Optimize Your Inventory Management with the Right Hardware

In an inventory-driven business, the right hardware can make a world of difference. Inventory management hardware includes a broad range of devices such as RFID, handheld terminals, scanners and label printers, all of which help enhance the accuracy of your inventory processes.

We partner with two providers in the market: CaptureIT and Delfi Technologies, to offer you the solution that best suits your business. On this page, you can find information about various hardware products, their applications and the differences between these solutions and Rackbeat’s mobile app.

Why Invest in Hardware?

Investing in inventory management hardware may initially seem like a significant expense, but the benefits are numerous and impactful:

1. Increased efficiency: Automated solutions such as RFID and scanners reduce the time needed to complete manual tasks, freeing up resources for other essential areas.

2. Precision and accuracy: Reduce the risk of errors with precise scans and real-time data, ensuring correct inventory levels and order management.

3. Scalability: As your business grows, the right hardware can easily be adjusted and expanded to meet increased demands without compromising efficiency.

When Does It Make Sense to Implement Hardware?

While our mobile app offers great flexibility and easy access, there are situations where specialized hardware is the most optimal solution:

High volume: If your business handles a large number of orders daily, scanners and handheld terminals can manage the workload more efficiently than a mobile app.

Complex inventory management: Do you have complex requirements for tracking and managing batch numbers or serial numbers? RFID and advanced scanners provide the necessary functionality.

Challenging environments: In warehouses with limited internet access or a need for long-range scanning, hardware like scanners offers a reliable solution.

Warehouse System with Scanner

Using scanners in a warehouse system can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of inventory management. To ensure that inventory data is correctly and instantly updated, it is essential that the scanner is either integrated with a warehouse management system or has the system installed directly on the scanner. This allows goods receipts, picking, and other warehouse activities to be immediately updated and synchronized in your system. A scanner without a system connection can lead to manual steps that risk errors, whereas an integrated solution ensures smooth and rapid inventory updates.

Hardware Products

Our partners from Delfi and CaptureIT offer a range of products that will save you considerable time in your inventory management and order processing. Here, you can read more about how they can be integrated into your inventory management to maximize efficiency and precision:

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

RFID technology enables tracking and identifying items using radio waves. This will streamline your inventory management by reducing manual scanning and human errors. An RFID tag works similarly to a barcode, but with the advantage that visual contact is not required, allowing a large number of items to be scanned over a short time, even from distances of up to 100 meters. CaptureIT and Delfi Technologies offer advanced RFID solutions that can be integrated with your existing systems to improve traceability and efficiency.

Handheld terminals and scanners

Handheld terminals are portable devices used for real-time inventory tracking and management. These devices are robust and designed to handle demanding warehouse tasks. CaptureIT and Delfi Technologies offer a wide selection of handheld terminals, customizable to different inventory needs, ensuring optimal functionality and ease of use.

Scanners are essential for fast and accurate data capture, whether scanning barcodes or QR codes. CaptureIT has integrated Rackbeat directly into their scanners, enabling quick setup and a seamless user experience. Delfi Technologies also offers a comprehensive range of scanners, customizable to your specific needs, including industrial scanners that withstand the most challenging environments.

Label printers

Label printers are essential for creating clear and durable labels for product identification and inventory management. They support various types of labels and can easily integrate with your existing systems. These can be used for traditional barcodes and RFID encoding.

Development and integration

To ensure that inventory levels are updated and synchronized in real-time within your warehouse system, it is important to note that the warehouse management system must be installed on the scanner or handheld terminal.

Both CaptureIT and Delfi Technologies offer development tailored to your needs. CaptureIT has also created a solution where Rackbeat is integrated directly into their scanners, ensuring a seamless connection between the hardware and your inventory management system.

Mobile App

Rackbeat has developed a mobile app, available for both Android and iPhone, which makes it much easier to manage essential inventory tasks on the floor. The app is connected to your Rackbeat account, so inventory handling is synchronized, and it allows you to:

Pick and pack orders. You can pick and pack your orders from your smartphone, with packing slips and pick lists right at your fingertips. Once all items are registered and the order is ready for shipment, the order status will be updated.

Conduct inventory counts and adjustments. It’s quick and easy to perform inventory counts or adjustments with the app, allowing you to adjust stock levels directly from the floor.

Register receipts and orders. As soon as new items arrive at your warehouse, you can register the incoming goods via the mobile app and place items into stock.

Scanner vs. Mobile App

The choice between using scanners or our mobile app depends on your specific needs and the complexity of your warehouse operations. Here are some guidelines to help you make the right decision:

When to Choose a Scanner:

Handling more than 50 sales orders daily: If your warehouse handles a high volume of sales orders daily, a scanner will often be more efficient than a mobile app.

Lack of internet connection: Scanners also work without internet access which is ideal for warehouses without reliable coverage.

Batch or serial number tracking: If your inventory management requires detailed tracking with batch or serial numbers, scanners are generally better suited.

Advanced scanning technology: Scanners support QR and RFID, which the mobile app does not.

Long-distance scanning: Scanners can scan from greater distances, useful when using pallet jacks.

When Rackbeat's Mobile App Is Sufficient:

Small webshops: For smaller businesses, the mobile app may be the most economical and efficient solution since it’s accessible on both Android and iPhone without requiring extra hardware.

Pick and pack: The mobile app works well for small-scale picking and packing. You can use your phone’s camera to scan barcodes, and once items are picked, your total inventory count will be updated.

If registering fewer than 50 orders daily: Here, you can quickly create orders, receive purchases, dispatch orders, perform counts, adjustments and stock transfers.

On-the-go inventory access: When you’re on the move, you can access your inventory from the mobile app, giving you the ability to answer customers or staff on stock availability instantly.

How to Choose the Right Solution?

The choice between hardware and a mobile app depends on your business’s unique needs and the complexity of your inventory operations. For smaller webshops or wholesalers, our mobile app may be sufficient, while larger warehouses with extensive and complex requirements may benefit from specialized hardware. Our partners, CaptureIT and Delfi Technologies, offer solutions tailored to meet your specific needs.

Whether you choose advanced scanners from CaptureIT or Delfi Technologies, or our flexible mobile app, Rackbeat can help you optimize your inventory management. Consider your specific needs and warehouse complexity when selecting the right solution for you.

For further information and advice, please contact us or one of our hardware partners.