“To survive in these challenging times and meet new expectations, warehouses will have no choice but to embrace digitalisation and automation”.
Warehouse & Logistic News – 13th Jan 2023 – Essential for survival – It’s time to embrace automation.
Paper based warehouse processes suffer from human error, time lags and data entry errors. Common problems include losing stock, shipping the wrong products or the wrong quantity, customer dissatisfaction at late delivery and a lack of accountability for errors.
Barcode scanning is an extremely effective and efficient way to help warehouse staff operate with extremely low error rates while improving the speed and accountability of daily tasks.
Here’s how Barcode Scanning can help…
Barcode scanning removes the need for data entry
Paper-based processes, spreadsheets and manual data entry are prone to error. Barcode scanning is fast, accurate and makes warehouse staff accountable for their actions and work processes. Through barcode scanning, companies can automate the pick, pack & dispatch process; allowing them to get the right quantities and products to the correct location faster. Data entry & processing are expedited, more orders are fulfilled in less time, inventory management is improved, customer service is faster, and costs are reduced as a result.
According to a 2019 report by the UK Warehousing Association, barcode scanning technology was identified as a key factor in increasing warehouse efficiency, with the potential to save up to 50% of the time spent on manual order processing.
Barcode scanning provides real-time data
The data obtained from barcode scanning is immediately accessible. There is no time lag as with paper-based systems. All data with regard to stock, its location, quantities, goods-in, stock taking, the pick, pack and dispatch process, employee performance etc, is right there for you to see. Having accurate, real-time information is key to making smarter, informed management decisions.
Real-time data provided by barcode scanning systems allows businesses to make quick decisions and adjustments, resulting in faster response times to customer demands or changes in the market (Source: Scandit; “Real-Time Data Capture: A Competitive Advantage in the Digital Age,” 2018
Barcode scanning improves accountability
An employee’s productivity (e.g. accuracy, speed, efficiency) can be monitored more directly and effectively with barcode scanning. This increased transparency ensures employees are held accountable for their actions and work processes. This monitoring is critical for management when making decisions about cutting costs, increasing productivity and ultimately achieving business success.
Barcode scanning systems can be used to assign tasks to individual employees and monitor their progress in real-time, providing insights into the efficiency and effectiveness of each staff member (Source: Scandit; “Real-Time Data Capture: A Competitive Advantage in the Digital Age,” 2018)
Barcode Scanning Improves accuracy
Getting the right products sent out and delivered on time improves customer satisfaction ratings across eCommerce marketplaces and improves the rankings of items listed on marketplaces. Accuracy is a critical success factor in growing an eCommerce business. Using barcode scanning for both picking and packing can reduce pick/pack errors to less than 1%.
A study by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) found that businesses that utilise barcode scanning have a 99.9% order accuracy rate (ANSI, 2016).
Click here for more information about Stok.ly Warehouse Management
Call us on 01432 804333
Author: Iain Coplans CEO Stok.ly