Barcoding News

With its robust data collection capabilities and adaptability, the Unitech PA760 Rugged Mobile Computer makes airlines, logistics, and manufacturing operations run better than ever before.

Dependable, Affordable Mobile Computers for High-Stress Environments

Unitech’s PA760 is designed for daily usage while also being powerful enough to tackle the most demanding workloads. The PA760 offers full customization and future-proofing, Android with GMS, an all-day battery, and fingerprint security.

Certain models of the PA760 are also health-care ready, allowing users to clean the casing with stronger chemical cleaning agents after each use.

Key Features of the Unitech MS838 Barcode Scanner

• Dependable efficiency at a more economical price point than other mobile computers
• Supports trigger mode and presentation mode
• Quickly reads barcodes
• Reads all 1D and 2D barcodes, both on paper and on screen
• Even helps decode broken or badly written barcodes
• Robust construction

Barcodes, Inc. has all the Unitech gear and accessories you need. After you’ve had a chance to review the PA760 spec sheet, we can help you incorporate Unitech mobile computers into your daily operations with minimal capital expense or internal IT resource drain. Contact us today to get started!

The Honeywell CT30XP is the ideal modern mobile computer for fast-paced retail environments.

Thin and light, but still tough—it can fit in your pocket like a cell phone. The CT30XP is designed for the people who will use it most: managers and associates in stores who need to deliver a modern, customer-centric shopping experience.

The CT30XP does it all:

• Data lookup
• Voice, text, and media communication via Smart Talk
• Task management
• Customer engagement
• Quick, easy code scanning
• Contactless payment

CT30XP Mobile Computers for Retail Applications

Honeywell’s CT30XP has been designed for ease of use and better customer service. Its elegant form factor is perfect for users familiar with mobile touchscreens, yet it’s built for the enterprise (complete with IT support, secure updates, maintenance, condition, location, use, and mobile device management through Mobility Edge and Op Intel from Honeywell). The radiant, 5.5″ high definition touchscreen display is a sight to behold.

Advanced Retail Scanning

Adaptive, feature-rich, and breakthrough performance with full Android 11 to 15 compatibility. The FlexRange scan engine provides accurate, fast long range scans when you need to wow a customer on the spot with a price or inventory lookup.

Wi-Fi 6

Better range and connection reliability – all while requiring less power consumption in stores where utilization and overhead reign supreme.

Universal, Purpose-Built Accessories

Including a universal dock charger family, IH40 RFID, belt clip, and hand strap.

All-Day Fast Charge

USB-C 3.0 charges up lightning quick, with a battery life of 8+ hours. In peak seasons, the battery swap comes in clutch.

See the CT30XP in Action

For detailed technical capabilities, download the Honeywell CT30 XP spec sheet here.

Customers Who Enjoy the In-Store Shopping Experience Return

Don’t delay. Your shoppers expect a modern, quick in-store experience. Looking up inventory, price comparisons, and finding the item they loved online are all made much easier with the Honeywell CT30XP.

Contact us today to take a look at a full-scale solution that will take your shopping experience to the next level.

Healthcare professionals increasingly embrace technology solutions, such as tablets, in their day-to-day operations. From the convenience of bringing a device with you on your rounds to the increased speed of communication between coworkers, there are many reasons why tablets are becoming commonplace in the healthcare industry.

However, not all technology solutions for healthcare are built the same. Therefore, when selecting which tablet to invest in for your hospital, it’s essential to keep these things in mind.

The Zebra ET40 Has Unmatched Capabilities

With so many options on the market, choosing the best tablet for healthcare professionals in your organization can be difficult. In addition, not all tablets have the capabilities vital to the healthcare industry specifically. Keep these key features as you search for the right solution.

Positive Identification Capabilities

With scannable wristbands that can accurately identify patients throughout their admission and discharge and during any medical procedures, hospital staff can quickly and correctly match medications, update records, and reduce errors and workarounds.

Unbridled Mobility

The right solution should allow you to communicate easily, collaborate with colleagues, and access critical information and necessary applications in real-time. You can benefit from retrieving and gathering data from your tablet, including Electronic Health Records.  

