Wearable Tech: Why Ring Scanners Are a Good Investment Now

Where will your warehousing operation be in five years? Research suggests that the answer to that question depends on how well your team is able to accomplish three important goals:

• Decrease your order turnaround time
• Eliminate shipment errors
• Increase your inventory accuracy

The last of these is perhaps the most important. Improving your inventory accuracy, even by only 1%, has tremendous business impact, influencing your pick-to-ship cycle time and reducing the money you spend on expediting orders.

These essential goals are challenged by the fact that warehousing operations are expected to grow in complexity over the next five years, with an average increase of 60% in SKUS expected by 2020.

Where ring scanners come in

So why ring scanners? Three reasons stand out.

They are proven to make an impact

Like other wearable technology, ring scanners have a measurable effect on the productivity of your workforce. Without adding staff, organizations were able to increase productivity by 15% and reduce errors by 39%—and that is in comparison to voice-only solutions, which are proven to improve inventory accuracy compared to pen-and-paper systems.

They are easy to work with

One of the key strategies to keep costs down in today’s warehouses is to reduce employee turnover and streamline the training process. Ring scanners help with both: simple and comfortable, they demonstrate to your team your commitment supply them with the best equipment and reduce user fatigue. The point-and-shoot nature of ring scanners is incredibly intuitive, reducing the time and money needed for training.

They are better now than they have ever been

Impressive strides are being made in the wearable technology industry, and the Zebra RS6000 Ring Scanner is a great example. If you ever thought of ring scanners as fragile equipment, it’s worth checking out the spec sheet for the RS6000 with an eye towards the rugged 6 ft. drop specification and insane battery life (70,000+ scans per charge). Today’s wearable technology is also much easier to implement: Wi-Fi interference is no longer an issue, Android and ERP/WMS integration is simple, and advanced scanning algorithms mean that you don’t have to worry about smudged and dirty barcodes.

Getting started with ring scanners

If you’re considering investing in ring scanners, it’s worth talking to The SMS Group. As leaders in data collection and integration, we can help you weigh the pros and cons of wearable technology and assist with a smooth implementation. To learn more, give us a call at 937-498-2700 or fill a contact form.