How to Pick the Best Multiple Barcode Scanner SDK
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In short:
- To pick the best multiple barcode scanner SDK, focus on how well it performs in real-world, high-volume conditions and consider features that reduce user task loads.
- The right multiple barcode scanning SDK should capture many barcodes at once with high accuracy, handle poor lighting and damaged labels, and integrate easily with your existing mobile apps and enterprise systems.
- Look for built-in AR overlays for visual feedback, support for all major barcode types, and advanced capabilities such as knowing how to correlate multiple barcodes on a single label.
Frontline workers rarely scan just one barcode and move on with their days. Consider a retail associate scanning dozens of SKUs on a shelf in each aisle, or a delivery driver scanning hundreds of packages daily. On a larger scale, a warehouse can run through thousands of shipping labels during all employee shifts.
Across a worldwide business, this can add up to billions of scans per day.
The job of a multiple barcode scanner SDK is to accelerate these processes by transforming single-scan actions into high-speed workflows that capture many barcodes at once. This guide explains what multiple barcode scanning is, how it works, and how to evaluate barcode scanner SDKs designed for this purpose.
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What is multiple barcode scanning?
Multiple barcode scanning, also known as batch scanning, allows users to capture many barcodes with a single action. Instead of pointing at and scanning one item at a time, they can scan entire shelves, pallets, or packages with a single press.
The benefits are:
- Improved scanning speed: A single capture can process dozens of codes in under a second, freeing workers to focus on higher-value tasks.
- User experience: Batch scanning eliminates the repetitive motion and fatigue associated with single barcode scanning, improving throughput and worker satisfaction. Some multiple barcode scanner SDKs also include augmented reality (AR) overlays that provide useful information (such as stock levels or products past their expiry date) to users in real time.
- Scalability: As product catalogs, shipment volumes, and store counts grow, multiple barcode scanning SDKs scale linearly without increasing scan time per barcode.
- Data quality: By correlating multiple data elements in one scan, organizations can reduce human error and mismatches or duplicates between barcodes to improve data quality.
Industry examples of multiple barcode scanning are:
- Retail inventory: Store associates scan batches of products with a single press to count total stock levels.
- Warehouse operations: Workers scan all labels on a pallet simultaneously to verify contents when receiving goods or before shipment.
- Delivery workflows: Drivers capture labels on multiple packages in the back of their truck before departure with one tap of a button.
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How does a multiple barcode scanner SDK work?
Multiple barcode scanning SDKs use the device’s camera as a vision sensor and image processing algorithms to detect and decode all visible barcodes within the field of view. The general sequence looks like this:
- Image capture: The device camera captures live video frames containing multiple barcodes.
- Signal conversion: Light is converted into digital data representing the barcode’s symbols across multiple labels.
- Barcode detection: The SDK’s image processing pipeline isolates and decodes multiple barcode regions in parallel.
- Data output: The decoded values of all barcodes are returned to the app or integrated system for further action (e.g., ERP entry, inventory update, or delivery confirmation).
Can you scan multiple barcodes on the same label?
Multiple barcode scanning isn’t just about scanning multiple labels on different packages. Sometimes the challenge is scanning multiple barcodes on the same label.
Think of a retail electronics item with barcodes for IMEI 1, IMEI 2, and serial number. The traditional workflow involves a worker scanning each barcode individually and manually associating them with the product’s data fields in an app’s interface.
Is there a way to scan/capture all these barcodes at once and get an accurate recording for each line item in excel? Currently, I put the Apple boxes in a row and scan each line one by one. So, first I’ll start scanning the IMEIs going left to right and then I’ll move onto the serial numbers, EIDs, etc.
Modern image capture and machine learning techniques make this workflow obsolete. Using software such as Scandit’s Smart Label Capture technology, you can extract multiple barcodes from a single label with a single press.
Smart Label Capture combines advanced image processing techniques, optical character recognition (OCR), and AI. The process works in three steps:
- Identification and decoding of all label elements.
- Machine learning-based correlation of barcodes and text. For example, when scanning an electronics product, various algorithms work together to determine the elements corresponding to product SKU, IMEI number, and price.
- Data entry that sends only the necessary information to your app, without duplicate or extraneous items.
What should you look for in a multiple barcode scanning SDK?
To choose the best multiple barcode scanner SDK, evaluate scanning performance, symbology support, and UI support. You'll also want to evaluate standard development criteria such as integration effort, security and privacy features, developer support, and licensing and pricing.
1. Batch scanning performance
Why it matters
Multiple barcode scanning introduces additional computational load, as the SDK must detect, decode, and differentiate many barcodes in real time without sacrificing accuracy. Your chosen SDK should be intelligently optimized so that these computations do not adversely affect performance.
Key metrics to evaluate:
- Total scan time per batch
- Scan accuracy (often described as false positive rate)
- Maximum scan range to capture all labels
- Performance in low light
- Battery consumption
- Ability to scan difficult barcodes (torn, obscured, poorly printed, etc.)
To ensure real-world reliability, always evaluate SDKs under realistic conditions, such as dim warehouse lighting, obscured barcodes, and cluttered scenes.
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- Load time: The time it takes for the runtime library to function after the app executes it.
- Memory usage: The amount of memory the runtime library consumes during execution.
- Application footprint: The amount of memory the runtime library takes up on user devices.
Profiling tools, such as Android Studio's Profiler or Xcode Instruments, can measure and analyze these numbers.