Tracking and Locating

Gain enhanced visibility into your operations and current supply, from medication to general stock. Additionally, you can efficiently locate misplaced staff members and critical equipment in high-traffic areas.

Experience the best tablet in healthcare, the Zebra ET40.

Increase real-time communication, access records from anywhere in the hospital, and much more. Contact us today and see how the Zebra ET40 can streamline day-to-day operations and give your staff more time at the point of care.

Webinar

Improve Returnable Container Tracking with RFID

Thursday April 20^th 1:00-1:45pm Central

PRESENTED BY:

Christopher Vassilos – Senior Solutions Architect, Barcodes Group

Michael Daily – Senior Solutions Engineer, Impinj

RFID-Based Container Tracking

Upon delivery, it’s common for reusable containers to not be returned to the sender, with annual shrinkage rates often exceeding 10%. Keeping track of your Returnable Transport Items (RTIs) can be challenging, especially when logging their location depends on manual processes like scanning.

In this webinar, discover the benefits of RFID-based container tracking:

• Reduce the number of misplaced pallets, kegs, and boxes. Less new delivery assets need to be purchased, and shipments are not interrupted due to lack of totes.
• Track each asset as it leaves and returns to the warehouse, allowing you to determine its exact location immediately and whether they have yet to return.
• Calculate the flow of returnable assets to fully understand your shipping capacity for the present and future.
• Improve utilization of workers since it takes way less time to scan RFID tags than barcodes, due to its fully automatable reading without line-of-sight requirements.

Watch the Full RFID Webinar Recording

For many organizations, Enterprise Mobility Management is a standard set of solutions to deploy mobile devices and applications in the field. But true Enterprise Mobility Management goes beyond just deploying apps—it’s also about empowering your team with the tools they need to improve efficiency and productivity while making better decisions in the field.

What is a True Enterprise Mobility Management Solution?

True Enterprise Mobility Management is a comprehensive service from industry-leaders Barcodes & Zebra that provides an end-to-end mobility solution for your organization. The fully managed solution includes a broad spectrum of Enterprise Mobility Management services, including device procurement, device deployment, device management, device integration, app distribution, content management, remote security, and more. Barcodes can provide a solution that:

• Optimizes your devices
• Reduces IT spend
• Improves operational efficiency, and
• Increases your data security

Barcodes delivers this service as a single source provider, so you have one point of contact for all your mobile needs.

Quality You Can Trust

From the start, your project is managed by an industry veteran who ensures every Zebra device is staged, configured, and kitted to arrive ready to use exactly where you need them. This approach ensures consistent quality control across your devices, eliminating the need for internal support and allowing you to reallocate your valued in-house IT resources. Since you won’t have to manage devices or software updates or train staff on how to use mobile devices – your time will be free to focus on more critical tasks.

Support You Can Count On

Barcodes is different from other Enterprise Mobility Management providers. Our devices come pre-configured, fully integrated with Zebra technology, and ready to use immediately. Other providers waste valuable time for you & your staff because they require you to set up your own devices or hire someone else to do it for you. Barcodes also provide full in-house remote support. There’s no need to hire outside experts if you encounter a problem; we’re here for you 24/7!

Barcodes: The Industry Leader in Enterprise Mobility Management

Barcodes offers a true Enterprise Mobility Management solution you won’t find anywhere else. Learn more about how our true Mobility Management service with Zebra devices can make a difference for your business. Get started today by contacting a Barcodes Mobility Expert online or calling us at (855) 233-2917.

When choosing the right tablet for your business, you need durability, data capture, and accessory capabilities to provide the perfect environment for your workers, apps, and operations. In addition, customers now expect swifter services, meaning your business has to keep up with technology that keeps pace as demand grows. 

The Zebra ET51 enterprise-grade tablet is the thinnest and lightest of all Zebra rugged tablets. The tablet is built to handle all-day, everyday business, combining the thin form factor and lightweight build of a consumer-grade tablet with the powerful components of a business device.  

Enhance Productivity and Efficiency With the High-Quality Zebra ET51

The Zebra ET51 combines the best in styling with all the enterprise-class features and flexible options you need to meet your business needs. The Zebra tablet is perfect for workplace applications such as in-store, field, and warehouse operations. The ET51 enhances workforce efficiencies with features including:

Advanced Touchscreen Technology

The high-resolution screen delivers sharp text and clear graphics for superior readability. In addition, the ZT51 has more precision, and every input mode works, even when wet or wearing gloves. 

