerce sales increased 44% in 2020, according to Digital Commerce.



Challenges of Manual Processes

Managing warehousing, manufacturing, and fulfillment with manual processes is time-consuming and impacts a company’s ability to deliver quickly. Some challenges that arise from manual processes include: 

Inaccurate data. Manually writing a “2” instead of an “8” or adding an extra zero can significantly impact your records.

Your inventory system is only as good as the data you put into it. And record-keeping starts when you receive items in your warehouse.

Lack of real-time data visibility. You’ll waste time looking for items if you’re not already tracking their movement throughout your warehouse.

Additionally, you might commit the same products to multiple orders if you don’t constantly update your inventory’s status. As a result, you won’t have enough items to fulfill open orders. 

Plus, you can easily duplicate orders if you don’t know what you’ve already committed. So, you could end up with a warehouse full of excess inventory that ties up additional cash on hand.

Inaccurate picking. Operators pick and pack one order at a time in a paper-based setting. So, they will probably cross the warehouse multiple times per day to access bin locations. And they may not have exact locations for the items they need, so they waste time trying to find products. 

Also, suppose an operator picks the wrong item. In that case, you can only hope they catch the error while packing the order since a manual system has no checks or balances. If they see the mistake, they can go back and pick the correct item. But that takes time. Yet, a customer will get an incorrect shipment if the operator doesn’t notice the error.

Scanning devices and mobile applications can help automate manual processes and increase efficiency if you use them throughout a supply chain.

Inaccurate order fulfillment. Suppose a customer receives the wrong item. They will send it back, and your company must pay for return shipping and then mail the correct product—unless the customer decides to return it and go elsewhere. 

Increased shipping costs can impact profitability significantly. And unfortunately, if you rely on pen and paper to fulfill orders, you have no processes to ensure correct packing.

Quality control. Manual quality inspections can also result in errors and delays. For example, suppose you’re conducting the inspection upon receipt. In that case, you want to know how to keep items moving out of your receiving dock. On the other hand, if you’re conducting the inspection during production, you need to record those specific nuances accurately. And if you don’t have an enforceable process, various inspectors will perform their jobs differently, resulting in product inconsistencies.

Mobile Scanning and Applications Increase Efficiency and Accuracy

Scanning devices and mobile applications can help automate manual processes and increase efficiency if you use them throughout a supply chain. This technology gives businesses more control over operations. It also ensures accuracy throughout the product lifecycle and decreases warehouse costs through the following:

Data accuracy. A scanner makes it easier and quicker to receive products into inventory, and it ensures you’re capturing the necessary information for item records. You can also program a mobile app to “force scan,” which increases data integrity. Force scanning ensures the correct details are scanned and entered at the time of receipt. It also automatically assigns each item lot number, serial number, bin location, and inventory status.

Additionally, using a mobile device to conduct cycle counts reduces the risk of manual errors and expedites the process.

Real-time inventory visibility. Inventory records update as items get scanned, and those records become available for subsequent processes, such as quality assurance, outbound commitment, or fulfillment. These updates show where every product is at any given time—whether on the shelf, in a staging area preparing for production, in quality control, or getting picked and packed for fulfillment.

The mobile app guides users through each step of the counting process. It also prompts them to scan at each stage to ensure they are at the correct location. Therefore, counting becomes easier since the scan automatically updates the count record.

Mobile picking, packing, and shipping. A mobile app ensures order accuracy and avoids costly mis-picks. And the force scan feature provides accurate data capture and validation against the initiating transaction when picking and packing orders. So, you know the right item is going into the right order. And it ensures fulfillment efficiency because it guides a user to an item’s exact location. 

In this scenario, pickers can also collect items for multiple orders at once—which further increases efficiency. Scanning also allows warehouse managers and customer service representatives to monitor sales and order statuses and give real-time updates.

Quality control. A mobile scanner lets you capture and process quality test results directly from the shop floor or receiving dock. It enables quality engineers to perform inspections, review standards, and record data. It also allows them to submit data for analysis directly from the inspection area, providing real-time feedback and instant test result access.

How to Implement Mobile Scanning

Warehouse operations have included barcodes and barcode scanners for a while. But developments in mobile technology have made them inexpensive and accessible. Mobile scanning will save time and money no matter your business’s size or complexity. It can also help meet customer expectations and avoid costly errors. However, keep these in mind:

Set up a warehouse barcode system. Assign a unique barcode to each item—including components and finished goods. This task may seem daunting, but barcodes are easy, free, and offer a clear return on investment.

You can automatically generate barcodes in your inventory system or with a free online tool. Then, when setting up the system, consider the type of information you want to track so you pick the right barcode for your business. This data could include expiration dates or lot numbers.

Selecting a scanning device. Many devices can capture barcodes, including your smartphone camera. And scanning devices range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on the functionality you need. 

Find the right device for your company by considering the barcode types you’ll use. There are 13 different types of major barcodes based on factors like region or industry. 

Also, determine how far you need to scan from and the environment in which you’ll be using the mobile device. Accidents happen, and if your warehouse has a fast-paced environment with concrete floors, you probably shouldn’t choose a scanner with a fragile laser. 

Real-time and accurate scans also ensure accuracy and provide visibility.

Integrating mobile scanning with a warehouse management system (WMS). Mobile scanning allows users to access information easily and perform daily tasks on their mobile devices directly from the shop floor. And data captured with scanners ensures inventory records are always up to date and accessible.

Using Mobile Scanning and Applications With NetSuite

NetSuite’s WMS mobile application eliminates delays in inventory records because the inventory is immediately and systemically updated as it’s scanned. It also becomes available for subsequent processes, such as quality assurance, outbound commitment, or fulfillment. 

Real-time and accurate scans also ensure accuracy and provide visibility. This is true whether you’re scanning work order components, a work order and its associated bill of materials, items and item quantities to replenish, or inventory moving from warehouse to warehouse.

Additionally, the NetSuite Pack Station allows warehouse workers to scan items as they get packed, providing accountability for who packed what. It also shows customers the products shipped in each package. Consequently, scanning during packing keeps orders filled correctly, leading to happy customers and increased profitability.

NetSuite’s tablet interface also provides a convenient way to capture and process test results directly from the shop floor or receiving doc.

So, NetSuite warehouse and inventory management solutions allow you to perform your daily functions from a mobile application. Therefore, you can get out of the office while still accessing real-time information.



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We pull information from NetSuite material, SuiteDynamics experts, and other reliable sources to compose our blog posts and educational pieces. We ensure they are as accurate as possible at the time of writing. However, software evolves quickly, and although we work to maintain these posts, some details may fall out of date. Contact SuiteDynamics experts for the latest information on NetSuite ERP systems.