1. Point your phone at the sign

2. Go to camera app.

3. Welcome to THE BCD TEST LAB.

Rugged mobile devices made by Zebra and Honeywell have been through a lot of tests but the BCD Test Lab conducts several tests yet to be done.

Watch Zebra’s Rugged L10 Tablet vs a Friendly Game of Paintball, Zebra’s MC9300 Cold Storage vs Ice Sculpture & H2O, Honeywell’s CK65 vs Gravity and many more.  Also Check out Honeywell’s demo of the CK65 Cold Storage and R1o Tablet.

Call a BCD team member at 1-800-343-1750 or schedule a live demo today!

The post The BCD/Bar Code Direct Test Lab appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

Unlike traditional warehouse spaces, retail storefronts are generally cheaper and located closer to potential customers enabling faster delivery times and lowered TCO. In doing so, faster delivery can help increase team productivity, enhance competitiveness, strengthen brand identity, and even double year-over-year sales. However, despite these benefits, the challenges of effective order fulfillment persist in the converted storefront. As more and more retailers make the switch, businesses now find themselves in a unique opportunity to mitigate issues before they arise.

How to prevent the top 3 order fulfillment issues from entering the new storefront:

To help businesses make the most of their new storefront space, Bar Code Direct and Zebra Technologies explore the common warehousing issues transitioning into retail.

1. Maintaining accurate inventory management for incoming shipments – Research has shown that traditional store inventory is about 70% Lack of inventory visibility can lead to product shrinkage, misplacements, and longer pick routes as workers struggle to find products. To resolve this issue, real-time visibility solutions such as Zebra’s RFID locationing devices work alongside your workforce to track in-motion inventory, providing a 99.99% accuracy rate in your inventory management system. Simply tag incoming items as they arrive to the receiving dock and track them via your RFID handheld manage movement, storage, and any incoming updates for less surprises.
2. Preventing backorders and out-of-stocks – Backorder costs can reach as high as $20 per order, and that doesn’t factor in the incalculable cost of a negative customer experience. To prevent out-of-stocks, stock counts must be readily updated and visible to your team before dropping below a set threshold. Technologies like modern touch computers provide a cost-effective connectivity solution as workers are able to seamlessly update stock counts with streamlined data capture and processing through one device.
3. Simplifying reverse logistics for seamless returns – Inconvenient returns discourage at over half of shoppers from completing a purchase. In addition to locationing and sustained connectivity, businesses have also turned to wearable and hands-free technologies in order to accelerate processing while preserving scanning accuracy, worker comfort, and affordability. Furthermore, hands-free order processing is relatively easy to use, eliminating worker confusion for faster deployment and optimization. This allows your team to quickly process returns and lower instances of wasted labor as items are stored properly.

For more information on how to tackle the challenges of post-pandemic retail, contact Bar Code Direct for a careful assessment of your current workflows to pinpoint optimization opportunities in your operations.

The post Converting the storefront to a fulfillment center? Keep these tips in mind. appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

The ET50 screen was bigger, and the tablet was far more rugged than their previous device. In addition, the Pro Clip ET50 Locking Power Mounts draw their power from the forklift’s battery, meaning the operator didn’t need to constantly re-charge the device in a remote docking station, creating a time savings, and a more efficient shift.

Another benefit of the forklift mounted device is that the operator is free to use both hands to pick products when necessary.

This customized solution from Bar Code Direct saved money, time and allowed the warehouse to operate more efficiently and helped the operators do their jobs more safely.

Call us at 1.800.343.1750 and learn how BCD can help your warehouse operate more efficiently.

The post Automotive Warehouse Inventory Solution appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

Help a start-up E-Grocer compete in the volatile Online grocery category. Many stores rely on labor-intensive methods to complete Online orders. Without a traditional brick and mortar footprint, or the reach of a competitor like Amazon, the start-up needed an innovative, cost-effective, and contactless way to fulfill orders. 

THE SOLUTION: 

The E-Grocer built a collection of automated micro fulfillment centers where most work was completed through robotics. However since some critical picking needed to be done manually, we created a custom solution that included arm-mounted Android mobile computers integrated with ring scanners. This allowed the manual process to be fast and efficient, which kept costs down and allowed the start-up to compete with established services 

THE TOOLS:

ZEBRA TC25 Handheld Units 

Wearable Barcode Scanner

Custom Arm Mount Holder 

SOTI – Enterprise Mobile Device Management

Lifecycle & Asset Management

“We worked closely with this innovative start-up from their inception to ensure their picking tools were the perfect fit for their processes. Their growth has been remarkable, and they are working with the largest names in the grocery business.”

PETE GRIMES
VP Marketing & Sales
BAR CODE DIRECT

The post E-GROCER STARTUP appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

Warehouse workers need to fulfill more orders – faster and more accurately – than ever before. Manufacturers need to produce and ship more products, without sacrificing quality control. Technicians need to complete more error-free repairs in a day. With the rugged HD4000 Enterprise Head-Mounted Display, you can boost task efficiency and accuracy by overlaying the most relevant contextual information over your workers’ real-time field of view. Now, hands and eyes are always free to focus on tasks — instead of interacting with an application on a mobile computer to obtain the same data. Imagine how many additional 100% accurate pick orders warehouse workers can complete every day. Imagine how many more pieces of equipment technicians can repair every day. And imagine how much faster and more accurately assembly workers can build your products, increasing production without expanding your production lines or your workforce. You have just imagined the power of hands-free directed-action workflows, made possible with the HD4000.

The Solution: The HD4000 delivers everything you need in an enterprise-class mobile device accessory.

