Warehouse scan gun recommendation to use with tablets

unknown

Moving to Shop Floor & Visual 9.05 to eliminate the BTS scan guns dropping wi-fi connectivity.   Could you share your configuration that you are using to scan material/labor on the shop floor (eg - gun make/model, how it transmits data to Visual)?

 

mseppanen

If you are using ShopFloor, then that's how it is transmitting data into Visual. ShopFloor being a WebApp that is connected directly to the system via the API, it is robust and instant, not needing all the extra import/export services that BTS needs. It is a complete overhaul of the process.



The big question is what are you scanning?



ShopFloor has a pretty robust Scheduling Module that organizes by resource, so you can have your Schedule of orders by machine at that machine displayed clearly in front of them, and the user simply can click/tap into Operations and Clock in/out, assign quantity completed, etc. There is definitely the capability to eliminate the need to scan Work Orders. You can continue legacy scanning practices if you like, but know that the capability is at their fingertips for not needing that.



If Scanning Material Picklists, it works extremely well in ShopFloor in the Material module. If scanning material barcodes themselves, the benefits would have to be sorted out. Basically, the ShopFloor module has the same fields and functionality as the Inventory Transaction window in Visual.



Devices:

We opted for not having a wireless scanner connected via bluetooth to a standard Tablet, as we were concerned with the scan guns either not being charged, getting lost, and requiring a tether completely voiding the whole reason to have wireless. We did not want Wired as that can get... funky.



We wanted to support only a single OS across all of our devices (Group Policy/Anti-virus), so Windows 10 was a requirement, we also wanted a barcode scanner embedded into the device, since it is being carried around we wanted it Rugged, we also wanted the handhelds to be just awkward enough that they're good to use, but have a less chance of accidentally walking home in a pocket, finally we wanted the ability to Dock charge the units when not in use.



In the end we went with Sincoole ST62 for the Material Scanners, and Sincoole ST86 for at the Scheduling/Labor at the machines.



www.sincoole.com/.../6-inch-Windows-10-home-Rugged-handheld-terminal.html

www.sincoole.com/.../8-inch-Windows-10--industrial-tablet-pc.html



If you are not concerned with Ruggedness, Barcode Scanners, and Windows 10. You open yourself up to literally any Tablet/PC/Phone you want. ShopFloor is great in that it is OS independent, but remember that if you introduce another OS to your environment, then you are supporting said OS and all the bugs that come with it... along with the App stores and games that come with them.