Fastest Wireless Connections

Wherever there’s a hotspot, the ET51 allows access points to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously. The worry-free WiFI delivers near-instant application response times, unmatched roaming performance, and more.  

Advanced Data Capture

With the integrated SE4710 scan engine, you can scan 1D and 2D barcodes – setting the bar for enterprise-class scanning. Moreover, with PRZM intelligent imaging, fast capture of any barcode in practically any condition is delivered the first time, every time. 

Why the Zebra ET51 Matters

Your workforce is truly unique in its operations.

A highly responsive and powerful mobile computing device, such as the Zebra ET51, that will run all of your applications seamlessly, provides staff with the tools they need and the capabilities you need to run an efficient operation. Contact us today to start streamlining your business.

There are more and more problems with production flexibility, inventory turnover, and cost control for businesses today.

The Honeywell PM45 industrial printer is made to give businesses the freedom and accuracy they need to print high quality barcode labels, RFID tags, and more at scale.

The track-and-trace feature of the PM45 printer is meant to improve print efficiency and supply chain transparency in many different industries, such as the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, warehouse, and distribution center management industries.

The reliable PM45 printer is built on the Honeywell print platform and can print at speeds of up to 14 ips. With a print registration range of up to +/-0.5 mm, the PM45 printer can print high-quality barcodes, text, and images, even on small labels for electronic parts and medical devices.

As an industrial printer with a lot of connections, the PM45 has improved WWAN connectivity so that deployment isn’t too limited by the site’s network topology. Because the PM45 printer is so flexible, the user can add RFID, parallel, industrial, and applicator interfaces to meet unforeseeable business needs in the future.

The PM45 printer supports variable network protocols and multiple print languages to make it easy to integrate into your system, whether it is in the cloud or on a local server. This will help you move toward intelligent manufacturing and supply chain management.

With Honeywell’s Smart Parse software built in, the PM45 lets you quickly change the position of objects and barcodes, the size of objects and barcodes, or the font type on labels without having to make changes to the backend system or know how to code.

With Honeywell’s Operational Intelligence software, users can manage and keep an eye on the diagnostics and output performance of the PM45 printer from afar. The PM45 works with a wide range of media, including ink-in and ink-out ribbons with a 1-inch core size. This makes it easier to go longer without having to restock media.

Since Honeywell’s firmware platform supports multiple print languages, the PM45 printer is a great replacement for Honeywell or mixed printers that are already in use. A durable, all-metal print mechanism, an easy-to-replace printhead, and a platen roller that doesn’t need any tools to be changed all help to reduce downtime and maintenance needs.

Watch the Honeywell PM45 Video

The Honeywell PM45 is a productivity powerhouse. Additional features include:

• Accurate & reliable high speed printing (direct and thermal transfer)
• Broad connectivity options
• Device management and track & trace functionality
• Compatible Software, including Nicelabel, BarTender, Operational Intelligence, Teklynx Labelview
• Compatible Drivers, such as CUPS Driver for Linux, InterDriver for Windows, and Certified Device Types for SAP

For a full list of detailed specifications, download the PM45 spec sheet.

Warehouse operators know creating a connected workforce is the key to greater efficiency. Research for a Zebra Technologies 2024 Vision Study found that 77% of warehouse decision makers see equipping their teams with mobile devices as an onramp to automation.

Furthermore, 80% have planned investments in new tech to increase their competitiveness. However, at a time of economic uncertainty, making the best use of those investments counts. The Device as a Service model is a budget-friendly, future-proof way to equip a mobile workforce with warehouse tablets. 

Warehouse Tablets Enable Organizations to Meet Today’s Challenges 

Deploying warehouse tablets is the key to solving some of the industry’s biggest problems. It eliminates paper-based processes that add time to workflows and create human error opportunities. Additionally, warehouse tablets increase employee productivity, which is particularly important during the labor shortage. They also allow a warehouse team to update inventory data in real-time, providing management and customers with much-needed visibility for smart decision making. 

