Why You Should Ditch Checkout Scanners for a More Efficient Solution

When you have a lot of inventory to keep track of, you need a way to quickly update your inventory records. Many organizations make use of physical barcode scanners. Most of the time, this comes in the form of having a separate device made exclusively for scanning barcodes. When employees are tasked with doing inventory, they will often be required to use checkout scanners. This can cause several potential issues, some of which are outlined below.

Barcode/Checkout Scanners Are Expensive

If you only need one or two barcode or checkout scanners, forking out a couple hundred dollars might not be a very big deal. However, if you have a lot of inventory and product to manage, a couple of scanners just won't do. If your employees need to change and update a lot of information on a daily basis, doing it by hand is simply not an option. Barcode scanners can save a lot of time, and consequently a lot of money. However, with advancing technology, most mobile devices are able to perform the same functions as a barcode scanner. The average consumer can download a barcode scanning app at no cost to them. While some of these apps work better than others, even the more expensive ones won't cost more than a few dollars. Because of these technological advancements, there is no reason to continue investing in handheld barcode scanners.

Handheld Barcode Scanners Are Easy to Lose

Checkout scanners aren't very big, and subsequently are easy to lose track of. All it takes is for one of your employees to set the scanner down and walk away. Especially if they are called away to work on another task, it's easy for them to forget where they set down their scanner. When another team member needs to use that scanner, they will have to spend valuable time looking for it instead of taking care of the tasks at hand.

Scanners Breakdown, Just like Other Equipment

As is the case with most equipment, you get what you pay for when it comes to barcode scanners. Cheaper scanners often come with a shorter lifespan. Replacing or repairing broken scanners can quickly add up. In order to get a scanner that is more durable, you will have to invest more at the beginning. It's difficult to say whether it is more cost-effective to invest in cheaper scanners more often or to invest in more expensive and higher-quality scanners less often.

However, you can avoid all of these problems with one easy solution. Asset Panda understands the need for a checkout scanner option in a work environment where you need to add a lot of information to a database on a daily basis. With advancing technology, you don't have to rely on handheld barcode scanners, which are subject to the problems mentioned above.

Our platform was designed to work with mobile devices your employees already have with them. You won't need to invest in any other equipment when you use our software. We integrated barcode scanning technology in our software that will upload your inventory information straight to your database. Our easy to use platform makes it so that you don't have to spend a large amount of time learning how to integrate our inventory solution into your business environment.

Want to see if Asset Panda is right for you? Take a free guided tour today.