Choosing Hardware for Your Environment

Why is it important to have a dedicated hardware partner on your WMS implementation project? Having a dedicated hardware team can help you make hard decisions – and then help you maintain those decisions after the hardware is live in your warehouse. 

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is what kind of hardware you will utilize for mobile scanning. The initial distinction to make would be between consumer and ruggedized devices. Depending on your environment, you may be able to get away with a consumer device – which is essentially a smart phone that has been mounted to a scanning gun (you also see consumer tablets with some scanning capabilities as well). These devices are often used in retail environments where light scanning is required. They are usually not intended to work well in very extreme or harsh environments.

Is a Rugged Device Right for You?

A rugged device, on the other hand, are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, dirt, and potential drops. They have a longer life expectancy than consumer devices, simply because they can withstand more bumps and bruises by design. Additionally, rugged devices may have an option for buttons and keys. Consumer devices are typically touchscreen, which can be difficult to use in environments where the person scanning must wear gloves. There are a couple of other important factors to keep in mind with a rugged device: battery life and long-range scanning.

Battery Life

Rugged devices are designed with longer lasting batteries than a consumer device. Think about it: consumer devices are not designed with the intention to run apps and scan barcodes for long periods of time. It drains the battery life quickly. To charge a consumer device, it must be plugged in because the battery is not removable. Rugged devices are equipped with long lasting batteries that can be removed and replaced – reducing downtime. There is never a need to dock a device in the middle of a shift with a rugged device.

Long-Range Scanning

The other major consideration is long-range scanning. Long-range scanning simply means the ability to scan from far away. This is an important feature in warehouses with high racking or vertical storage. Instead of getting on a high-rise to scan, the rugged scanner can simply be adjusted to scan at long-range, saving the time and effort of moving heavy machinery to scan. This is not an option with a consumer device.

While consumer devices might appear less expensive in the long run, their life expectancy coupled with other factors such as battery life and long-range scanning capability may not make them the best option for your facility.