Android & Windows Barcode Application

[GetacFanboy]

I run an online business which requires me to ship anywhere from 40-70 packages per day (My business grew exponentially after the holiday season)

I'm the only one running my business, and I've had a few issues where I've accidentally sent the wrong package to someone because I put the shipping label on the wrong box before sending it.

Time is very important to me, so I thought that a quick way to prevent this from happening again is by placing bar codes on all my boxes that I can then scan to confirm it's the correct product before placing the shipping label on it.

I currently have a Getac Z710 which I use primarily in my vehicle for GPS navigation, however, I also noticed it has an actual barcode scanner built in!

Obviously, not having to buy new equipment or software is very important to me, as I am still a very small business and I do this full time. This is my ONLY source of income.

 

What I'm wanting is this:

Software that could allow me to print barcodes from Windows 10

When the barcodes are scanned from my Android Getac Z710, I would like it to display text that I put in from when I created the barcode (Such as the product title, value for customs, etc.) and possibly a link to the product page.

 

This would allow me to confirm that I am placing the shipping label on the correct box without wasting very much time.

 

For those wondering why I don't use an alternative method of verification, here's a list of things I cannot do and the reason I can't:

Open the box and look at the contents - I can not do this as it wastes a lot of time and tape

Write the contents on the box - I can not do this as a lot of items I sell are less than appropriate and could prompt bad reviews, and it could promote package theft, both of which harm my business. 

Write a confirmation number which corresponds to a product on the box - Checking that every digit of a number is correct can be ineffective and time wasting

 

 

If anyone knows of software that could let me use the barcode scanner on my Getac Z710 tablet, that would be great! Thanks in advance! 

[rcmaehl]

13 minutes ago, GetacFanboy said:

Software that could allow me to print barcodes from Windows 10

When the barcodes are scanned from my Android Getac Z710, I would like it to display text that I put in from when I created the barcode (Such as the product title, value for customs, etc.) and possibly a link to the product page.

What you're looking for is a barcode encoder. There are a bunch of free applications and even websites that do it.

What you'll need to decide is what kind of Barcode you want to use. There's about 30 or so current standardized barcodes. You'll want to make sure all your equipment and software can use the type of barcode you decide to use, and it can definitely affect future purchasing decisions. 

Regards

[Eigenvektor]

May I suggest using QR codes? There are lots of (online) generators, e.g. http://goqr.me/.

~Here's a free one for Windows: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/qr-code-generator/9pb220q9nzzr?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

 

It can hold more information and is generally more error resistant (and usually readable/scannable from further away). There's tons of (free) apps that can read it (e.g. Google Lens). Maybe your barcode scanner can read it, too.

[Zagna]

52 minutes ago, GetacFanboy said:

Write the contents on the box - I can not do this as a lot of items I sell are less than appropriate and could prompt bad reviews, and it could promote package theft, both of which harm my business. 

Write the contents on a Post-it note and place it on the box?

[GetacFanboy]

Just now, Zagna said:

Write the contents on a Post-it note and place it on the box?

I've actually tried this in the past! The reason I stopped is during transportation from my garage (Where I store my inventory) to my office (Where I place the shipping label), They all tend to have weak enough adhesive that they fly off, even when you make a conscious effort to move the pallet slowly. I even placed tape on the edges but found that while it mostly did alleviate the issue, the amount of time and tape this used just made using bar codes seem like a more efficient solution to me. 

[Zagna]

7 minutes ago, GetacFanboy said:

I've actually tried this in the past! The reason I stopped is during transportation from my garage (Where I store my inventory) to my office (Where I place the shipping label), They all tend to have weak enough adhesive that they fly off, even when you make a conscious effort to move the pallet slowly. I even placed tape on the edges but found that while it mostly did alleviate the issue, the amount of time and tape this used just made using bar codes seem like a more efficient solution to me. 

Then a nice label printer would be a good choice. Back at school, for inventory, we had a USB connected label printer that with its software would generate the barcode. Cheap QR code capable label printer maybe?

The specs on that tablet mention 2D scanning.