To provide maximum value, however, warehouse tablets must be purpose-built. In addition to a rugged design for standing up to use in a harsh environment, warehouse tablets must be ergonomic. Employees need both hands to do their jobs safely and efficiently, so it’s often more practical and safer to mount tablets on forklifts or workstations on wheels or provide an easy way to carry them, such as wearing a holster. 

Rugged tablets for the warehouse also include multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth, 4G or 5G, and Wi-Fi 6. In addition, they include security features, such as multifactor authentication (MFA), to ensure that only authorized personnel can use them.  

The evolution of warehouse tablets has also given administrators more effective ways to deploy and keep them operational. Services enable centralized management for fast configuration and provisioning and for providing insights into device health, security, and usage. With these solutions, warehouse operators always have the assurance that tablets are charged, in good operating condition, and secure. 

The Device as a Service Model Breaks Down Barriers to Tech Upgrades

Although warehouse tablets have evolved into valuable tools for competitive businesses, making a capital expenditure (CAPEX) for new devices can put an upgrade out of reach for some companies. The Device as a Service model eliminates those barriers and makes new technology upgrades possible.

With the Device as a Service model, companies:

Replace a CAPEX with an OPEX

Instead of paying for devices outright, warehouses pay a monthly fee to use tablets. The provider bundles everything the warehouse needs, including hardware, software, and management tools, into one package for one cost. Replacing capital expenditures with an operating expense makes it more likely for CFOs to approve new devices more quickly. 

Leave maintenance and service to the provider

The Device as a Service model includes solution service and support. As a result, the warehouse’s IT team isn’t burdened with deploying and maintaining new devices – and there aren’t any surprise costs for repairs that devices occasionally need due to everyday use. In addition, with the provider covering maintenance, repairs, and support, warehouses typically see a lower TCO when they choose a Device as a Service solution than when they purchase solutions outright and maintain them with in-house staff. 

Aren’t locked into obsolete technology

The rate of technological advancements is accelerating, making an outright purchase riskier. The Device as a Service model allows businesses to upgrade after their contract term, often 36 months, so they always use the best tech available for their operations. 

Can scale more easily

This model allows a warehouse to deploy the tablets it needs now and plan strategically to add more devices as demand increases. The Device as a Service provider can manage that plan economically and according to the company’s technology roadmap. 

Will benefit from the provider’s lifecycle management services

An experienced provider will manage warehouse tablets from selection to decommissioning, safely removing data and handling recycling or disposal responsibly.

Barcodes, Inc. Makes Deploying Warehouse Tablets Easy

As an experienced Device as a Service provider, Barcodes, Inc. is ready to provide you with the hardware, software, and services you need for a hassle-free, affordable warehouse tablet deployment or upgrade.

For three decades, Barcodes, Inc. has leveraged its industry and technical expertise and relationships with top manufacturers to successfully provide warehouse tablet solutions, tailoring them to meet specific customers’ needs. We also offer unparalleled customer service, proactively monitoring Device as a Service deployment and ensuring they always operate in peak condition.  

The Device as a Service model allows competitive warehouse operations to upgrade tablets for more efficient, productive operations. Contact us to see how this model can work for you. 

Returnable Transfer Items (RTIs), or returnable containers are critical assets for almost all manufacturing and logistics organizations. RTIs transport stock and commodities from one site to another. However, keeping track of your RTIs is a different story. Well-known manufacturers and logistics expert still often rely on manual methods, such as traditional scanning, spreadsheet, or pen and paper.

This leads to a major issue: inventory shrinkage.

Mismanagement of returnable containers owing to theft, unrecorded damage, or simply the inability of consumers to return empty pallets, kegs, and boxes costs a fortune.

How are Your Returnable Transfer Items Being Tracked Currently?

Barcode labels used to tag the cargo of a container during shipment are often non-permanent. Traditional barcode scanners and labels identify the contents of the container, but seldom provide reverse logistics tracking for the containers themselves.

Using permanent barcode labels as the foundation for a container monitoring system is not feasible. I know that might be strange to hear from a company called Barcodes, Inc. But scanning labels at various stages of the supply chain sometimes necessitates extra human effort, which is even more difficult when empty containers pile up.

