Smartphones are everywhere today. Over a billion Android and iOS devices are in use around the world today, and more than two out of every three Americans own a device running a mobile OS. There are obvious reasons for this mass adoption: smartphones and tablets are easy to use, and they are capable of doing a lot. Their fast, intuitive touch-based interface make even complex computing tasks easy for a wide range of people.
Smartphones also have great potential in business and commercial environments, thanks to their portability, wireless capabilities, and ease of development. It is now very common to see smartphones and tablets in point-of-sale, mobile payment, inventory and receiving, and other tasks that benefit from mobility and intuitive interfaces. But what if a smartphone or tablet could be used in order management and order fulfillment in place of a desktop?
Scanning Order Items
Your method of verifying the contents of a picked order likely falls under two categories: you either use a paper packing slip with the items marked off one by one, or you might use a desktop computer with software that helps confirm that the order was picked accurately.
While either method may be working for you, there are some pros and cons worth considering. Using a packing slip frees you from your computer and allows you to take an item list with you into your warehouse or store. However, there is no way to confirm with 100% accuracy that you have picked the correct items every time. Meanwhile, the desktop route alleviates that accuracy concern, but restrains your ability to freely pick orders on your feet.
Using a mobile device with the right software platform gives you the best of both worlds. A mobile picking interface would allow you to pick orders on your feet, without having to return to a computer to make sure the order is picked accurately. The order checker from SKUlabs allows you to verify an order item by scanning its barcode; you’ll receive instant feedback for each scan, letting you know if the scan was correct and marking that item off of the order.
Shipping Packages
Ecommerce shipping is an industry that has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. The advent of web applications and fast server communication means that there is no longer a need for small businesses to drive their shipments to the post office or pay heaps of money for shipping software solutions.
However, most of today’s shipping solutions require the use of a desktop or laptop computer and a direct connection to the printer used for shipping labels. While this method does have its benefits, it restricts where you are able to pack and process orders for shipment. Unless you invest in a dedicated shipping area with a computer and printer in place, you may be stuck processing orders in a less than ideal space, like an office desk.
Fortunately, there are better alternatives. SKUlabs includes shipment processing in its order fulfillment interface. This means that as soon as you are done picking and packing an order, you can quickly and easily set up a shipment and print a shipping label right from your smartphone or tablet. We support any printer that is set up on a Google Cloud Print account, so any printer in your office that is configured will be able to print your shipping labels and other documents.
Mobile devices are quickly taking over the business world. It’s time that the order management and fulfillment industries caught up with the times, and SKUlabs aims to lead the way.