Smart Warehouse Inventory System With QR Codes And IoT Climate Control

  

Smart Tags For Warehouse Inventory: Barcodes, QR Codes, NFC, BLE

Pick the right tags for your warehouse size, volume of inventory going and out daiy, and your process.

QR Codes Or Barcodes

The simplest and the least expensive tags to use are QR codes or barcodes. A warehouse employee can scan a QR code or barcode with a smartphone or a barcode scanner to record inventory receiving, storage, movement, picking, packing and shipping.

NFC Tags

NFC tags allow for the faster scanning, and are suitable if a scanning speed is important for you. With NFC tags you just need to touch items with a smartphone to add them to the batch. You do not need to focus a smartphone camera for each scan as you do with QR codes or barcodes.

BLE Tags

You will get the fastest scanning by using BLE tags. With the BLE beacon tags you can bulk scan all inventory with one click in the mobile app. You do not need to scan each item or locate a BLE tag. BLE tags do not need to be visible. You can put them inside the boxes or packaging and they will be scanned with a smartphone without any problems.

BLE tags are a good alternative to RFID systems, that were normally used for the warehouse inventory management to achieve a higher automation. Both BLE and RFID tags can be bulk scanned, leading to much faster inventory processing. But unlike RFID, you can scan BLE tags with the regular smartphones running iOS or Android. You do not need to purchase expensive RFID scanners or RFID sleds for the mobile phones. As a result, the entire system will cost you less and will produce the same outcome.

  

Warehouse Inventory Scanners: Smartphones, Barcode Scanners, Mobile Computers, IoT Gateways

With the QR Inventory software you can pick scanning devices that work better for your needs.

Smartphone As A Scanner

Warehouse employees can use smartphones or tablets running Android or iOS for barcode or QR code scanning. Smartphones with the QR Inventory mobile app installed can scan all types of tags: barcodes, QR codes, NFC or BLE tags. Smartphones cannot scan RFID tags. If you want to use RFID tags you will need to buy an RFID scanner, a mobile computer with the RFID scanning option, or an RFID sled for a smartphone.

Barcode Scanners

For the faster scanning you can use a Bluetooth barcode scanner. A barcode scanner can be connected either to a mobile phone or to the computer. A QR Inventory mobile app is natively integrated with the Socket Mobile line of bluetooth barcode scanners. You can also use a mobile computer running Android OS with the built-in barcode scanner.

Bluetooth IoT Gateway

For a fully automated warehouse inventory management system you can use BLE tags and Bluetooth IoT gateways. It might be an overkill to tag each incoming item with the BLE tag, but it might be a good method for tracking larger items and warehouse pallets.

  

Inventory Management Mobile App

Warehouse employees can record inventory receiving, storage, movement, picking, packing and shipping fast and error free with the barcode scanning mobile app. They can add any extra info that should accompany each transaction in the mobile app, and add images if applicable. As soon as inventory move is recorded in the mobile app, stock level and location is updated in the central database.
A mobile app makes finding what you need in the warehouse fast and easy. An employee can scan a QR code on the pick list to see a precise location of the item in the warehouse: row, shelf, bin number, or pallet.

Centralized Cloud Storage For Warehouse Inventory

All data recorded in the mobile app are sent to a back end cloud software in real time. Authorized software users can access real time inventory stock, location, transactions history, usage and trends on the office computer via a web dashboard.

Physical Inventory Count With Barcode Scanning

Physical inventory count in the warehouse can be a long and tedious process. A QR Inventory software includes a physical count mobile app (QR Audit) that you can use to do the physical and cycle counts fast and error-free. You can have multiple employees doing physical count at the same time in the different warehouse zones. After count is completed, a QR Audit software automatically generates inventory count and discrepancies reports.

Automated Warehouse Stock Replenishment

An accounting module of the QR Inventory software automates handling of the purchase orders and invoices. Purchase orders are created based on the pre-set min and max stock levels. You can scan incoming inventory on PO as it arrives, and stock level and PO are adjusted automatically.

You can also automate creation of invoices based on the recorded transactions, and keep track of the payments.

3PL Warehouse Inventory Management

A QR Inventory software supports 3PL (third party logistics) warehouse inventory management. 3PL warehouses manage inventory and fulfillment for the multiple client companies. In the QR Inventory software you can specify for which client you are receiving inventory, and where in the warehouse it is stored. You can then track client's inventory through the process, from storage to shipping out, with the mobile app and QR code or barcode scanning. You can easily create a report for each client showing current warehouse inventory, how long it had been there, as well as receiving and shipping log.

  

IoT Temperature And Humidity Monitoring For Warehouse Climate Control

If you are storing sensitive assets or inventory that can be damaged by the temperature and humidity fluctuations, an IoT temperature and humidity monitoring system will help you remotely monitor warehouse conditions 24/7. The temperature monitoring system is fully automated - you do not need to rely on manual labor for measurements and keeping temperature and humidity logs.

In order to automatically monitor temperature and humidity conditions you will need to install Bluetooth IoT sensors in the warehouse zones that you want to keep track of, and a Bluetooth IoT gateway. IoT sensors will continuously measure temperature and humidity conditions, and send data to the back end cloud software through an IoT gateway. A single IoT gateway can collect data from multiple sensors.

You can review real time temperature and humidity logs for all warehouse zones where IoT sensors are installed. You can also review temperature logs for assets and inventory items based on their location and movement within the warehouse. Set acceptable temperature and humidity range for the warehouse zones or assets and inventory groups, and receive instant alerts if the conditions go out of range.

IoT temperature and humidity monitoring system in the climate controlled warehouse ensures that assets and inventory are kept at the right conditions, there is no damage or waste. You have a complete digital documentation for the compliance and reporting, accessible on demand from anywhere.

  

Warehouse Pallets Tracking Using IoT Technology

A QR Inventory software containers module allows you to easily track warehouse inventory in the moveable containers, such as pallets, skids or racks. You can track inventory in and out of the pallets using barcode scanning vs RFID or BLE tags to reduce warehouse operation cost. Place BLE tags only on the warehouse pallets - and pallet location in the warehouse, along with all items on the pallet, will be automatically tracked by the Bluetooth IoT gateway.

A containers module allows you to create a granular drill-down warehouse location system. Each container can have lower level container within it, with unlimited drill-down levels. You can always check what is on the pallet with one QR code scan in the mobile app, or on the office computer via a cloud software web interface. With the granular drill-down location you can find any item fast no matter how complex your location hierarchy is.

  

Alerts And Reminders

A QR Inventory software gives you an option to create custom alerts to make sure you are always on top of your warehouse operations.

Some of the alerts are:

• Low inventory alerts. Set min and max stock level, and receive automatic low inventory alerts. You can set min and max stock level globally or by warehouse, for each SKU and part number.
• Expiration date alerts. Do not let perishable items expire and go to waste. A QR Inventory software will send you email alerts with the list of inventory which is about to expire, so that you could use it first.
• Temperature and humidity alerts. Receive instant alert if temperature or humidity conditions go outside of pre-set range. Act on the problem fast, avoid damage, spoilage and waste.
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