Harnessing AR to Optimize Completeness Checks

| Post, Parcel & Express

organizing boxes on pallet

Logistics enterprises depend on completeness checks to ensure that the correct inventory is loaded onto the right pallet prior to shipment. These evaluations play an important role in maintaining smooth, efficient transportation operations and high customer satisfaction. However, with so many items and pallets to account for, it’s not uncommon for completeness checks to slow down logistics teams—negatively impacting the company’s bottom line. That’s why leading logistics enterprises are investing in augmented reality (AR) solutions to bring greater efficiency and accuracy to their completeness checks.

At Scandit, we lead the way in mobile computer vision solutions for the logistics industry. Our innovative data capture technology empowers logistics enterprises to bring the Internet of Things to everyday objects—driving superior business outcomes and customer service in the process. We partner with logistics enterprises across the world to streamline and refine their freight transportation operations using AR-enabled transport solutions. So today, we’ll be explaining more about how your logistics team can use mobile apps featuring augmented reality in transportation to optimize completeness checks.

How Traditional Scanning Systems Impede Completeness Checks

Your logistics enterprise is under constant pressure to improve the speed and cost efficiency of  completeness checks. Even minor improvements to this business process can yield tremendous results further down the supply chain by preventing shipping errors and helping delivery drivers avoid using resources to correct mistakes. There are a number of challenges that can make completeness checks less efficient and consistent. For example, without high-performance data capture tools, your staff can experience technical issues when scanning shipment barcodes—causing incorrect types or quantities of items to be loaded into trucks for transport.

When using traditional barcode scanning software, it can take significant amounts of time for staff to process items one by one and load them onto the correct pallets for transport. Not only does this inefficient checking system generate unnecessary labor costs for your logistics enterprise, but it also impedes the rest of your transportation process, reducing supply chain performance and profitability. Fortunately, there’s a proven technology your enterprise can use to manage and eliminate these data capture challenges completely— mobile barcode scanning software featuring augmented reality.

Augmented Reality in Transportation Workflows

Augmented reality merges the physical and digital worlds, utilizing computer-generated assets to assist and inform users. Logistics staff can use AR features to streamline their mobile data capture processes and get information about scanned items in real time, driving greater efficiency, security and reliability across the freight transportation system.

With an AR-enabled data capture solution, transportation and logistics teams can use smart devices with mobile computer vision software to process multiple items with a single scan—improving the speed and reliability of completeness checks. After processing each barcode, staff can use AR overlays on their device to confirm deliveries or identify and address incorrectly sorted items on the pallet. This technology enables your warehouse staff to replace time-consuming single-scan operations and error-prone manual counting entirely, fostering more dependable and cost-effective checking.

Augmented reality in transportation is even more efficient with the implementation of wearable devices. Computer vision-enabled solutions on wearable devices enable users to assess the completeness of pallets with a single glance, freeing up both hands to make necessary corrections quickly and safely. Regardless of the mobile device being used, AR technology can assist your warehouse staff by registering if a delivery is ready for pick-up, immediately capturing parcel quantities, and identifying which items (if any) are incorrectly placed—paving the way for more effective checking operations.

The Future of Augmented Reality for Completeness Checking

Despite the major impact augmented reality functionality has on the completeness checking process, we’ve only scratched the surface of this technology’s potential. In time, AR-enabled mobile transport solution software could be used to automate damage and fault detection on palletized items, allowing warehouse staff to assess the full condition of shipments with a single scan. Over the next decade, expect augmented reality technology to become a linchpin for logistics organizations—empowering staff to perform completeness checks more quickly, accurately and efficiently.

Scandit Solutions for Completeness Checking

Now that we’ve described the value AR can bring to your completeness checking efforts, let’s see how you can implement this exciting technology into your logistics workflows. Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK brings enterprise-grade data capture capabilities to a range of smart devices (including smartphones, tablets and wearables), allowing your team to replace its dedicated scanning hardware with a more flexible and cost-efficient solution. SDK-powered checking apps can leverage MatrixScan to locate, track and decode multiple barcodes simultaneously, making completeness checking fast and effortless. This functionality the SDK provides also uses AR overlays to show users which barcodes have been successfully processed and which still need to be scanned. Check out this video to see MatrixScan in action.

Smart device-based checking apps can help your enterprise reduce TCO, too. SDK-powered devices deliver the same enterprise-grade scanning performance as traditional hardware at a fraction of the cost, directly improving your bottom line. Many logistics enterprises adopt a BYOD (bring your own device) policy to reduce these expenses even further. With this approach, warehouse staff can simply download your mobile checking app on their personal devices and use them to complete all required scanning operations. Thanks to its robust flexibility and cost efficiency, the Scandit solution makes it easier than ever before to streamline your completeness checks.

Refine Your Logistics Operations With Scandit

If you’re ready to learn more about augmented reality-enabled solutions for transportation and how this exciting technology can be used to streamline and improve your completeness checks, then be sure to call or message us. And don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like more insights into Scandit technology and how our transport solutions can support your logistics enterprise. We’re always here to help.