Category: Scanner

The way consumers shop has evolved significantly over the past decade.

Improvement on the back-office processes could help deliver an impressive service for the medium size stores competing with major brands.

Take stock of the opportunities with these 10 ideas to help improve processes, customer experience and bottom line with print technology.

1. Price re-marking – As the saying goes time is money, and one of the most laborious and time-consuming tasks in retail is labelling and re-labelling products. Save time with a portable labelling printer which delivers on-demand printing in the aisle. Reliable WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity means it can always be with you, throughout the store and warehouse. Do your bit for the environment and avoid any wastage, as dedicated labelling printers print the exact number of labels required. In turn this saves money – a positive for any business.

2. Stock management – A quality stock management system can result in increased sales. Use a portable printer to easily create print delivery, goods-in and shelf-edge labels. Opting for a device over a manual process means that labels are accurate, avoiding guesswork when it comes to illegible handwriting which could lead to errors. Clear and concise barcodes can also be printed, making scanning simple.

3. Archiving – Having your archive in excellent shape makes it easier to view records and makes fulfilling repeat orders simple. Digitize your processes by scanning and automatically saving delivery notes to your business database. This reduces time and avoids filing mishaps. Using a portable scanner means the device can be located in the most convenient location, making it even more efficient.

4. Secure printing – Keeping sensitive customer data confidential is essential and can be achieved by using an NFC (near field communication) card or PIN activation. This ensures documents can only be accessed and retrieved by the person that pressed print, preventing data falling into the wrong hands. This process can also reduce costs as print limits can be set for each user.

5. Warehouse printing – Portable print, scan and labelling models can be used to create a wireless workflow. Devices can be used anywhere in the warehouse so there is less stock movement and operatives can label goods in the most convenient locations. This means products can be shipped to customers more easily and efficiently.

6. Back office printing – To operate at maximum efficiency, your back office needs to be organized. To print customer orders, dispatch notes and invoices efficiently, you need to invest in a system that can print quickly and manage high volumes. Reduce the burden of frequently replacing toners by opting for high-yield ink or toner cartridges, which produce even more high-quality, professional documents that are easy to read.

7. Queue management – A common customer complaint is wait time at the till. This can be reduced by introducing a few small changes. At a deli kiosk for example, you can manage waiting time by issuing customers with a wait number, using a hand-held printer. At the kiosk, a portable labelling printer can be used to label products, reducing time at the till which in turn creates happier customers.

8. Staff identification badges – Save time and money by creating your own staff and visitor ID badges. Badges can be quickly and easily printed, as and when required and are protected with durable lamination, making them look professional.

9. Capturing customer data – With a multi-function device, users can scan or copy customer ID, making their checkout experience faster as it can be processed there and then in front of the customer. Documents can be kept confidential with access limited to authorized users. In settings where you only need to scan, or you require added scanning functionality, standalone document scanners are incredibly feature rich. This makes them ideally suited to capture customer data.

10. Food labelling – With labelling of food allergens under the spotlight, ingredients can be clearly highlighted through labelling. Multicolor labels can be used to highlight allergens, making it easier for consumers to know exactly what they are buying and to avoid any risk of serious allergic reactions.

Check our retail solution page for many further insights to help you develop more efficient processes that create a foundation for growth.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in virtual medical consultations and remote treatment which has led to the rapid acceleration of digital solutions. This digital response has been heavily led by primary healthcare, as many secondary healthcare providers prioritized a focus on treating COVID-19 patients.

As such, the default for secondary healthcare remains as face-to-face consultations and in-person follow ups. However, in many cases, there is probably no need to visit a hospital just to have a conversation with someone.

Leading from the frontline

For many people, primary healthcare remained the first point of contact during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. To deal with the rise in demand and to minimize contact, they introduced telephone, email and virtual consulting. While this enabled continuity of care, it also ensured those who did need in-person appointments were able to get them.

During this time, there were widespread – and legitimate – concerns about potential damage to the health of those whose routine care had to be postponed or abandoned. Of particular concern was the need to manage the aftermath of the pandemic while also dealing with the potential explosion in the need for mental health support caused by it.

This is where secondary healthcare services can learn valuable lessons from the primary healthcare experience and drive their own shift to new digital ways of working. 

A changing landscape

Nowadays an increasing number of people are now using digital technologies to access medical information and manage their health. This includes searching for health information online, booking appointments, attending virtual health consultations and using digital technologies to manage their health remotely¹.

Transformations like this are seismic, saving healthcare workers and patients significant amounts of time.

Alongside many other sectors, healthcare has seen a switch towards remote working. However, healthcare faces unique challenges when it comes to sharing highly sensitive information such as patient records. Sharing physical records is costly and time consuming. It also creates issues around confidentiality and staff monitoring. This is where secure digital technology comes into its own.

And it isn’t just patient care that can benefit from this technological shift. Staff training and onboarding can be done remotely, protecting resources and reducing the need for travel.

We have the technology…

Healthcare technology to do all of this digitally already exists. What’s more, it can be easily integrated into current workflows so that it does not require additional resource or significant new staff investments. The onus now is on decision makers to update their IT strategies and invest in new frameworks that are fit for the future of healthcare provision as a core of healthcare, patient confidentiality is paramount in the switch to digital. IT departments will already be well aware of the security measures that need to be implemented. Many, if not all, modern devices like printers and scanners will have built-in security as pull printing, encryption and user authentication. The key will be providing training so that all staff members understand digitization so they can shift their thinking and habits away from the ‘traditional’ way of doing things.

To find out more about Brother’s healthcare technology solutions, visit https://www.brother.ae/en/contents/business-solutions/healthcare