One solution is to establish a tracking system utilizing modern asset tracking technology.

Reducing Yearly Inventory Shrinkage with RFID

“15% of all pallets in circulation vanish” or “20% of all packaging/equipment is lost owing to consumers retaining them for their own use or third parties removing them for their own use.”

SLS RFID 2016 Study

Inventory shrinkage is a major issue in the management of returnable transfer items (RTIs), which include all types of shipping containers, packaging, pallets, kegs, and boxes.

Shrinkage due to theft, unreported damage, or just consumers failing to return empty containers is a serious concern in this field.

Estimated annual shrinkage rates are anywhere from 3 to 9%. If you’re constantly replacing lost or stolen RTIs, the impact on profitability is a huge problem.

For organizations to decrease RTI shrinkage, RFID is appealing due to completely automated scanning without line-of-sight, as well as mass tag reading. The key advantage of RFID-based container monitoring systems is an improvement in container return rates. New containers are purchased in smaller batches and less frequently.

What Data Can Be Tracked with RFID Tags?

Integrating the RFiD Discovery system with your ERP system enables company-wide visibility of your RTIs, ensuring that essential assets are accessible at the relevant locations to fulfill any transportation request.

Exactly what the RFID ultimately tracks depends on your unique tracking requirements. Here are some examples of the depth of data you can store in a small RFID tag:

• Container Name
• Size
• Location
• Weight
• Item Quantity
• Container Properties

User memory on tags stores data. The serial number field can be pre-programmed or user-assigned.

The air-interface protocol standards for passive HF and UHF tags, such as UHF EPC Gen 2, define basic functions like read-write and which memory banks or blocks can be written to. Reader manufacturers include these low-level commands with higher-level subroutines in their software development kits for application developers.

How to Use RFID to Tag RTIs

RFID labels are long-lasting and more durable than traditional labels. RFID tags attach exceptionally well to returnable cargo and resist machine washing operations as well as harsh elements for much longer.

Any RTI equipped with an RFID tag can be detected by a small number of strategically located readers. The location data is delivered back to the central RFID Discovery database, where it may be evaluated.

This database allows you to discover how many RTIs have been sent to a specific supplier or customer, so you know which trade partner to approach when requesting a return.

When shipping containers are in range of an RFID reader, the information on the tags can be automatically acquired using a wide variety of methods:

• Fixed reader installed at a warehouse entrance or loading dock
• A mobile reader installed on a forklift
• Handheld reader brought inside a business partner’s facility for rapid inventory

What are the Main Advantages of Using RFID for Returnable Asset Tracking?

There are several advantages of using RFID to track returnable assets.

1. Recoup Billions of Dollars in RTI-Related Losses

Reusable assets are returned to the sender after delivery, usually full of new goods and not empty. Entire industries are dedicated to capitalizing on reverse logistics and maximizing the value of containers.

So why do we pay far less attention to reusable assets compared to sold commodities and container space? In order to get a bird’s eye view of costly shrinkage areas, your immediate shipping capacity, and overall supply chain health, it’s critical to assess the flow of returnable assets as well.

If RTIs arrive in the incorrect place or are lost, the transfer of products becomes difficult or impossible, thereby causing delivery delays. And massive container replacement costs.

These misplaced assets represent billions of dollars in losses, since new delivery assets must be acquired. We will say again: RFID saves billions of dollars.

2. Track Every Asset Location With a Detailed Evidence Trail

While we like to imagine most people are honest and good by nature, the reality is that customers and suppliers are not going to eager to assist when the subject of locating your missing valuables is brought up. Tough luck.

Instead of playing the blame game, utilizing an RFID system to track each asset as it leaves and returns to the warehouse allows you to instantly establish its specific location, and whether it has yet to return.

This goes for both goods sold as well as the RTIs carrying them. Put another way, your returnables are much more likely to return.

3. Increase Visibility of Container Locations, Available Stock, and Overall Condition

Though shipping should be a precise science, we know that’s not always the case.

Businesses depend on RTIs everyday, but lack visibility over the availability, location, and quality of their RTIs.

When organizations incorporate careful pallet monitoring, tote box tracking, and stillage tracking, it’s much easier to manage a large pool of RTIs without bleeding money. Additionally, there is no longer a need to keep just-in-case containers on the sidelines, because of increased visibility into the “who, what, where, and how many?” questions.

