Summary: RFID is transforming warehouse operations, eliminating scanning delays, lost inventory, and manual tracking. With Zebra’s advanced RFID technology and Lowry Solutions’ hands-on implementation support, warehouses gain real-time visibility, faster workflows, and fewer errors. It’s a smarter, smoother way to manage inventory from dock to shelf. |
What happens when a scan is missed or a pallet is mislabeled?
In a warehouse, every second counts, and even a small error can disrupt workflows, delay shipments, and drive up labor costs. With tighter delivery windows and rising customer expectations, how much room is left for mistakes?
What causes most of these slowdowns isn’t always the workload. More often, it results from outdated systems and too many manual steps. These small inefficiencies can quickly build up, creating larger operational challenges.
This is where barcode scanning systems make a real impact. With Zebra’s advanced technology, deployed by Lowry Solutions, businesses gain speed, accuracy, and visibility across the supply chain. Scanning becomes more reliable, errors are minimized, and teams can focus on moving operations forward efficiently.
How Smarter Barcode Scanning Improves Business Outcomes?
When barcode scanning works the way it should, everything flows. Orders move, inventory stays accurate, and your team can stay focused without double-checking the system. But when scanning breaks down? That’s when small mistakes start turning into bigger problems.
One missed scan can mean the wrong item goes out, an order gets delayed, or someone spends hours chasing down the issue. Multiply that across your operation, and it doesn’t take long before efficiency starts to slip, and so does your bottom line.
That’s where smarter scanning makes a difference. Zebra’s purpose-built hardware and intelligent software make every scan fast, reliable, and traceable. Teams know exactly what’s where, without second-guessing.
The result? Fewer errors, faster fulfillment, and a smoother operation from start to finish. It’s a small shift that creates a big impact.
Common Barcode Scanner Problems and How to Solve Them?
Every scan should move your operation forward. But when scanners fail, due to poor label quality, outdated software, or environmental interference, work slows, mistakes slip through, and costs rise.
These aren’t rare problems. They happen every day in high-volume environments where accuracy is everything. And while the issues may seem small on their own, the impact adds up quickly: delayed shipments, inventory mismatches, wasted labor.
Most of these challenges are solvable with the right hardware, smarter integration, and fewer manual touchpoints. This is where Zebra’s scanning solutions come in: built to perform under pressure and designed to prevent errors before they happen.
Let’s look at the most common scanning problems and how to eliminate them.
1. Challenge: Software Integration Delays Legacy Deployments
Integrating barcode scanners with existing ERP, WMS, or POS platforms often causes delays due to compatibility issues, especially in environments still dependent on legacy infrastructure.
Solution: Seamless Integration with Zebra SDKs and Low-Code Tools
Lowry Solutions accelerates system compatibility using Zebra’s comprehensive SDKs and APIs, which are designed for rapid deployment across diverse enterprise systems. Zebra also provides no-code and low-code integration tools, enabling faster scanner adoption without heavy IT dependency. Pre-deployment testing and expert guidance from Lowry’s technical team ensure a smooth rollout with minimal disruption.
2. Challenge: Barcode Format Conflicts Across Operations
Many businesses use different types of barcodes, like UPCs, QR codes, DataMatrix, or PDF417. However, not all scanners are set up to read each format correctly. Without the right configuration, this mismatch can slow down operations, cause scanning errors, and lead to missed or failed scans. Over time, these minor issues can disrupt workflows and increase costs.
Solution: Zebra’s Configurable Symbology Support
Zebra scanners support virtually all industry-standard symbologies and can be easily configured by Lowry to prioritize relevant formats. This enables quicker and more accurate scanning in environments that use multiple barcode types, such as retail inventory, healthcare labeling, or logistics operations.
3. Challenge: Poor Barcode Quality Results in Misreads
Damaged or low-quality labels—smudged, faded, torn, or poorly printed—can lead to frequent scanning errors, disrupt workflows, and create unnecessary delays and frustration on the floor.
