The Power of Handheld Scanners

We all know the old adage: Time is money.  

Regardless of how you measure warehouse performance — On-Time Delivery, Shipment to SLA, Throughput, Worker Productivity, and more –- your metrics will improve when you reduce the time spent per order without sacrificing shipment and inventory accuracy.  Less time per package equates to more packages shipped and lower labor costs. This is critical as lean operations and reduced budgets challenge you to do more with less.

Common Uses of Handheld Scanners

Handheld scanners are a relatively simple and very popular way to automate inventory management and pick, pack, and ship processes. They speed up order fulfillment and increase inventory and shipment accuracy. Scanners reduce the time spent keying in inventory, order, and item information and significantly reduce errors common with manual data entry. In some cases, scanners can eliminate nearly all manual data entry methods like mouse clicks and keystrokes. 

A few areas that scanners are commonly used in the warehouse: 

• Inventory management: Scanners can be used from the moment goods arrive at your dock (receiving and putaway), to managing and tracking inventory (replenishments and cycle counting), and to track the movements of goods. 
  
• Order identification: Scan order, item fulfillment, or pick ticket IDs to access order details instead of manually keying in reference numbers.
• Picking: Ensure that your team selects the right items and quantity from the right bins. 
• Item movement: Barcode-based container IDs, totes, and license plate numbers enable tracking goods through all stages of order processing.
• Pack Verify: Scan items from the tote into the package. Double-check that the right items are present and there aren’t mistakes between inventory, pick, and pack stations. 
• Packing Material Selection: Select the right container for the shipment and track material use for better material management. ShipHawk can automatically generate barcodes to simplify packing material selection as seen in the image to the right. 
• Order Processing Steps: Scanners can also be used to trigger stages in the order processing, including Check Rates, Save Order, Book, Print Labels and Shipping Documentation, and Ship.  
• Order Search: Use the scanner to search for orders using Order ID, Shipment ID, SKU, or   Tracking Number.
• “Ready To Ship” Mode: For full automation, ShipHawk supports one-scan processing for orders that do not require the user to verify or edit shipment details. 
  

Maximizing Efficiency with ShipHawk

ShipHawk can revolutionize your warehouse operation, enhancing its efficiency and performance in today's competitive business landscape. Meeting and surpassing performance targets are critical for your success, and ShipHawk, along with the integration of handheld scanners, paves the way for remarkable improvements across various operational aspects. Hear how one of our customers were able to automate their pick processing with ShipHawk WMS here. ShipHawk’s WMS is designed to maximize use of mobile devices that leverage integrated barcode scanners. Likewise, the Shipping platform uses barcodes and scanners to automate more of your warehouse. 

These innovative solutions streamline processes, leading to a significant reduction in pick, pack, and ship times, ultimately boosting productivity. With manual data entry eliminated, errors decrease, and order processing speeds increase, allowing your team to handle more orders efficiently. To learn more contact us today.