4. Improve Labor Utilization at Every Level of the Supply Chain

Scanning RFID tags takes substantially less time than scanning barcodes. Similarly, RFID is a more appealing identifying solution for reusable assets since users do not need to manufacture new barcodes or print new labels.

Logistics and operational leaders can simply re-encode the same RFID tags again and again without increasing headcount or allocating redundant processes to busy workers.

Lastly, RTLS on RFID can significantly reduce the amount of time workers spend searching for specific inventory. In a field such as healthcare, nurses estimate they spend at least an hour per shift finding equipment. That really adds up when looking at overall labor utilization.

Evaluating and Deploying an Effective RTI Tracking System

Tracking RTIs with RFID helps prevent your assets getting lost or stolen, reduces disputes between trading partners, enables rapid inventory cycle counting, and quickly identifies shortages. Your organization could be saving billions of dollars.

Barcodes, Inc. is your trusted RFID partner and integrator. Contact us when you are ready to elevate your RTI management and discover the magic of RFID tracking. It’s easier to deploy with a partner you can trust.

Within the barcode scanning industry, there has been rapid growth in retail and manufacturing. This growth is estimated to increase to more than US$1500 million between 201 and 2031. With the combination of growth, product demand, and inflation on the rise, there needs to be a more straightforward purchasing method for the tools and technologies companies use on a daily basis.

Device as a Service (DaaS) is a great solution to look for when purchasing new barcode scanners for your business. DaaS, also sometimes known as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), combines the elements of Hardware as a Service (HaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) into one top-to-bottom solution with little to no upfront cost.

The global device as a service market size was valued at US$30.75 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.8% from 2021 to 2028.

So what are the benefits to you and your business when it comes to implementing a DaaS solution over buying outright materials?

1. Little To No Upfront Costs

The #1 perk of a DaaS program is not having upfront costs for your barcode scanners. You are able to pay overtime based on your exact needs. So don’t wait time and money on additional services, software, or hardware you don’t need.

As an example, in an operational lease or traditional contract, the customer agrees to use a product for a specific period of time. This time is agreed upon in advance with very minimal leniency. In contrast, an ‘as a service’ contract is very flexible and often on a monthly basis.

Build What Works For You

Having the ability to avoid upfront costs is ideal for many businesses, especially for startups and young companies. When looking for the right barcode provider and DaaS contract for you, ensure all your needs are met, from financials to software needs and equipment quantities, to properly stock your barcode scanning team.

2. Repair and Replacement Plans

Are you having labor shortage issues? No need to add additional IT staff when on a DaaS contract. Being on a DaaS plan, you will be surrounded by a very supportive culture. In this transaction you will, in essence, be leasing the equipment from your provider. When you are done with it, they will want to clean the device of your business’ data and refurbish the barcode scanners for another company. However, this can only be done if the equipment is appropriately taken care of while involved in a DaaS plan.

Both Sides Benefit

Regular maintenance is key to your DaaS contract and will benefit both parties.

Your provider is going to want to ensure any equipment you have out on DaaS is being updated with the latest and greatest, as well as adequately handled if an error or issue occurs.

Luckily, for your business, you will always have the most updated barcode scanning solutions and will have access to a reliable support staff for questions, issues, and updates. Best of all, the costs and effort associated with upgrades and new releases are lower than the traditional model.

3. Scalability Options

For most companies, an end goal is usually to grow and scale your business throughout the years. So why not work with a provider that allows your barcode scanning solutions to grow with you?

Being on a DaaS contract, you are able to add and take away hardware and software solutions as your company deems fit. From the start of your contract, your provider will lay out the required timelines for specific parts of the agreement. Still, they will never wave off adding new scanners or additional software features that can benefit you and help your business skyrocket to the next level.

So, What Are You Waiting For?

If you are struggling with inflation or old, outdated barcoding solutions, consider finding a barcode scanning provider that offers you the convenience of a DaaS contract. Eliminate the headache of upkeep, upfront costs, and working with different vendors, when you can get all elements of your barcode scanning solution from one provider for a low monthly cost that is built unique to your business needs.