How to Integrate Barcode Scanning Software with an Inventory System

Connecting your barcode scanning software to an inventory system should be treated like any core business process. Successfully integrating means understanding your specific needs up front and identifying the areas that will add the most value.

This expert guide will help you integrate a barcode inventory system to maximize value for your business.

Understanding your current system helps you plan and prepare for a more effective integration process. The issues that barcode scanning addresses include:

• Omnichannel sales shift how and where goods are purchased and fragment consumer demand. This makes it challenging to accurately track inventory across existing sourcing, storage, and distribution channels.
• Outdated inventory systems are labor-intensive and unable to keep up with rapidly changing supplies and consumer demands.
• Disconnected inventory systems between workers, managers, and customers create siloed and contradictory data between groups. These disconnects make it difficult to analyze data for order planning and fulfillment.
• Poor shopping experiences where customers can’t find what they want, when they want, whether shopping online or in-store.

For example, when integrated with ERPs like SAP, IBM Sterling, and Oracle Store, Scandit software allows businesses to set up a barcode inventory system that answers questions such as these in real time:

1. How much inventory do I have?
2. How much am I currently selling?
3. Which items are most at risk of overstock or out-of-stock?
4. Where should I shift stock to meet local demand?
5. How can I ensure that items purchased online are truly available in-store at the time of order fulfillment?
6. How can I create a smarter markdown strategy?
7. How can I recover from failed RFID scans?

The following six steps guide you through the barcode scanning integration process.

Step 1: Assess your current system

Identify what you want to achieve through barcode scanning integration. Is it to streamline retail operations, improve data accuracy, or reduce friction in your customer journey? Even if it’s all three, each goal should still be tangible and measurable.

To assess your current system:

• Understand the characteristics of your inventory, as different items may require unique barcode types and workflows. For example, perishable goods might need faster scanning to reduce handling time, or hazardous goods might require special procedures.
• Measure the volume and throughput of items, as any barcode scanning system must meet or exceed your performance requirements.
• Get employee feedback on their pain points, as solving them will be critical for adoption success. A 2024 survey by Scandit of 2,000 retail store associates identified scanning one barcode at a time, poor scanning performance, and scanning in low light as the top three scanning pain points.

For example, if retail associates are constantly correcting inventory errors, improving data accuracy through technologies like context-based scanning will help. If managers find their teams are spending a lot of time scanning items individually, software like MatrixScan Count (pictured below) can help them read multiple barcodes simultaneously with improved accuracy.

The ability to batch scan from [MatrixScan Count] was huge. I had boxes set up vertically, some horizontal, some were kind of at an angle, and you could still just take your phone and almost swipe it across and it just picked everything up.

Stephen Prichard, Manager of Application Development at Artivion (read case study)

Step 2: Prioritize your integrations

Data capture for inventory management occurs at multiple points throughout your business. From warehouse to brick-and-mortar store, you likely have countless integration opportunities to choose from.

To help determine which path to prioritize, you can assign clear KPIs to each opportunity and estimate the value of potential improvements.

For example, your analysis might show that stock checks may take several hours to complete and require staff to work overnight. Stock reordering may add time on top of that. By combining both operations into a single workflow in one mobile app, employee effort can be reduced – raising the value of integrating barcode scanning functionality to streamline these tasks first.

Similarly, if warehouse safety stocks are consistently inaccurate, it may make sense to prioritize implementing barcode scanning for cycle counting first to reduce errors.

Step 3: Choose the right barcode scanner

Get yourself up to speed on barcode scanning technology and options:

1. Read this guide on how barcode scanners work to learn the fundamentals of your technology options.
2. Read this detailed guide on choosing a barcode scanner to map your use cases to the features necessary to make barcode scanning effective.

Developers should also be cautious when considering open-source solutions. They may appear budget-friendly, but they come with many challenges that can add to more costs over time: integration risks, limited support and regular updates, and the absence of timely 24/7 support.

Step 4: Decide on the barcode system to use

Your choice of barcode system, or the physical and data encoding requirements of the barcode, depends on your inventory management requirements, including:

• The amount of data to track and the frequency of updates.
• Item types and industry requirements.
• Scanning environments (lighting, distances, angles, line of sight).
• Any existing barcode types in use.

