Reading barcodes efficiently and reliably is of the utmost importance in running your enterprise. Today technology exists to make this process seamless. One such example is the use of image based ID scanners or imagers. While they are known for their excellent read rates, you may also find that image based ID scanners open up new opportunities for you to identify, track and trace products and components on your manufacturing lines throughout the supply chain.
Developed in the 1990’s, camera based imaging technology uses rows of CCD or CMOS sensors arranged in a two dimensional array to generate an image of the symbol. The image processing makes it possible to decode both 1D and 2D formats. 2D symbols are favored for use in marking small items for tracking throughout their life cycle, a process known as Direct Part Marking, or DPM.
Area imagers enable multi-directional reading of barcodes which eliminates the need to accommodate the scanning device to fit the barcode in the frame parameter as is seen when using laser ID readers. The lenses of an imager autofocus to scan the barcode the first time. Imagers combine barcode decoding, image capture and signature capture all in one device. Imagers vary from laser scanners in that instead of trying to read reflected light off the barcode, the imager takes a picture of the barcode. This enables the imager to read a barcode in any direction on any surface.
A modern day example of how an image based scanner can transform your enterprise is looking at Walgreens. Walgreens is a pharmaceutical company based out of Illinois with 8300 stores nationwide. They decided, in 2010, to aim to make their company more mobile. They created an app with many useful features to its customers such as pill reminders, store coupons and their most effective option, refill by scan. Refill by scan uses an imager to take a picture of the barcode on their customer’s pill bottle so they can instantly send refill requests from their smartphones. This has proven so successful for Walgreens that they now see half of their prescription sales from the app alone. They now refill a prescription each minute of every day through the app. They have seen a dramatic increase in their customer base and sales revenue from their introduction as a key mobile player in the pharmaceutical world.
Image based ID scanners have demonstrated success in various industries such as food and beverage, automotive, electronics, retail, the postal industry and many more. These and many more industries have reaped the rewards of increased barcode read rates, lower maintenance costs due to fewer moving parts within the devices and increased revenue due to increased efficiency and reliability of these devices.
Is it time that you looked into securing an image based ID scanner for your enterprise? Abetech, through our partners at Datalogic Automation, offer several different fixed mount ID scanners to meet the many demands of your scanning needs. Give us a call today at 888-682-3113 to find out more on how these tech savvy devices can transform your warehouse operations. Take a look at our product page and contact us with any questions you may have on how to make these devices work for you.