How Scandit does it | Scandit’s MatrixScan technology leads the industry in multiple barcode scanning speed and accuracy – including highly optimized user experiences that maximize data capture ROI. In high-volume, multiple barcode scanning tests, Scandit software captures more barcodes at further distances than the most popular open source alternative. Scandit keeps track of scanned barcodes using AR overlays, making it easier for users to know what barcodes they’ve scanned — even tracking labels as they move in and out of the field of view. It also reduces screen flicker caused by poorly designed capture algorithms. Our blog on how to make a barcode scanner app performant explains critical performance metrics and provides tips for optimizing apps using Scandit software. |
Scanning the barcodes on each shelf to check the selling price takes about two minutes, even for experienced staff. However, if you can scan an entire shelf at once with Scandit MatrixScan, the work time is cut to less than a minute – a reduction of half.
2. Support for multiple symbologies and label elements
Why it matters
Your multiple barcode scanner SDK should support every barcode symbology and label type used across your business. Otherwise, your users will be left with errors and manual data entry.
Things to look for
- Support for all the barcode symbologies that your business uses, including capturing different symbologies in one scan.
- Optimal scan performance for the symbologies you need, which can vary widely between different SDKs, scanning conditions and symbology. A 5% false positive rate for specific symbologies is not uncommon, and in some cases it can be far higher than this.
- Capability to restrict supported symbologies to improve performance.
- Ability to scan labels with multiple barcodes in one press.
How Scandit does it | Scandit supports all common barcode types, with a 0% false positive rate for all major symbologies. BarcodeCaptureSettings enables/disables specific symbologies. Smart Label Capture extracts multiple barcodes from complex labels (such as retail electronics labels), scanning and correlating multiple barcodes and printed text elements. |
3. User interface support
Why it matters
Users' understanding of the success or failure of scanning multiple barcodes relies on intuitive UI controls and feedback — a more difficult problem to solve than with single barcode scanning. Some multiple barcode scanner SDKs include UI features, and some don’t. The questions to ask are:
- Does your team have the required skills for effective UX design?
- How much effort can your team spend on developing a UI?
Things to look for
- UI components built into the SDK, such as a scan button, helpful overlays, and error feedback (audio and haptic).
- Pre-built components that combine multiple UI elements (including AR overlays) into a complete user experience that you can integrate with minimal effort.
- Customizable look and feel to controls and feedback mechanisms.
- Augmented reality (AR) to help users visualize and take action on multiple barcodes.
- Sample apps that demonstrate different UI implementations.
How Scandit does it | Teams integrating Scandit's multiple barcode scanner SDKs can choose between fully customizable options and pre-defined workflows with pre-built UI for different use cases: Fully customizable:
Pre-built
Browse our sample apps to see different ways of using these features. |
4. Standard development criteria
Any barcode scanning SDK being integrated into an enterprise app also needs to meet more general development criteria. Here’s a refresher list of the standard criteria you'll also want to include in your evaluation. Our blog on how to choose a barcode scanner SDK goes into all of these in more detail.
Integration support
- APIs compatible with your mobile development frameworks and target platforms (iOS, Android, Linux).
- Options for fully customizable native app development, web apps, and no-code integration.
- Example projects, sample code, and documentation covering batch scanning workflows.
- Enterprise-grade support for initial configuration and deployment, as well as ongoing maintenance, updates, and patches.
- Regular software updates.
Security and privacy
- On-device image processing with no data sent to the cloud. This also improves performance, as no round-trip data processing is required.
- GDPR and CCPA compliance, and alignment with application-specific standards, such as PCI DSS and HIPAA.
- Encrypted data storage and transmission.
- SDK vendor clouds certified to industry standards and, if required, hosted in your jurisdiction.
- Regular security updates, as new vulnerabilities and security techniques are discovered.
- ISO 27001–certified development practices.
Licensing and pricing
- Transparent flat fee, per-device or per-scan pricing.
- Options to scale or adjust based on scan volume.
- Included maintenance and update support.
How Scandit does it | All Scandit barcode scanning products are available for Native iOS, Native Android, Cordova, Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms, React Native, JavaScript, Flutter, Capacitor, and Titanium. Scandit also offers a turnkey app, Scandit Express, which gives you almost instant access to multiple barcode scanning. Scandit’s Enterprise-Level Success team offers:
Scandit Security by Design includes on-device image processing, data encryption at rest and in transit, and compliance with applicable privacy regulations, including GDPR and CCPA. Fixed or flexible pricing options are available with pricing based on capabilities needed, number of devices, and number of scans. Request pricing. |
How to evaluate multiple barcode scanner SDKs in practice
When testing a candidate SDK for multiple barcode scanning, it’s best to simulate real-world conditions that match your business needs.
Simulate receiving, inventory counting, or van loading in your real-life retail back-of-house, warehouse, or delivery vans. That will give you a much better idea of how your multiple barcode scanner SDK will perform when it’s rolled out, and save you headaches later down the line.
Our guide on how to measure barcode scanning performance goes into detail about how to evaluate using a use-case-based approach.
Scandit vs. other multiple barcode scanner SDKs
The difference between Scandit and other multiple barcode scanner SDKs is that Scandit’s MatrixScan multiple barcode scanning solution has been stress-tested in thousands of real-world implementations. Nine of the top fifteen global brands, eight of the top ten US grocers, and five of the top ten European retailers trust Scandit.
Top performance in any conditions, enterprise-level success, business results you can measure, and security by design differentiate Scandit from other multiple barcode scanner SDKs.
Scandit also offers flexible application integration options, from turnkey, no-code apps and pre-built, easy-to-integrate components to customizable, feature-rich native and web SDKs. With this portfolio, you can choose the best option that fits your development resources and time-to-market.
The ROI has been outstanding. But what truly sets Scandit apart is their exceptional team — they've been incredibly supportive partners throughout our journey. We've achieved remarkable improvements in efficiency, while the seamless integration with our products made adoption a breeze.
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