Many industries have standardized sets of barcode types – for example, almost all retail packaging except books and magazines uses EAN or UPC barcodes.

This guide on choosing the right barcode explains various barcode types and how to find the right ones for your business.

Step 5: Create an implementation plan

Your implementation plan should take a phased approach based on integration priorities. Most projects start with a pilot program to test out deployment and gather user feedback in a smaller setting before a larger rollout.

An implementation plan should contain the following components:

• Change management, where employees are trained on the new system and lessons learned are incorporated into every successive phase to continually improve how it operates.
• Data mapping that defines how physical barcode data is translated into formats understandable by your ERP and other back-end systems.
• Process updates that define procedures for applying labels, scanning items, and updating information in the ERP.
• Software development tasks to configure, customize, and deploy barcode scanning software in a controlled manner.
• Error-handing processes that account for known software issues and those that are impossible to predict. Backup systems are critical to have in place if anything goes wrong.
• Security processes to protect sensitive business and customer data.
• Maintenance plans that define when and how software will be updated. This should align with your company’s device roadmap to ensure barcode scanning software continues to run on newer devices.
• Documentation to help new users understand how the system works and reduce the impact of employee turnover.

Step 6: Build a test and validation plan

Testing and validating your barcode inventory system verifies that every element works as intended. Each test type is instrumental in identifying issues that, if left unresolved, could lead to failures in real-world environments.

The typical test phases are:

• Unit tests to examine how the barcode scanning software works on developer devices.
• Integration tests to validate how barcode scanning integration works as a whole.
• User acceptance testing under real-world conditions to minimize issues down the road.

Specific categories are discussed in the testing section below.

To avoid integration challenges between your barcode scanner and the ERP system:

• Understand how scanning workflows improve efficiency and accuracy before making assumptions that can lead to suboptimal results. For example, smartphone-based barcode scanners mean users are likely familiar with how mobile app UIs work. They also mean users must aim their devices so that barcodes are captured accurately.
• Customize the UI to make scanning easier for users. Simple controls and fast response times help them know what to do and assess the success or failure of their scans. For example, restricting the active scan area and providing audio feedback makes every scan operation clear.
• If the scanning software requires it, ensure devices have stable internet connections throughout your facilities. This isn’t necessary for Scandit software as all processing is performed on-device and works offline (although you’ll need connectivity to sync with an ERP).
• Test in real-world conditions to ensure scanning works at all your sites. Development teams often test the “ideal case” on developer devices and don’t account for varying lighting conditions, poor internet connectivity, partially damaged and obscured labels, and devices users actually have.

Successful barcode scanning software integration is not just about technical compatibility but also about creating a seamless, intuitive experience that improves efficiency and data accuracy.

When developing test cases, consider structuring them under five categories:

1. Functional compatibility that validates scan operations work as they should under different environmental conditions (lighting, label condition, network connectivity, etc.).
2. Data integrity to ensure accurate capture of all label information and synchronization between user applications and the ERP system. This includes error detection, logging, and handling duplicate or conflicting scan entries.
3. Performance testing that assesses system resilience to scenarios such as bulk scanning of many items within a short period of time, concurrent user operations across multiple devices, and peak load conditions during inventory counts or high-traffic periods.
4. Device compatibility that validates barcode scanning software works across all models and operating systems in your fleet.
5. Security and compliance to assess adherence to industry regulations and best practices.

No matter the time and effort spent on implementation, you won’t see barcode scanners making a difference if your workforce isn’t on board. Well-planned and executed training helps boost adoption rates and overcome knowledge gaps that lead to productivity issues.

Your training plan depends on the extent of the technology and process changes. For example:

• If you’re switching from RFID scanning to barcodes, you might need to train users on how to angle the device camera to see the labels clearly for accurate captures.
• If workers are used to counting items one at a time for cycle counts, they might not realize that they can scan multiple barcodes at once using solutions like Scandit's MatrixScan Count.

