Should your business commit to using or migrating to the Android operating system? Before we answer that we should caveat by stating that no two IT departments are exactly the same. While Android currently holds a small market share of the rugged platform, its flexibility and customizability make it a leading candidate to take over for Microsoft, which has historically dominated the enterprise space. Microsoft’s software constrainment after each release has pushed the large device manufacturers like Zebra (formerly Motorola) and Honeywell to start investing heavily into the Android operating system for their mobile computers. The rest of the manufacturers have started to follow suit. Furthermore, despite the large market share of iOS in consumer devices, Apple is currently the least suited for the enterprise mobility space due to its lack of customization and restricted API access. See below for a chart that depicts the biggest benefits of Android in enterprise mobility:

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Ever since the FDA passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, anyone involved in the food supply chain has to be able to produce, at any moment, the movement of food from supplier to the final retail store.  With legislation forcing food grower, manufacturers, and distributors to track food from field to the dinner table, having capable and affordable traceability technology is essential for everyone involved.

The biggest motivation behind the legislation is to make it easier to trace and find sources of contaminated food to the correct original source. This may seem at first as a measure mainly for the end consumer but it also protect growers and manufactures in being to very precisely remove their goods from suspicion of tainting as opposed to wide spread recalls. The costs involved in a capable barcode tracking system is noticeable less than even just one recall incident.

The Food Safety Modernization Act calls for, among other things, unique identifiers such as the GS1 databar, and full electronic pedigree or origins of the produce. Barcoding technologies are an important first step in this compliance as growers begin to change and update their record keeping methods. This is where Zebra and their wide range of printers and FDA approved labels are the perfect complete solution.

With printer options for low volume small businesses, GK420 and TLP2824 Plus, to high speed/high output models, ZT400 and 110Xi4, Zebra’s long standing industry experience and expertise is designed in every printer they make. From labeling a single tomato to whole crates and packaged foods, Zebra has a traceability solution that can improve your business’s accuracy and efficiency.

Item identification and data acquisition through barcodes is critical to the function of automated operations, from ensuring that the correct components are used in the assembly of a smart phone to recording accurate patient data for samples in a laboratory. When poorly-marked or damaged barcodes result in “no-reads” or failures, loss of data can have disastrous effects on product integrity and corporate reputation – not to mention potential legal implications and serious risks to consumer welfare. Understanding the root cause of unreadable barcodes and using technology appropriately to prepare for or resolve these issues is simple to do and it can mean the difference between success and failure in automation. This white paper describes potential solutions for the most common causes of unreadable barcodes, including:

• Low Contrast
• Quiet Zone Violations
• Improper Reading Position
• Print or Mark Inconsistency
• Damage or Distortion

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Logistics accuracy and timing is critical to customers. If you’re a business and deliver the wrong item or fail to deliver it on-time then you have likely lost that customer’s business. To achieve a right first-time delivery we recommend automating your collection and delivery processes to incorporate mobile computers, wearable computers and other barcode equipment, along with our software solutions. Check out some logistics areas that can be automated to provide a more accurate and quicker process that ensures a better customer experience.

• Sortation and Vehicle Loading – Sorting and loading the right packages is critical for delivery accuracy. Any failed delivery or return results in a cost to the business. With our wearable mobile computers and voice-based software, you can more quickly and easily sort and load packages for first-time accurate delivery. This technology is an evolution from the traditional conveyor system.
• Dispatch – Hundreds of thousands of dollars are lost each year on fuel costs that are a result of ineffective routes and delivery scheduling. Our route planning solution can provide your business with continuously optimal reliable routes while using fewer trucks, miles and drivers. It also enables real-time appointment scheduling in order to keep fleet operations productive and profitable while increasing customer satisfaction.
• Delivery and Collection – Confirmation and proof of delivery is the final element of item tracking. However, many times package deliveries cannot be confirmed due to lost paperwork. Using a mobile computer and point of delivery software allows a driver to capture a signature and confirm the proof of delivery. Additionally, many mobile computers come equipped with GPS to where drivers are at all times and if they arrived at said location.
• Driver De-brief and Vehicle Checks – Missing paperwork, illegible handwriting and sorting through dozens of paperwork can make collecting manual data from drivers a nightmare. With our technology, we have the ability to transform paper documents into an automated form that is accessible through a mobile computer. Additionally, having a telematics system in each vehicle allows for vehicle information to be digitally synched and tracked. Not only does it reduce the need for somebody to transfer manual data into a computer but it also dramatically reduces the amount of time a driver needs at the end of his day for his de-brief.

For more information on how Barcodes, Inc. can automate your transportation and logistics processes give one of our experts a call to get a free consultation for your logistics solutio n.

