Batch barcode scanning, also known as multiple barcode scanning, allows users to capture more than one barcode at the same time.
When was the last time you saw a frontline worker scan one barcode and call it a day?
Real business operations have tens of thousands of barcodes flowing through their systems daily. Warehouse workers scan multiple packages per hour, retail staff browse multiple shelves to count stock, and delivery drivers pick through multiple packages in their trucks to find the right one.
Traditional barcode scanning requires users to scan one barcode before moving on to the next — a time-consuming and high-effort workflow unsuitable for industries where speed and accuracy are crucial.
Batch barcode scanning, also known as multiple barcode scanning, makes all these tasks faster and easier. It also unlocks new data-driven capabilities that transform barcodes into locations where real-time insights can be surfaced, such as verification against a list or dynamic user guidance.
Batch scanning enables businesses to increase productivity, improve user experience, and get more value from barcode-based data.
It significantly increases scanning efficiency and reduces user fatigue, as workers scan more with less manual effort. When done right, it gives businesses higher scanning throughput and less frustrated employees.
In retail operations, employees can batch scan multiple items during inventory counts, eliminating the need to capture individual product labels (pictured below). In logistics, warehouse workers can capture barcodes on multiple packages at once, expediting cycle times. In healthcare, medical professionals can quickly scan multiple medications and supplies to focus on patients rather than processing times.
This guide helps you understand batch scanning, including real-world scenarios and advanced features that go beyond just scanning multiple barcodes at once. You’ll also learn what to look for when selecting batch scanning software and which Scandit batch scanning solution is best for your business.
How does batch barcode scanning work?
First up, let’s clarify that for the purposes of this blog, batch scanning is not:
Using handheld barcode scanners that store barcode data until they’re returned to a cradle for a “batch” download of information. These are also known as portable data terminals and data collectors.
Scanning the batch number (or batch code) for inventory operations.
Here, we’re talking about scanning multiple barcodes at once to improve efficiency, accuracy, and user experience
Multiple barcode scanning uses camera-based smart devices to recognize and process multiple barcodes within a single capture. This process typically follows these steps:
Initial capture: The camera’s lens gathers incoming light and directs it to a lens. This captures the entire scene visible in the camera’s field of view, including barcodes and other objects.
Signal conversion: The camera’s sensor transforms light into electronic signals through the photoelectric effect. These signals correspond to barcode patterns and the other objects in the scene.
Digital decoding/image processing: The electrical signals are converted into digital form to create a binary representation of the scene. Computer vision techniques extract barcode data from the rest of the scene and send it on for further processing. While a single-capture scanner only identifies one barcode, a batch scanner identifies and decodes all barcodes within the field of view – a significant advantage when dealing with large numbers of barcodes.
Data processing and display: The barcode data is transformed into user-facing formats, such as a device’s display or an ERP database entry.
Advanced batch scanning implementations use the collected data to further enrich user workflows and business operations. For example, Scandit MatrixScan Count uses augmented reality (AR) to display blue checkmarks over items that are successfully counted. This helps workers verify their scans and businesses improve stock counting accuracy.
Never lose track of barcodes — even when they move out of the camera’s field of view.
Imagine a busy delivery driver picking through parcels. Rather than restarting the batch scanning process every time a barcode moves out of the field of view, Scandit software maintains awareness of all barcodes. This prevents workflows being interrupted and avoids confusion about which codes have been scanned.
Scandit’s multiple barcode scanning begins with sophisticated algorithms that detect and interpret all barcodes within the camera’s field of view. Each one is then tracked in virtual space as the device moves around, on-screen or off-screen, ensuring that no barcode is lost.
In the real world, barcodes will also overlap or be positioned at different angles — the batch scanning software must be able to handle these scenarios. This includes treating two barcodes with identical data as two separate, trackable items.
Augmented reality: Improving efficiency and accuracy
Augmented reality (AR) bridges the gap between physical and virtual worlds by overlaying digital information (e.g., text, graphics, or 3D models) onto real-world video capture. It enhances employee and customer experiences by providing contextual information about items and gives businesses new ways of improving operations.
Scandit batch scanning solutions include customizable AR overlays that display helpful graphics and text on a device’s camera feed. For example, MatrixScan Augmented Reality includes a library of pre-built but highly customizable overlays, so development teams can build their own AR-guided workflows.
Developed by a specialist user experience team and thoroughly user-tested, these overlays help improve two critical aspects of user experience:
Feedback: Immediate visual indications of which barcodes were successfully captured and which ones failed. This ensures users can quickly identify and correct scanning errors, reducing rescans and improving data accuracy.
Workflow guidance: Step-by-step instructions on the camera’s feed help users work through complex workflows and ensure data is captured accurately. For example, a warehouse worker scanning multiple shipments can receive visual prompts to ensure they have scanned all required labels before proceeding to the next step. Or a retail employee doing a stock count can get prompted about the products needing replenishment and the items to pick next. Developing intuitive guidance improves operational efficiency while minimizing mistakes.
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Real-world applications of multiple barcode scanning
Multiple barcode scanning transforms processes and workflows across industries. Consider a global fashion retailer managing order fulfillment from their supplier through to home delivery. Moving from single to multiple barcode scanning brings these benefits at each stage:
Warehouse: Workers scan entire pallets at a time during receiving, freeing up time for other tasks and instantly updating warehouse management software. Putaway times decrease as workers batch-scan items in bulk before storage.
Shipping: Warehouse workers scan all the items on a shelf to pick the right one, or verify order packing in bulk.
In-store: Associates scan shelves of products or boxes instead of manually scanning each item, reducing stock counting and in-store order picking time (pictured below).
