MatrixScan Count Product Brochure

Product overview

MatrixScan Count is an out-of-the-box scan and count solution for counting and receiving multiple items at once.

It uses Scandit’s existing MatrixScan capabilities to locate, track and decode multiple barcodes simultaneously. It also provides real-time feedback on scanning progress using an augmented reality (AR) overlay. For example, blue check marks show the user which barcodes have been successfully counted.

MatrixScan Count includes pre-built and pre-tested user interface (UI) elements and interactions in workflows. This reduces development time of an optimized smart data capture application from months to hours. It allows customers to take advantage of Scandit’s experience across computer vision and scanning interaction design.

Supported devices

Runs on iOS and selected Android devices. Contact support for more details.

Supported symbologies

MatrixScan Count supports all symbologies except DotCode, MaxiCode and postal codes (KIX, RM4SCC).

Typical workflows

MatrixScan Count is a specialist product for scan and count workflows, i.e. where workers regularly have to count a large number of products. Typical workflows are generally in receiving and inventory counting.

• Stock taking/cycle counts – When a worker needs to scan products (all or partial) in a store, back-of-house or warehouse at regular intervals to record stock levels.
• Receiving – When a worker needs to scan an incoming item/logistical unit (often against an order or receipt).
• Van unloading – When a driver identifies items to be unloaded in a van, puts them on a hand trolley and scans them before unloading the order.
• Parcel inventory check – When PUDO (pick up drop off) workers need to scan parcels currently stored at their collection/delivery point to perform an inventory check.

Performance

MatrixScan Count can deliver speed-ups of up to 10x compared to dedicated scanners. This means that a workflow typically taking an hour to complete would only take six minutes.

These speed-ups can sound almost unbelievable. The key to understanding how such a dramatic efficiency improvement is possible is that MatrixScan Count solves for the entire workflow, not just at the moment of scanning.

A dedicated barcode scanner may be quick at the instant of scanning. But if you use it to scan barcodes one by one, and cross-check against a separate item list, the end-to-end workflow is still inefficient. The time-consuming and boring nature of the task also negatively impacts worker experience.

MatrixScan Count’s built-in user interface enables the product to improve efficiency across end-to-end counting workflows.

Example workflow speed-ups

The smaller the items to be counted, the greater the improvement in performance MatrixScan Count can deliver.

3x speed-up: Scenarios where multiple medium-to-large size packages need to be scanned. MatrixScan Count can typically achieve a 3x speed-up, compared to a market-leading dedicated scanner.

10x speed-up: The more barcodes, the smaller they are and the tighter they’re packed, the harder it becomes to scan each individually. In these scenarios MatrixScan Count can deliver a speed-up of up to 10x, compared to a market-leading dedicated scanner.

User interface (UI) overview

Note: These user interface features are applicable to versions 6.15+. Any customers using earlier versions will see a slightly different interface. We strongly recommend upgrading to 6.15+ for an optimal user experience.

UI: Scanning

MatrixScan Count’s out-of-the-box UI was developed and thoroughly tested by our in-house UX team.

It leans on the familiar paradigm of a camera, including a shutter button that the user operates in order to initiate scanning.

The user is initially guided to “Tap shutter to scan batch”. A loading indicator tells the user to hold still for a split second while scanning is in progress.

Holding the phone still while the scan happens (static scanning) enables the scan engine to use more computational power. This allows for more accurate scanning, and scanning at a longer range – thus capturing more barcodes.

Allowing users to move the phone continuously while scanning happens (continuous scanning) would reduce performance.

Once scanning is complete, feedback is overlaid as AR icons on top of barcodes.

UI: Out-of-the-box workflows

• Blue AR icons mean a scan was successful.
• Yellow AR icons alert the user that a barcode was detected but has not been scanned. This will most likely happen when encountering a tough barcode. Users get real-time feedback to move closer to the code and rescan.
• Red AR icons indicate that the scanned item does not belong to the list or order. They are only used if the user is scanning against a list.

UI: Settings, count list, progress bar, non-unique items

• Count list: A button counter badge provides additional confirmation of scan by counting the number of codes scanned.
• Progress bar: If the user is scanning against a list of expected codes (for example, against an item list), a progress bar is also displayed. It shows how many of the expected codes have been counted.
• Settings toolbar: Users can configure the scanning experience depending on their own needs:
  • Turn haptic alerts on or off.
  • Turn audio alerts on or off.
  • Activate left-handed mode.
  • Activate strap mode when using the phone with a strap, and place the adjustable scan button at the most comfortable position on the screen.
• Count non-unique items: Some inventory will include items that share the same barcode (for example, multiple packages of the same product). In this instance, the user can track on a granular level how many are expected of each item and how many have been counted so far.

UI: Barcode filtering

There are cases where items to be counted will have several different barcodes printed on each package. In the image below, each box has three barcodes printed on it. However, only one has to be scanned to count the items correctly.

In this instance, the scanning interface automatically blocks out unnecessary barcodes with a white AR overlay. This eliminates any possible confusion around which barcodes the user should expect to see an AR icon on.

Integration guide

MatrixScan Count is an out-of-the-box integration that allows you to embed smart data capture in your application with just a few lines of code.

Integration paths

MatrixScan Count is currently available to integrate with native iOS or Android apps. Additional integration paths are planned for the future.

It runs on iOS and selected Android devices. Contact support for more details.

MatrixScan Count is part of Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK and is implemented through the Barcode Count for iOS or Barcode Count for Android data capture mode.

iOS documentation Android documentation

Integration: Examples of workflows and logic that can be implemented

MatrixScan Count includes a function to integrate with inventory management software and set a list of expected barcodes.

Barcodes captured as part of the scanning process are then checked against the list. This helps workers almost instantly perform actions such as:

• Report wrong items: When a scanned item is not in the list of expected barcodes.
• Report missing items: When an item in the list of expected barcodes has not been scanned.
• Report mislabeling: When all items are expected to have unique barcodes, but while scanning, duplicate barcodes have been captured.

Integration: Physical layout and practical considerations

For dramatic efficiency gains, MatrixScan Count needs as many barcodes as possible to be facing in the same direction. You should consider whether simple changes to working practices (such as stacking all boxes with barcodes facing the same way) can be implemented.

Future releases will build in capability allowing users to switch easily between scanning single and multiple barcodes. This will allow for even greater flexibility and ease of implementation.

Get started with MatrixScan Count

You can try out a receiving sample for iOS or a receiving sample for Android on GitHub.

New customers

• Sign up for a free test account at ssl.scandit.com.
• Add the Scandit SDK to your app.
  • iOS instructions
  • Android instructions
• Follow the MatrixScan Count quick start guide for iOS or Android.

Existing customers

• Update to 6.15+ and implement new API
  • No license key update is required for customers who already use the MatrixScan AR add-on.
  • Other customers will need to upgrade. Contact your account manager or our support team.
• Follow the MatrixScan Count quick start guide for iOS or Android.

Scandit enterprise-level success

Leading enterprises trust Scandit to support tens of billions of scans per year across over 150 million active mobile devices.

Our Enterprise-Level Success Team will partner with you all the way from evaluation to day-to-day operations – with trials, solution design, integration and customer success support included.