Your company might rely on barcode scanners for undertaking various routine procedures — including accurately identifying products and making the supply chain more efficient.
However, as barcode scanners can be expensive to repair and replace, you should do as much as you practically can to prevent or limit damage to these devices. In this spirit, it would bode well for you and members of your team to practise all the following procedures when using barcode scanners.
Regularly Clean the Barcode Scanner
A barcode scanner’s reading window can, over time, become dusty or smudged — and as a result, increasingly fail to read barcodes reliably.
For this reason, you should make a habit of cleaning this window with a damp cloth. Remember, though, not to apply strong cleaning agents — such as acetone — that could potentially damage the window’s glass or plastic.
Slip The Scanner into A Protective Case
Doing so can help reduce how much you need to clean the device over time. Of course, there will also be less chance of the scanner taking damage from a fall.
Workers can too easily drop barcode scanners by accident — and no matter how rugged a particular scanner might be, a protective case can still enhance its safety.
Inspect Cables Connected to The Scanner
Let’s assume, for example, that your Honeywell, Symbol, or Opticon scanner is not working quite as it should. If the device can’t seem to communicate effectively with your inventory management system, have a look at the cable connecting the two.
Are frayed wires breaking out from the plastic that is meant to keep them in the cable? If so, the cable should be replaced in case data transfer problems arise or persist.
Keep The Scanner’s Software Up to Date
Manufacturers can often bring out software updates for scanner models long after the given hardware products arrived on the market.
This situation underlines why, if you have been thinking of contacting our Motorola scanner repair centre due to performance issues with a barcode scanner from this American brand, you should first see whether a software patch rectifies the matter for you.
Take Care of Barcode Scanner Batteries
Do you have a barcode scanner that can only be powered by a battery? If so, you should make sure you routinely recharge the battery once its existing charge has started running low, instead of waiting for the charge to run out completely.
Also keep in mind that overcharging the battery could reap adverse implications for its capacity.
Avoid Using a Barcode Scanner in The Wrong Environment
Many scanners just weren’t built to handle high levels of heat or moisture. In many instances, then, a scanner can quickly incur damage if, for example, it is left on a car’s dashboard or used in an outdoor setting where rain is falling heavily.
By consulting the manual for the barcode scanner you are using, you will be able to ascertain how and where it can be safely used.
Be Proactive When Repairs Are Needed
No matter how carefully you look after a barcode scanner, it can still break or malfunction. For this reason, you should have the device inspected regularly so that if something does start going wrong, you can act on the problem as quickly as possible.
Remember that if damage to a barcode scanner is not rectified quickly, the problem could worsen, thereby running the risk of you being lumbered with even higher repair costs.
Fortunately, by contacting us you can arrange for us to assess your device free of charge. That way, we can report back with how much it would cost you to have us repair the barcode scanner. With your approval, we can fix the scanner and send it back to your UK business within days.