Solution: Intelligent Imaging and Print-to-Scan Ecosystems
Lowry Solutions employs Zebra’s PRZM Intelligent Imaging and advanced scanners capable of decoding damaged or low-quality barcodes. When paired with Zebra printers and certified media, we ensure labels are high quality from creation to scan, minimizing the need for rescans or reprints.
4. Challenge: Environmental Interference in Industrial Settings
Bright lights, dim warehouses, dust, or outdoor glare can affect scanner performance, especially in rugged work environments like distribution centers or manufacturing floors.
Solution: Zebra Hardware Built for Harsh Conditions
Zebra’s rugged scanners feature onboard lighting, anti-glare lenses, and dust-resistant enclosures. Lowry configures these devices to handle unique scanning conditions, ensuring accuracy in any environment—from dim freezer rooms to bright loading docks.
5. Challenge: Barcode Duplication and Label Confusion
Duplicate barcodes, incorrect labeling, or overlapping product lines can lead to significant inventory mismatches, compliance issues, or shipping errors.
Solution: Real-Time Validation and AR Guidance with Zebra DNA
Zebra’s software enables real-time data validation that flags duplicates or inconsistencies immediately. Paired with Zebra’s Mobility DNA tools, Lowry can deploy augmented reality (AR) interfaces that guide workers visually to confirm accuracy, reducing cross-contamination and human error in high-volume operations.
6. Challenge: Poor UX in Mobile Scanning Slows Adoption
Consumer smartphones and poorly designed apps often lead to clunky scanning experiences, user fatigue, and lower productivity among frontline staff.
Solution: Zebra SparkScan and Enterprise Mobile Design
- Zebra mobile devices—such as the EM45 or TC77—are enterprise fans with well-balanced form factors, physical buttons, and intuitive scanning workflows designed for long shifts.
- Zebra’s Mobility DNA tools help you create clean, easy-to-use interfaces without complex development, accelerating adoption and reducing training time .
7. Challenge: Human Error in Repetitive Scanning Tasks
Long shifts and repetitive scanning tasks can increase the risk of errors—missed items, incorrect labels, or scans that fail to register. Over time, these issues can disrupt inventory accuracy and slow down operations.
Solution: Wearables, Batch Scanning, and Automation from Zebra
Lowry equips teams with Zebra wearable scanners, ring scanners, and voice-directed systems, enabling hands-free, efficient workflows. Advanced features like auto-validation, batch capture, and intelligent edge processing reduce the risk of human error while improving throughput in operations that demand speed and scale.
8. Challenge: Inadequate Testing Before Deployment Leads to Downtime
Skipping real-world testing results in performance issues, poor adoption, or device failure in production environments.
Solution: Real-Use Testing and Lifecycle Support from Lowry and Zebra
Lowry Solutions performs real-device, real-environment testing using Zebra’s diagnostics and staging tools. We simulate operational conditions to identify and solve issues before deployment. Combined with Zebra’s centralized device management, firmware updates, and long-term support, our customers maintain consistent performance throughout the device lifecycle.
Barcode Scanning Systems Built for Warehouse Demands
Barcode systems shouldn’t be the bottleneck in your warehouse. Zebra’s rugged tech, powered by Lowry’s real-world expertise, brings scanning that’s fast, accurate, and ready for the daily grind. Here’s a look at the tools that keep your workflows moving.
Hardware That Keeps Pace with the Floor
Wearable Computers
Hands-free wearable computers enable workers to scan, sort, and move at the same time without handling bulky equipment. These devices are ideal for picking and packing workflows in high-speed environments.
Handheld Mobile Computers
Rugged and ergonomic, handheld computers like the Zebra TC57x offer fast barcode scanning, wireless connectivity, and enterprise-grade performance. They are well-suited for floor operations, cycle counting, and returns processing.
