PDA Barcode Scanner Training: 5 Essential Tips

PDA Barcode Scanner Training: 5 Essential Tips

The user who scans a barcode must be able to identify any issues with scanning and rectify them during the scanning process in order to prevent problems further down the supply chain. Likewise, knowing how the PDA barcode scanner works is only really the sure-fire way of rectifying problems in the first place.

Here are 5 top tips to help you manage your users and ultimately a barcode scanning operation.

Top Tip #1: Understanding barcode scanner interface

Probably one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of using a barcode scanner is understanding how the PDA scanner works. This is especially important when we mention the words Pocket PC and Palm. Even though a Palm barcode scanner might operate differently from a Palm barcode scanner, there are some differences (and similarities) which allow management of both types of barcode scanner easier.

For example, a Pocket PC barcode scanner will integrate well with Word and Excel, a massive plus if you need to inventory stock manually or make notes and later transfer them to a PC. Of course, a small resolution on your Pocket PC may pose a few problems when editing a document, but most Pocket PCs (and Palm’s) that support a resolution higher than 320×320 will make its operation much easier.

In addition, it’s important to know the different types of input available for your barcode scanner. Most Palm and Pocket PC barcode scanners offer the ability to write on the PDA using a stylus just as you would use pen and paper. However, the PDA barcode scanner may need calibrating to suit individual users, which may be a problem if a number of people are using the same barcode scanner. For most PDAs, using the keyboard onscreen is only the other option unless you have a built in keypad (which most PDA barcode scanners now do).

So, when choosing your PDA barcode scanner, consider the functionality, compatibility and issues that may be raised when implementing a PDA barcode scanner in your organisation. Pocket PC barcode scanners integrate much better with everyday applications such as Word, although types of user input, such as the stylus method or built in keyboard, are common between both the Pocket PC scanner and the Palm barcode scanner.

Top Tip #2: Knowing connectivity

Back in the day, PDAs could only really communicate with other PDAs and PCs via infra-red or serial COM (gasp!). The late 1990s brought wireless, although that really only became popular in the early 2000s when laptops came

Tags: Barcode, Essential, Scanner, Tips, training.

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