I use a mobile printer at work, so I know firsthand the benefits they can provide, but do you?  I thought it’d be good to take a look at a first-rate mobile printer to see what you might be missing out on.  I chose to focus on Intermec’s PB50 mobile label printer pictured at left.  The PB50 is Intermec’s newest mobile receipt and label printer and is the fastest portable receipt printer around.   The PB50 is a direct thermal printer that supports a variety of media, including- receipts, tags, fan-folds and labels.  Also capable of printing 2″ to 4″ labels, the PB50 is perfect for applications that require flexibility.  Equipped with Bluetooth and WLAN connectivity, the PB50 allows you to print labels or receipts wherever you need to.

Providing your workers with mobile printers keeps them productive and can increase the efficiency of your operations.  I experience this increased productivity and efficiency daily because of mobile printing.  When I need to print a label or tag I don’t have to worry about leaving the floor to return to a printer, my printer is with me at all times.  The PB50 can be with you at all times as well, and can be worn with a shoulder strap, belt clip, or mounted on a vehicle or cart.  Mobile printers like the PB50 are also rugged enough to be used in demanding environments such as warehouses and out in the field.  For more information, you can read the entire product profile for the PB50 Mobile Label Printer.  If you have any other questions about mobile printing or mobile computers that work seamlessly with these types of printers, please contact me at ehodges@barcode.com

After reading Part 1 of this post, you’re already familiar with two ways GPS technology can benefit your business- Navigation and Route Optimization.  Now we’re going to look at two more GPS applications, Route Auditing (which goes hand in hand with Route Optimization) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL).

GPS Route Auditing- also known as “breadcrumbing,” route auditing allows managers to record and monitor activities that have occurred in the field.  Route optimization finds the most efficient routes and route auditing makes sure they’re followed.  Managers can compare the actual route taken by drivers to the planned route to ensure that the most efficient course was taken.  This can save your company fuel costs and ensure your employees are providing consistent on-time service for customers.   Applications can record driving speed to deter speeding and provide data for accidents or insurance purposes.  Excessively high or low daily mileage can be tracked to monitor anything out of the ordinary.  A GPS can also measure stop times to ensure that employees aren’t taking excessive breaks, or that they’re complying with union laws.  GPS applications can also include a location stamp for deliveries.  When a package is delivered and scanned with a mobile computer to record the delivery, the GPS will also record the delivery with a location stamp.  This automatically records the location of delivery and can be used for delivery confirmation and proof of services.

GPS Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)- AVL can provide real-time visibility of the entire fleet to managers or dispatchers.  This allows supervisors to monitor employees in real-time to ensure that drivers are sticking to the pre-determined route.  Dispatchers can also locate the nearest available vehicles to route them to a customer site for service or pickups.  AVL also provides package tracking for customers, allowing them to access real-time data about their shipment.  Real-time information and monitoring can also increase security of your fleet.  GPS applications can help reduce the risk of stolen vehicles and increase recovery times due to automatic alerts if vehicles deviate from their routes.

For more information on Global Positioning Systems, mobile computers equipped with GPS, or GPS software, please contact me at ehodges@barcode.com.

With rising costs of fuel, many companies are looking to optimize their workforce through the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology.  Like me, you’re probably most familiar with GPS technology providing turn-by-turn directions.  In fact, I borrowed my parents GPS for a vacation in California and now I never want to go out of town without one.  But there is more to GPS technology than just navigation.  GPS can enhance a variety of mobile enterprise applications, including:

• Route delivery
• Field service
• Dispatch
• Logistics
• Fleet and asset management

Today we’re going to look at two of the ways businesses are utilizing GPS technology to support their mobile operations- Navigation and Route Optimization.

GPS Navigation- of course businesses can benefit from turn-by-turn directions as well.  GPS can provide your workers with accurate directions via the most efficient route.  This will reduce non-productive time because employees will know the exact location of their service or delivery sites and they won’t get lost.  In addition to saving time, GPS navigation can save you money by reducing fuel costs.  Employees will no longer take indirect routes or add mileage due to getting lost.  This will also benefit your customers as well, increasing on-time delivery performance.

GPS Route Optimization- route optimization uses GPS data to analyze activity and to determine the most efficient routes and assignments.  Companies can base their routes on proven calculations to reduce miles driven and improve fleet utilization.  Route optimization can help lower fuel costs and increase worker productivity by providing data such as travel time, slowdown areas and wait times.

Tomorrow we’ll finish up with two more ways your business can benefit from GPS- Route Auditing and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL).

Artists at U.K.’s Bournemouth University have created the first email service to deliver messages via snails equipped with RFID tags.  Co-creators Vicky Isley and Paul Smith have taken the term “snail mail” to a new level.  RealSnailMail.net, will allows users to submit emails that get sent to a tank of snails and two RFID readers.  RealSnailMail currently has 8 snails (or snail agents as they like to call them) carrying 20mm RFID disc tags to slowly deliver your messages.  Snails like the two pictured at left can pick up the message from one RFID reader and carry it around with them until they happen to pass by the drop off point (the other RFID reader).  This process can take days, weeks, even months.  RealSnailMail will officially launch on August 11^th, for more information about this project you can visit Boredom Research.

I got this question awhile back and thought it would be a good topic to cover for others as well.  The answer to this question explains some of the factors affecting barcode print size.

Question- I’m wondering how far you can reduce an ITF-SCC barcode and still have it read well.

1″ wide?  2″ wide?

Answer- The print size actually depends on several factors and there isn’t really a universal answer.  The biggest factors are the type of barcode printer you’re using and the type of scanner.  If you use a printer with a high DPI (dots per inch) you can make the barcode smaller.  Most barcode printers print at 203 DPI, but some printers are capable of 300 or 600 DPI, which allows you to print a smaller barcode with the same high quality.  The same is true with the barcode scanner, the higher the quality, the smaller the barcode can be.  You also need to take into consideration the environment the barcode will be scanned in as well as the material it is printed on.  Your best bet is to use a high quality barcode printer and a high quality barcode scanner, this should allow you to create a smaller barcode with good scanning quality.  So remember, the biggest factors affecting print size are:

• the symbol you’ll be using
• the environment it will be used in
• how it will be printed
• what it will be printed on
• how it will be scanned

If you need any help finding the right printer or scanner, please contact me at ehodges@barcode.com.