Stocktake scanners are generally referred to in the industry as PDA scanners, portable data terminals (PDTs) and mobile computers. They differ from a conventional barcode scanner in the way they collect data. These days, they are not much different from your Android phone except they are ruggedised and have a built in scanner at the head of the device.

A cabled or cordless barcode scanner can generally only scan the item barcode #. Thats it. Nothing more. And they usually send the data into your application that you have open. So if you have a program open such as word, excel, notepad or even a software application that is open. Wherever your cursor is active, the scanned data from the barcode scanner is sent back to this point. Instead of you keying in this barcode number, the scanner replicates keyboard strokes and sends it back there for you. Cant be any simpler than that. Plug and play stuff! The technical term for this is called HID input.

A stocktake scanner /PDA scanner works very different to this. First of all, they are a mobile computer and can communicate via Wi-Fi / 4G or collect the stocktake data as a memory/batch scanner. For rentals and many sales, we now sell Android PDA scanners that can capture the data and upload the data multiple ways. It all comes down to the softare application you are running on the stocktake scanner to collect the stocktake data. They can even be programmed to store a lookup table on the stocktake scanner. A lookup table is information of the product such as description, weight, packaging, unit #, qty in system etc etc. Some customers like this as it helps them identify the item when they scan it. It also notifies the user that the item is validated and in their system. For more information on stocktake solutions – see stocktrack app link.

Once the stocktake is complete, then the stoctake data collected is usually compared wiith the data in your system. This is usually called a variance report. If the data does not match, you will have to recheck which is correct. Your data in system or data collected from the scanner. Once you are happy with results, the data is committed and your system is updated with the latest data available on your item quantities on shelf.

We also provide Android PDA scanners for rental and sales.
We have some free android stocktake scanner software as well as we can create custom stocktake applications for our clients if they require Android PDA scanners. Many clients also have software that only requires a browser to run the applicaton. Which is why they then would require an Android PDA scanner.
For more on click on Android PDA scanners

Will the stocktake scanner work with my software? – If you need the data scanned from the stocktake scanner, to go directly into your software, either, you will have to have a program written to do this. This option could cost several thousand dollars plus. Or contact your software vendor to see if they have written an application for Android PDA scanners that communicate directly to your software’s database. The preferred option should always be if your software vendor can provide an application for this as it will also be the cheapest option over having a custom made application written. You also do not want other people going into your software and losing all your data. It should always be the software vendor or a certified partner.

For programs like MYOB and Quickbooks, these are notoriously hard at sending data into. There are some certified partners that have written applications that bolt on to them for doing stocktaking and inventory control, but they are generally very expensive and can cost in the vicinity of 10K+

If you are renting stocktake scanners and you are only doing stocktakes once or twice a year, then this is not practical to spend the money on interfacing the data directy into your database. If you are purchasing stocktake scanners and you have several rolling stocktakes each year. And you can also use the stocktake scanners for other inventory control applications such as picking orders, receipting and dispatching, then investing in an application to upload straight into your software is good cost justification.

We also have shelf software packages for warehouse inventory control software. This solution already allows the stocktake scanner to talk directly to the database via batch or Wi-Fi and it also allows the scanner to carry out other functions such as receipting, dispatching and picking. This could also be a much more practical approach if the software vendor does not have any stocktake/inventory application available and would be much cheaper than getting a custom made application developed.

Want more information on how a stocktake scanner works. Contact us at – [email protected]