Vehicle Mounted Computers
Mounted directly onto forklifts or warehouse vehicles, these systems support real-time data entry and barcode scanning while on the move. They help streamline pallet-level inventory management.
Tablets
Zebra’s enterprise-grade tablets are mobile and flexible, supporting barcode scanning, task management, and data entry. They work well for supervisors or cross-functional teams on the warehouse floor.
RFID Products
When you need visibility beyond line-of-sight, Zebra’s RFID systems provide automatic data capture across zones. This improves location tracking and reduces manual scanning in complex operations.
Ultra-Rugged Scanners
These scanners are built for tough warehouse conditions and capture damaged or long-range barcodes instantly. They withstand dust, drops, cold, and grime without losing performance.
Mobile Printers
Mobile printers let your team print labels exactly where they are needed, whether at the shelf, dock, or return station. This reduces walking time and speeds up relabeling tasks.
Fixed Industrial Scanners
For conveyor belts or automation zones, fixed scanners provide fast, accurate barcode reads without manual effort, ideal for continuous or high-volume workflows.
Smart Sensors and Cameras
These devices verify package conditions, detect defects, and add visual context to scanned items. They integrate with vision software for better quality control.
Machine Vision Cameras
Machine vision cameras capture detailed visual data alongside barcodes. They verify item conditions or spot packaging errors and are critical for outbound verification.
Industrial Vision Controllers
These controllers manage data from multiple cameras and sensors, enabling centralized processing for advanced vision applications, without overloading your IT team.
Real-Time Location Solutions (RTLS)
Track high-value items, monitor worker zones, and reduce search times using real-time positioning technology, especially useful in large or multi-zone warehouses.
Software That Keeps Everything Connected
Workcloud Sync
Workcloud Sync keeps your barcode devices updated and connected across all shifts. It’s essential for managing scans, logs, and tasks in real time.
Link-OS™
Zebra’s printer operating system ensures smooth label creation and printer management, especially in busy shipping stations where time is critical.
SimulScan
SimulScan captures multiple barcodes, text fields, and checkboxes with a single scan, saving time and improving accuracy in multi-label workflows.
Machine Vision Software
This software turns smart camera footage into real-time quality checks, helping to prevent errors during pick, pack, and ship stages.
Location and Tracking Software
By combining data from RFID, barcode scans, and smart sensors, this platform provides a complete, real-time view of warehouse activity and asset location.
Power Every Move with Lowry
In the warehouse, every second, scan, and step matters. With Zebra’s next-gen technology and Lowry’s deep operational expertise, you don’t just keep up—you lead.
We go beyond hardware. We deliver solutions that connect your teams, streamline your workflows, and give you total control over your operation. From the receiving dock to final dispatch, Lowry ensures every process is faster, smarter, and ready for what’s next.
This is more than a technology upgrade. It’s a performance shift.
Let’s turn your warehouse into a competitive advantage. Call 888-881-2477 to get started.
FAQs
Barcode systems give real-time visibility into inventory across channels, helping teams pick, pack, and ship faster with fewer mistakes. Lowry Solutions implements and integrates these systems to keep workflows consistent—from eCommerce to retail—so every order moves through one streamlined, error-proof process.
Barcodes accurately track batch numbers, expiration dates, and product origins. This supports FDA, OSHA, and industry compliance while simplifying audits.
Barcode labels on tools, machinery, and IT assets let teams log checkouts, maintenance, and locations instantly. Lowry Solutions helps deploy these systems across departments, reducing loss, downtime, and manual tracking while improving asset control.
With barcode scanning, you can perform rolling cycle counts without halting operations. Count high-movement SKUs more frequently and sync updates with your WMS in real-time. Lowry Solutions designs barcode workflows that fit your environment, keeping counts accurate without disruption.
Barcode systems with guided prompts and error prevention make it easy for new hires to perform tasks accurately. Lowry Solutions provides user-friendly hardware, training, and ongoing support, so your team runs efficiently without relying on highly trained staff.