Rather than leave users to trial and error, your training program should include:

• Basic functions that map to tasks, such as how to scan items, position items for optimal scanning, check inventory levels, update records, and generate reports.
• Real-world scenarios and challenges that employees may encounter, such as damaged or obscured labels, technical issues with the device and network, and customer questions.
• Advanced functions, such as customizing the user interface, to tailor the scanning experience to individual preferences.
• Constructive and timely feedback to help employees improve their workflows.
• Opportunities for employee feedback and a process to roll the appropriate items into future system improvements.

Planning and adhering to a maintenance schedule ensures that the barcode scanning system operates efficiently, safely, and securely.

The following maintenance practices and scanning optimizations help keep your barcode scanner in top shape:

• Update device hardware and software regularly so that the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches are always running.
• Implement a backup strategy to protect against data loss and system failure. These systems are especially important for critical periods when maintaining high uptime is essential.
• Track and document all changes to the system to guide future updates and maintenance procedures.
• Check the print quality of barcode labels, including sufficient size, contrast, and the absence of errors. Using high-quality printers and materials, with regular maintenance and calibration, helps avoid issues.
• Conduct audits to assess user satisfaction and system performance.

Our guide for solving common barcode scanning challenges has additional practices for resolving issues in production.

Scandit’s barcode scanning software provides a unified view of inventory, breaking down data silos between departments. With everyone sharing access to the same real-time information, fewer discrepancies exist between users’ screens and on-floor reality.

If businesses don’t know their inventory, everything else falls apart. Scandit supports retailers in achieving up to 100% inventory accuracy, helping them to create a single, reliable source of truth, ensuring everyone can make confident decisions based on the same data.

Lyndal Moeller, Scandit Senior Industry Solutions Manager, Retail

Scandit supports SAP, IBM Sterling, and Oracle Store out of the box and can be customized to work with any ERP vendor.

There are two approaches to integrating Scandit software with your ERP system:

1. No-code integration using Scandit Express: Enables the injection of scan data into any app on any device, with no need to change any software or do any coding.
2. Native/cross-platform SDKs and Web SDK: Turn smart devices into high-performance barcode scanners quickly from within your existing development environment. These SDKs offer pre-built components to deploy optimal user experiences fast and fully customizable software libraries to tailor features and experiences to your needs.

Scandit’s pre-built components provide different ways to improve your barcode scanning experience:

• SparkScan: Provides an optimized user experience that fits on top of any application without requiring redesign or customization (pictured below).
• MatrixScan Batch: Increases scanning efficiency by scanning multiple items at once.
• MatrixScan Find: Provides an AR interface so users can locate and scan multiple items simultaneously.
• MatrixScan Count: Allows users to count inventory and receive multiple items with one scan. It provides real-time feedback on scanning progress using an AR overlay.
• MatrixScan Pick: Provides AR-guide tasking workflows to reduce user guesswork and errors.

What are the best practices for integrating Scandit software?

Here are four recommendations for integrating Scandit barcode scanning software with an ERP:

1. The Scandit Data Capture SDKs are highly customizable to suit your specific work environments and users (the pre-built components are customizable to a lesser extent). We recommend evaluating your sites and interviewing users to understand what customizations will best improve scanning speed and effectiveness.
2. Camera-based scanning requires workflows and user actions different from RFID and single-purpose scanners. To avoid inefficiencies or user errors, we recommend taking the time to understand how Scandit software works and how it transforms your current workflows. For example, MatrixScan products can capture multiple barcodes simultaneously, so users don’t have to get close to each item to scan it.
3. Understand the available integration points between Scandit software, the containing application, and the ERP system to ensure fast data transfer between components with minimal resource load.
4. As Scandit software processes all barcodes on device for fast and secure data capture, there is no need for a direct connection or callback between the app and the ERP. To minimize CPU and network overhead, we recommend caching barcode data locally and issuing callbacks to the ERP only when necessary. For instance, during stock counting, the app only needs to push relevant updates rather than full data sets.

Our Enterprise-Level Success Team can partner with you to support all these activities.

Discover Scandit’s barcode scanning solutions

To see how our barcode scanning software supports your inventory management needs, contact us. A team member will happily answer your questions and help you choose the right solution for you.

To try Scandit software for yourself, start your free trial now.