The HD4000 was developed in collaboration with Six15 Technologies, the leader in innovation in wearable optical displays. The best in class see-through display technology delivers unmatched color, contrast and image clarity. The focal distance minimizes eye fatigue. The drop-proof, dust-proof and waterproof rugged design is built to last for years, despite all-day everyday drops, bumps and spills. The accessory architecture utilizes the battery, processor and WiFi and cellular radios of the host mobile computer, enabling a feather-light 1.06 oz./30 g design that delivers extraordinary all-day comfort. Since the HD4000 mounts to commercial, off-the-shelf safety glasses without tools, you can give each worker their own personal pair of glasses, improving hygiene and helping prevent the spread of germs. The ability to switch the HD4000 from right to left eye in seconds reduces eye strain and ensures all day comfortable viewing. And workers can flip the HD4000 up and out of view in a split second, providing convenience and security.

Since there are no batteries to change, wireless radios to configure or OS updates required, management time and cost is marginal. And with Zebra’s Android HD4000 SDK and two ready-to-use tools — Zebra Warehouse Templates and Zebra Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) — integration into any existing or new application is fast and easy.

Maximize workflow efficiency, workforce productivity and the value of your mobile computers with the HD4000 from Zebra — the only see-through wearable display built for the enterprise.

Schedule a No Cost Virtual Demo at Barcodedirect.com/hd400 or call us at 1.800.343.1750.

The post Less Device Contact=More Efficiency appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

Complying with your capacity limit can best be met using IoT.  LNL Systems’ Capacity Alert will count shoppers in-and-out, sending alerts based on pre-set limits. Alerts can go to store associates two-way radios, android or iOS devices, PA systems, IP speakers, etc. and can also turn an entry light red or green for shopper notification.  Integrate to your web site and now shoppers can visit you online to gauge if now is a good time to visit, or if its better to wait for capacity to reach a lower limit.

The consensus is that, while we are moving in a positive direction, capacity at public gatherings will need to be limited for the foreseeable future. For large format retailers, this is best managed via an automated, value-added IoT solution, vs. having a masked store associate standing outside all day.

The National Retail Federation has created a state-by-state map that outlines coronavirus-related laws, executive orders, regulations and guidance governing store reopening for retailers and it’s accessible to non-members for a limited time.

This resource is a part of Operation Open Doors – Path to Reopen Retail. The initiative, led by NRF and Seyfarth LLP, is providing guidance and tools that NRF members can use as they navigate opening stores after this international health crisis.

For more information about Capacity Alert call 1.800.343.1750 or visit Barcodedirect.com

By Pete Grimes
VP of Sales & Marketing
Bar Code Direct 

Pete has 25+ years of experience providing retail and supply chain enterprise mobile computing solutions.

The post A Better Way to Monitor Customer Capacity appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

We also recognize that our company has a tremendous responsibility to continue to support our customers and community members who work in the medical, healthcare, pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries and supply chain.

We have equipped our team with the necessary tools to work safely and effectively from both remote and on-premise locations. Your contacts, and their respective phone numbers and email addresses have not changed. We will strive to make sure there are no disruptions in service levels and continue to monitor and communicate some of the longer lead times that are a result of the current crisis.

We are continuously monitoring the situation and are following the guidelines from the experts at the CDC, WHO, local, state and federal governments.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us or call us at 1.800.343.1750

We appreciate your business and hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. The BCD Team

Join Zebra in Supporting the Red Cross.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are presenting significant challenges as the Red Cross works to continue delivering its lifesaving mission,
and will require millionsof dollars in additional investments to support people who count on Red Cross. Learn More how you can help.

The post BCD COVID-19 Response appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

A Fortune 50 health management company with thousands of retail locations, and a complicated supply chain, had a big challenge: their warehouse operations were struggling to keep up with growth due to several processes that still relied on paper and pencil. As an automated system was being developed to greatly improve productivity, it was determined that the hardware required to run it would need more power than was available on the market. Readily available consumer power packs were priced right, but proved far too unreliable, both from a durability and power cycle standpoint.

THE SOLUTION:

Bar Code Direct – a leading enterprise mobile systems integrator, and GTS — a leading battery supply manufacturer — partnered to create a proprietary long-lasting rugged and mobile power solution. With many of the warehouses operating 24/7/365, the solution needed to keep pace with the demanding personnel, shift after shift. After all, having a tablet with barcode scanning on a pick cart that accesses a state-of-the-art system is useless without power.

The end solution allows mobile workers to access the new system without interruption, thereby achieving the stated productivity goals required to fuel their continued growth.

SOLUTION COMPONENTS:

• Zebra ET50 TabletS
• Zebra DS457 scanner
• Pro-clip Tablet Mount
• Ram Mounting Kit

MANAGED SERVICES:

Staging & Configuration
Asset Management:

• Spares Pool
• RMA
• Site Inventory
• Help Desk

Contact your BCD representative at 1.800.343.1750 for more information.

The post Powering Warehouse Operations appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

To top it off we’re offering a REWARD!

Learn more at 158.106.137.214/~bridgetb 

*RULES AND RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. PLEASE SEE BROCHURE FOR MORE DETAILS. Visit www.zebra.com/gozebra for the complete Official Rules of this Program.

The post UNWANTED appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.

1. Point your phone at the sign

2. Go to camera app.

3. Welcome to THE BCD TEST LAB. #barcodedirect #THEBCDTESTLAB  #Zebra technologies

The post Welcome to the BCD TEST LAB appeared first on Bar Code Direct - Barcode Solutions.