How Modern Barcode Solutions Increase Distribution Center Productivity

From picking, packing, and shipping to receiving, putaway, and replenishment, your distribution center operations are complex. Slim margins and fierce competition leave no room for error — and the race to improve never ends. RFID technology can help streamline these processes, increasing accuracy and efficiency across every stage of your operations.

Operational efficiencies can be improved by gaining even mere seconds from each workflow — improving the overall time and cost savings. Reducing the number of steps workers take over the course of a day, eliminating battery changes mid-shift, and using one device for multiple purposes with the help of mobile device management solutions are all ways to increase efficiency.

Additionally, picking accuracy is extremely important to management as a way to reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction. Mis-picks continue to be an ongoing issue in warehouses and distribution centers, and new technology and processes can seriously reduce the rate of mis-picks in your business.

Since nearly 60% of distribution center operating costs are associated with direct labor, containing these costs and improving worker productivity is paramount to the success of the operation. The proper equipment eliminates unnecessary physical steps your workers take every day. Little by little, each step your workers take will add up to lost productivity — and as they say, it’s the little things that matter.

For example, the industry-leading Honeywell motion-tolerant imaging scanners quickly read barcodes as close as six inches and as far away as 50 feet. This means that forklift operators remain productive, since they can scan labels on the floor and the highest racks with one device. And by using Honeywell’s rugged mobile printers — which deliver 30% faster first-label-out performance than the nearest competitor — taking the label to the product in receiving, putaway, and flow-through operations eliminates even more unnecessary foot travel.

Ever-increasing pressure to contain costs and meet evolving customer expectations requires distribution centers to adapt with greater accuracy and productivity. Lowry Solutions understands the demands on your distribution center and will help you overcome these challenges with innovative products, software, and services, which we develop based on direct customer feedback to deliver unbeatable user preference and bottom-line results.

We provide fully customizable and integrated solutions and a complete line of industry-leading Honeywell products, including:

• Wired and wireless barcode scanners — like the Dolphin CT50
• Mobile computers
• Industrial and mobile printers
• Wearable voice computer
• RFID
• Barcode labels, tags, and media

Creating a Smarter Distribution Center with Integrated Barcode Technologies

Barcode solutions today offer a lot more than just rapid scanning. Barcode technology forms the backbone of a connected distribution centre that, when coupled with enterprise software, mobile computing / RFID, and proliferated automated workflows, enables a more connected and efficient operation. Each scan generates useful operational data that managers can use to increase inventory accuracy, fulfil orders faster, and make informed decisions based on real-world information.

Modern distribution centers are tasked with keeping pace with rapidly changing customer demands, completing higher rates of order fulfillment, and processing fulfillments more quickly and accurately. Companies that depend on manual data entry or non-integrated systems frequently suffer from inventory irregularities, late shipments, and avoidable labour costs. To overcome these challenges, integrated barcode solutions automate data capture and provide real-time visibility into warehouse operations.

Optimize Inventory Accuracy throughout All Warehouse Processes

You know that inventory accuracy impacts almost every warehouse operation from receiving to fulfilling customer orders. No stock shortage, no late deliveries, and no need to restock even with minimal discrepancies in inventory!

Utilizing barcode technology, warehouse staff can scan inventory movements in real-time, eliminating the need for manual record-keeping and removing reliance on fickle spreadsheets to ensure consistency of data.

Barcode-enabled workflows support:

• Receiving and tracking of inbound shipments
• Inventory putaway and storage confirmation.
• Cycle counting and inventory audits.
• Order picking and packing validation.
• Shipping verification before dispatch.
• Returns processing and inventory reconciliation.

With these updates coming in real-time, the inventory records across various warehouse locations are updated instantly, which gives better control over stock levels to the organizations.

Connect Warehouse Operations Through Enterprise Mobility

Warehouse employees perform a wide range of tasks throughout each shift. Equipping workers with rugged mobile computers and handheld barcode scanners enables them to access inventory information wherever work is being performed.

Enterprise mobility solutions improve operational efficiency by allowing employees to:

• Receive picking assignments instantly.
• Scan inventory without returning to fixed workstations.
• Update order status in real time.
• Access product information while moving throughout the warehouse.
• Complete inspections and confirmations electronically.
• Communicate operational updates more efficiently.

When combined with Mobile Device Management (MDM), organizations can securely deploy, monitor, update, and manage warehouse devices while maintaining consistent performance across the enterprise.

Reduce Picking Errors Through Guided Workflows

Order accuracy remains one of the most important performance indicators within a distribution center. Incorrect shipments increase transportation costs, delay customer deliveries, and require additional labor to resolve returns and replacements.

Modern barcode systems help reduce these issues by guiding warehouse personnel through standardized picking processes. Mobile devices can verify item numbers, quantities, and storage locations before products are packed and shipped.

Additional workflow automation may include:

• Pick path optimization.
• Real-time inventory validation.
• Automatic shipment confirmation.
• Digital packing verification.
• Exception alerts for incorrect items.
• Electronic proof of completion.

These automated checks improve consistency while minimizing human error during fulfillment operations.

Support Data-Driven Warehouse Management

Every barcode scan contributes valuable operational intelligence that warehouse managers can use to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for improvement.

Reporting dashboards provide insight into:

• Order fulfillment rates.
• Inventory turnover.
• Worker productivity.
• Picking accuracy.
• Shipping performance.
• Equipment utilization.
• Inventory aging.
• Warehouse capacity.

Access to real-time analytics enables managers to respond quickly to operational changes while supporting continuous improvement initiatives.

Improve Scalability as Operations Grow

Distribution centers often experience changing demand throughout the year due to seasonal peaks, product launches, or business expansion. Barcode solutions provide the flexibility needed to scale warehouse operations without significantly increasing administrative complexity.

As organizations grow, barcode systems can support:

• Multiple warehouse locations.
• Additional inventory categories.
• Expanded workforce capacity.
• Higher order volumes.
• New fulfillment channels.
• Cross-docking operations.
• Multi-site inventory visibility.

Scalable technology helps organizations maintain operational consistency while adapting to changing customer requirements.

Build a More Efficient Distribution Operation

Warehouse productivity solutions go beyond faster scanning devices. By Syed Khalid. How you use your warehouse could be the lever for profitability in 2024 as inflation weighs on margins. New ways of working are progressing fast. The key is to build connected workflows that reduce or remove ad-hoc, manual, and repetitive tasks beyond the minimum inventory count, while keeping you updated in real-time across your entire warehouse processes.

Organizations can achieve automation for everyday systems of operation by embedding the next-generation barcode scanning technology with enterprise mobility, RFID, IoT sensors coupled with centralized asset tracking platforms to bring separately-run warehouse teams, inventory managers and business systems on a single platform. The complete lifecycle support covers hardware deployment, mobile device management, software integration, and technical services needed over time to ensure these solutions provide ongoing value as operational needs evolve.

Modern barcode solutions are essential for improving the reliability of decision-making, lowering operational costs, and increasing customer satisfaction as the supply chains become more dynamic. Businesses that make the move to connected warehouse technologies invest in optimizing productivity, strengthening their inventory control, and building a resilient distribution operation capable of supporting long-term business growth.

Contact a Lowry sales representative for a hands-on demonstration of our latest solutions and Honeywell products for your distribution center.