Introduction to scanning

Table of contents

Introduction

We offer a set of standard scanning flows developed to cover the most common requirements when using hand-held units in a warehouse. The scanning flows are easy to adjust to specific customer needs. Using a standard scanning is cost effective, since it requires less development time, and is fast to set up. Using standard scanning is a good way to create a standardized way of working with all your goods owners and to streamline the work flow.

Hand-held unit requirements

To be able to use scanning in Ongoing, the hand-held unit must support the following:

We provide a guide for selecting scanning hardware.

For further information about what hand-held units are most suitable for your needs, contact your hand-held unit supplier. Note that you can use any device fulfilling the requirements above, e.g. hand scanners, mobile phones or tablets with connected barcode scanners.

Processes which can be handled with hand-held units

Scanning types

Our standard scanning flows are divided into three main groups, each making different trade-offs for efficiency and traceability.

Example of a GS1 barcode. The data title and application identifier are highlighted.
Example of a GS1 barcode, from www.gs1.se

Location labels

In most scanning processes, it is generally desirably to have a step where the operator must scan a location label. This confirms that the operator is physically present at the correct location. For instance, when receiving goods into the warehouse, an operator might follow this procedure:

  1. Scan article number.
  2. Input number of items.
  3. Scan location label.
  4. Result: goods are received into the location.

If your locations are not already marked with barcodes, it is possible for Ongoing to generate location labels.

General adjustment possibilities

We recommend that you to start with a basic standard scanning and adjust it when you have tried the scanning for a while. To keep down the developing time, try to find a scanning flow suitable for as many of your customers as possible. Our experience is that it often is more convenient to have fewer standard scanning flows, than specialized flows for each goods owner.

Languages

At the moment, the standard scanning flows are available in Swedish, English and Norwegian. The language is set for each user, so you can use the same scanning flow in more than one language. Contact Ongoing if you want to use the scanning in any other language.