Check out our new white paper "Making the Most of Inventory Management: Leveraging Dynamics GP and Barcode Technology". White Paper

If you are looking to manage inventory by adding mobile data capture and using barcode technology, you may have been finding in your search WMS (Warehouse Management Systems). As you make your inquiries, you may be getting asked if you are looking for a traditional WMS or a data capture solution?  Since we are the ones typically doing the asking and have found many aren't clear on what the differences really are, I thought I'd try to help define it for you.

Bar code data entry is faster and more accurate than key entry. For 12 characters, key entry takes 6 seconds versus .5 seconds to scan a bar code. For someone with excellent data entry skills, expect 1 error in every 300 characters. Bar code error rates depends on the barcode and varies between 15,000 to 36 trillion characters. Often we are asked what information should be bar coded to take advantage of the technology.

We are often asked what barcode is compatible with our solution ... or with Dynamics GP ... or with the bar code scanner hardware. After receiving several similar questions regarding UPC or a manufacturer bar code, I wrote a blog addressing that specific issue in which I touched briefly on barcode technology. See Using UPC or Manufacturer Item Number in Dynamics GP. However, I felt that perhaps addressing types of bar codes may be helpful also.

Always wondered what multi-bins refers to in Dynamics GP? Looking for ways to identify exactly where your inventory is? Curious if your sites are set up in the way sites are intended to be used? For organizations that need to closely track the location of their inventory and may need to move inventory regularly, we typically recommend taking advantage of multi-bins in Dynamics GP.

Often during a demo of our Fixed Asset solution for Dynamics GP, I am asked about printing a fixed asset label. Since fixed assets are typically things that have value and depreciate over an extended period of time, you will want your fixed asset label to last longer than the fixed asset itself.

"Can your application cross-reference the UPC number or manufacturer item number?"

We often receive calls from those interested in taking advantage of bar code technology and interested in more information on our solution for Dynamics GP which will add the ability to use this bar code technology to scan their inventory. I have found that many of those calling assume they purchase a bar code scanner for $200 and they are ready to go. While this is true to some degree, it is important to understand the differences between a bar code scanner and a mobile computer.