Is it turning hard to track packages at each delivery stage and minimize lost or misdelivered packages when handling orders in bulk?
Do you often face customer complaints and dissatisfaction due to delivery delays and exceptions?
If yes, you are not alone.
While these issues are not entirely new to dispatch managers and delivery drivers, a surge in online shopping over the past few years has aggravated them further.
In fact, Statista reveals that retail global e-commerce sales are forecast to touch $8.034 billion by 2034.
Even when online order volumes rise, customers expect super-fast deliveries, with two-thirds of global online shoppers expecting to receive orders within 24 hours, which eventually strains delivery processes.
Fortunately, there’s a solution that can help you out – a delivery barcode scanner app.
Wondering how?
Worry not, as this blog guides you through what a barcode scanner app is and how it can optimize your delivery process to achieve timely and accurate deliveries.
Table of Contents
What is a Delivery Barcode Scanner?
A delivery barcode scanner is a device or app used to read and process multiple barcodes and labels associated with products or packages. It helps automate the tracking, management, and delivery of packages by quickly scanning barcodes and logging information into a system.
Here’s how it works:
- Scanning barcodes: The scanner reads a unique barcode (either printed or on a label) attached to a product or package. This barcode contains information about the item, such as its ID, destination, or delivery details.
- Data capture: Once scanned, the barcode data is transferred to a connected system.
- Real-time tracking: The scanner, connected to a system, enables real-time updates on the package’s location, status, and delivery time.
Delivery barcode scanners are commonly used in the logistics, transportation, and retail industries to ensure tracking and delivering shipments accurately.
Benefits of Using Barcode Scanners in Delivery Operations
The barcode scanning technology has become a vital part of the delivery process for businesses of all sizes. It brings precision and speed to every step of the delivery.
Here are the top benefits of using delivery barcode scanners:
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Speed and efficiency
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Real-time updates
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Customer satisfaction
Barcode scanning speeds up the delivery process by replacing manual data entry. Drivers can quickly scan packages, update delivery details, and deliver more orders in less time. As the system validates the barcode in real time, it helps update records instantly with accurate data capture.
Scanned barcodes trigger immediate updates to the delivery system, keeping both drivers and customers informed in real time. This helps reduce errors and improve the entire delivery process.
Timely and accurate deliveries reduce the need for customer service inquiries, making customers satisfied.
Use Cases of Barcode Scanners in Delivery Services
With so many packages, destinations, and time slots to manage, errors are bound to happen.
Barcode scanners offer reliable solutions to multiple problems. Here are some key use cases where delivery barcode scanners help:
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Package tracking and validation
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Real-time updates and notifications
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Inventory management
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Driver accountability
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Return management
When drivers scan the barcode on a package, the system automatically verifies the package’s details, confirming that it matches the delivery address. It, thus, helps prevent errors like delivering the wrong package to the wrong customer.
Barcode scanners on smart devices can trigger instant updates to both the driver and the customer. For example, once a shipping label is scanned, the system can send real-time notifications to customers about the delivery status.
Barcode scanning helps with inventory management during deliveries. By scanning barcodes before and after deliveries, businesses can automatically update their inventory records.
Delivery drivers scan the barcode on a package at different stages, such as when collecting it from the retail store, transferring it to a local warehouse or fulfillment center, or delivering it to customers. Each scan creates an entry in your logistics system that shows the parcel’s progress and helps determine if there was an issue from the driver’s end, making drivers’ accountability mandatory.
Barcode scanning is useful in handling returns. When a customer returns a product, the barcode on the return package can be scanned to verify its authenticity, update inventory, and record the return status in the system.
How Does Upper’s Delivery Barcode Scanner App Work for Your Business?
One of the top delivery barcode scanner apps for improving your delivery process is Upper. This route planner app integrates barcode scanning features to scan product labels at each stop for effective delivery management. Barcode scanning is available as an add-on for $50/month per company.
Here’s how the delivery label scanner app works in Upper:
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Route planning & barcode setup
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Optimize routes
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Dispatch & scan package labels
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Real-time validation & error prevention
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Track deliveries & notify customers
Start by importing stops and barcode details for each route with addresses via spreadsheet or entering them manually. You can also add up to 5 barcodes for each stop, customize delivery instructions, and set priority levels for each stop.
Upper optimizes delivery routes based on factors like distance, traffic, and time. The system ensures that each stop is assigned the correct package with corresponding barcode details.
Drivers receive their optimized routes on the mobile app and scan multiple shipping labels on packages at each stop. The app instantly validates each scan and makes sure the correct item is delivered to the right location.
If an incorrect barcode label is scanned, the app alerts the driver immediately, preventing errors and ensuring accurate deliveries. This real-time validation reduces the chance of mistakes.
Scanning a barcode attached to a package every time helps stay aware of its location and send automated delivery status updates to customers on the delivery status and estimated arrival times.
Struggling with the Wrong Delivery? Fix It with Upper’s Barcode Scanning!
Say goodbye to delivery delays and exceptions. With Upper’s barcode scanning app, make sure the right package reaches the right customer every time.
FAQs About Delivery Barcode Scanner Apps
Any business involved in product deliveries like e-commerce, logistics, and food delivery services can use barcode scanner apps.
Absolutely. Our app enables drivers to scan packages at each stop, ensuring that each one reaches the correct recipient.
Yes, Upper also provides users with the ability to capture signatures and photos, providing digital proof of delivery that can be stored for customer reference.
Conclusion
Barcode scanners are essential for efficient delivery. By boosting speed and accuracy, they help businesses meet the demands of fast-paced logistics. Barcode scanners help businesses avoid delivering the wrong packages, keep deliveries on track, and keep customers happy.
As delivery management becomes more complex, barcode scanning technology is no longer optional. It’s a must for businesses that want to stay competitive. With delivery software like Upper, businesses can achieve faster and more accurate deliveries.