Batch scanning for data enrichment
Batch scanning can also supplement other existing technologies. For example, it can enhance receiving operations where RFID tags may face interference from metal or liquids between the tag and the reader. Businesses deploying a joint RFID-batch barcode scanner solution benefit from both technologies: real-time location tracking and inventory counts backed by two data sources.
Emerging trends in batch scanning and barcode technology
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning already play a role in the complex mapping and decoding required for effective batch scanning.
The differentiating value lies in what's coming next: AI-driven analytics that transform raw barcode data into actionable business insights. For example, future systems will analyze sales patterns, inventory levels, and supply chain data to prioritize worker tasks. They will direct staff to restock fast-selling items first and identify which shipping containers should be unloaded before others based on current business needs.
This evolution shifts batch scanning from a data collection tool to an intelligent, connected system that actively optimizes operations.
How to select a batch scanning solution
When choosing a batch barcode scanning solution, you need to understand the basics first. It’s useful to know how barcode scanners work to compare the technology behind different types of scanners.
In addition to these features, you should consider the following criteria when selecting a batch barcode scanner:
Tracking performance: The software must track and display multiple barcodes in real-time to avoid data gaps and user confusion.
Duplicate processing: When the user encounters multiple barcodes with the same data, the software can behave in one of three ways: track one of them only and ignore the others, track them all separately, or ignore them all. As this situation comes up often (e.g., retail products on shelves), the best option is to pick software that tracks them all separately with clear feedback to the user.
User experience: Designing batch scanning and AR user experiences is a specialist skill. Essentially, you’re using a device camera to connect the three-dimensional, physical world of products, packages and pallets to a digital world. Scanning apps have similarities to other camera-based apps such as SnapChat – but they’re very different to an e-commerce app or something like WhatsApp. Unless you have plenty of time, deep pockets, and suitable expertise in house, designing user interfaces yourself may not be the best choice. For most people, selecting software that offers pre-built, user-tested batch scanning and AR components is a better option.
As scanning occurs in the real world, your batch barcode scanner should be real-world tested. This guide on how to measure barcode scanning performance walks you through test cases to validate your chosen solution. The only change for testing a batch scanning solution is to modify step #3 under “Best practice #1: Implement use-case-based testing”:
3. Cover various scenarios, including different barcode symbologies, numbers of barcodes, sizes, print quality, and backgrounds. Ensure barcodes enter and leave the camera’s field of view without impacting data capture.
Why enterprises choose Scandit for batch scanning
Scandit’s MatrixScan family of batch scanning solutions brings distinct advantages that make it the preferred choice for enterprises. All solutions combine sophisticated computer vision technology and user experience research to streamline multiple barcode capture and eliminate user guesswork.
MatrixScan supports different business needs with pre-built components and fully customizable options:
Batch scan and assign, track, and confirm tasks with pre-built interactive AR guidance.
Supported platforms:
Device support: Over 20,000 models of iOS and Android smart devices, including smartphones, handheld computers, tablets, fixed cameras, drones, and robots.
MatrixScan Count, MatrixScan Find, and MatrixScan Batch are also available through the Scandit Express application — a solution that sends scan data to any app with minimal or no integration effort.
All Scandit products also include comprehensive support and documentation that streamline integration and ensure a smooth deployment.
Security and privacy
Scandit follows the principle of Security by Design, ensuring that data collected during high-volume scanning is never collected unless authorized by you. No keystrokes or images are stored on the device after the scan is complete, and no images are transmitted. Scandit barcode scanning solutions are fully functional without network access.
Batch barcode scanning, also known as multiple barcode scanning, is a technology that allows users to capture one or more barcodes simultaneously.
Unlike traditional scanning, which requires scanning one barcode at a time, batch scanning enhances workflow efficiency by reducing manual effort and increasing the amount of data that can be captured at one time. Advanced batch scanning solutions combine data analysis with sophisticated user interface techniques to assist workers, such as guided stock counting using augmented-reality overlays.
How does batch scanning improve efficiency compared to single-barcode scanning?
Batch scanning eliminates the need to scan items one by one, enabling users to capture multiple barcodes in a single pass. This reduces the time spent on inventory counts, package verification, and order processing, leading to faster operations and improved accuracy.
Batch scanning also supports data-driven guidance to help users accomplish tasks faster. For example, it can direct workers on what actions to take based on the barcodes they scan or identify the item they need to pick based on scanned data.
What industries benefit most from batch scanning?
Batch scanning benefits various operations in retail, logistics, shipping, healthcare, and other industries that rely on barcodes to track items. Retailers use it for quick inventory counts and stock management. Logistics companies streamline package sorting and last-mile deliveries with faster barcode capture. Healthcare professionals ensure accurate tracking of medical supplies and patient medications.
Can Scandit’s SDK integrate with existing systems?
Yes, Scandit’s batch scanning solutions are designed for seamless integration with existing inventory, warehouse management, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Using Scandit’s MatrixScan family of products, including pre-built components and fully customizable SDKs, developers can implement batch scanning without major infrastructure changes.
How does Scandit’s MatrixScan technology work?
Scandit’s MatrixScan family of products uses advanced computer vision technology and proprietary algorithms to detect and track multiple barcodes at once. The software tracks each barcode individually as it enters and exits the scanning field, ensuring accurate data capture even as the user moves their device.
It also includes sophisticated augmented reality features that link dynamic UI components with contextual data to guide users through complex workflows.
What devices are compatible with Scandit’s batch scanning solutions?
Scandit’s MatrixScan family of products supports over 20,000 models of iOS and Android devices, including smartphones, tablets, and handheld computers. This flexibility allows businesses to implement batch scanning without investing in expensive new hardware.
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