Label come in many sizes, shapes and materials.  Labels also have several options of adhesives. Although size and material is important, the type of adhesive a label contains can be critical to the success of the label in the desired application. Consider the following choices when selecting the proper label:

• Removable Labels: These labels are designed to be removed from the surface they are applied to. The labels will adhere to most dry, clean surfaces. The benefit of this label is that the label can be completely removed from the surface without damage to the surface or excess adhesive residue/ label flaking during the removal process.
• Permanent Labels: These labels are designed to be non-removable. Ideal for application where the label needs to withstand a long amount of time on a surface and where the label cannot be removed with out being damaged. Shipping a box, warehouse signage or asset tracking are a few applications where a label with a permanent adhesive would work best.
• High-Tack Labels: These labels are designed to also be non-removable. However, the difference is that these labels can withstand higher levels of abrasion, outdoor environments (water and UV resistant) and locations where the label may come in contact with chemicals.
• All-Temp Labels: These labels can be used in several different applications where the labels may be moved from a hot to cold location. Moving inventory from a cold climate to a hot climate is an ideal application for this type of label. These labels are not intended for extremely high temperature applications.
• High-Temp Labels: These labels are designed to be used in environments or applications that may expose the label to extremely high temperatures.

Choosing the proper adhesive is crucial to the success of the label. Reach out to your knowledgeable BarcodesInc sale representative for more information on which label is correct for your application.

When speaking to representatives of retail chains, it’s interesting to see how many businesses automate many different areas of the store. Some have a fully automated warehouse system while others have the most modern point of sale system. However, the most successful retail stores have the ability to track an item end-to-end from the moment it hits the dock door to the point of purchase and it leaving the store exit. Below we will walk you through a list of automated retail functions that will improve inventory, shelf replenishment, customer experience and point of sale through an easily automated barcode technology that incorporates mobile computers, barcode scanners, point of sale systems or other barcode equipment, along with our software solutions.

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Do you still manually track the data and items that are moved in and out of your warehouse? Did you know that barcodes can maximize inventory throughput, increase productivity and improve accuracy throughout different operational areas of the warehouse? Below we will walk you through a list of warehouse functions that can easily automated using a mobile computer, barcode scanner or other barcode equipment, along with our warehouse management software.

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Does your company have frequent visitors who stay at your facility or building for a short period of time?
Or are you looking for a way to avoid throwing away cards after one use?

Datacard’s SD260 printer and SD260S card printers now come standard with rewrite technology. Rewritable cards feature a clear, heat-sensitive layer that can be erased and rewritten over 500 times. Rewrite technology provides an affordable way to update cards with frequently changing data or create reusable cards, because rewritable cards reduce the supply costs of reissuance. Datacard offers 2 card options: Blank Rewriteable cards (809836-001) and Magnetic Stripe Rewriteable cards (809836-002)

Rewrite technology is ideal for:

• Corporate visitor ID cards
• Student IDs with rewritable class schedules
• Patient ID cards with rewritable appointments/schedules
• Transit cards with rewritable ticketing details or schedules
• Retail cards with rewritable loyalty points
• Ski lift tickets and other recreation cards

Call one of our ID specialist to discuss how rewriteable cards may work for your business or organization.

When managing a mobile workforce, one of the first steps to ensuring success is proper fleet management and route optimization. Expanding your workforce’s potential begins with proper planning for pickups, deliveries and service calls.

Having the right software and mobile device is key to providing the tools to maximize fleet and mobile resource utilization and efficiency. At the end of the day, the right tools will allow you to get the most out your workforce while reducing costs and improving service to your customers.

Descartes Route Planning Software and the MC45 from Zebra form  powerful combination for any mobile workforce aiming for maximal efficiency. Pairing Descartes’ real-time visibility and flexibility with the robust wireless connectivity and data collection capabilities of the MC45 makes for the perfect companion to any mobile workforce.

Descartes Route Optimization Features:

• Automated Vehicle Location – GPS-based fleet wide visibility in real-time
• Dispatch – Facilitate new orders, manage exceptions
• Turn-by-Turn Navigation – Reduce miles driven and maintenance costs
• Interactive Voice Response – Automated IVR solutions for pick-up/delivery scheduling

MC45 Rugged Mobile Computer Features:

• Wi-Fi, WWAN, and Bluetooth connectivity options
• True field durability – IP64 rated
• Industry-leading 1D scan engine with Adaptive Scan technology
• 3.2MP Camera
• Outdoor-viewable 3.2″ screen
• VoWWAN handset mode with active noise reduction

Thermal transfer printing provides for a longer lasting print as compared to direct thermal printing. The reason thermal transfer prints last longer is due to the use of a thermal transfer ribbon during the printing process.  A thermal transfer ribbon is required to obtain a long lasting print.  However, choosing the proper thermal transfer ribbon to fit your printer and application can be difficult.  Help choosing the correct thermal transfer ribbon has arrived!

Follow the simple steps below to identify the proper ribbon:

Step 1: Ensure you have a Thermal Transfer Printer

Ribbon is only used with Thermal Transfer printers.  A ribbon cannot be used with a Direct Thermal printers as they do not have the proper internal mechanical components to hold or thread the ribbon.
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