Scanning barcodes to capture patient, specimen and medication data is one of the best ways to ensure safe and accurate patient care. But using conventional handheld barcode scanners can be a bit cumbersome and inconvenient for nurses and technicians, especially if you have to carry and handle a bulky device or keep one tethered to a cart.

Fortunately, Zebra, a global leader in healthcare data capture and mobile computing, has created a compact and ideal solution in the form of what it calls a companion scanner.

Zebra’s companion barcode scanners are durable and enterprise-grade devices that are designed specifically for healthcare use, and they are small enough to fit in a pocket or to be worn on a lanyard.

One example is Zebra’s CS4070-HC companion scanner, which is a small, lightweight and wireless device that delivers high-performance barcode scanning with push-button simplicity. It’s small enough to be carried at all times, either tucked in a pocket or worn on a lanyard, but it’s made with durable, disinfectant-ready plastics that can withstand multiple 5-foot (1.5-meter) drops to concrete without missing a beat.

The disinfectant-ready design and IP52 sealing help prevent the spread of dangerous germs, allowing safe wipe-downs with a variety of harsh chemicals for regular cleaning.

The scanner itself is powered by Zebra’s advanced scanning engine and algorithms, which allow nurses and lab technicians to instantly capture virtually any 1D or 2D barcode in any condition, even if it’s smudged, dirty, poorly printed, or it’s being shown on an electronic screen.

The CS4070-HC also has day and night “do not disturb” modes where you can choose from a visual green light or red light as well as between haptic vibration or an audible tone for scanning result feedback.

Since the device is designed specifically for healthcare settings, it also includes battery technology that delivers full 12-hour shift scanning, and the battery is field replaceable and can be easily changed on the go. An LED battery indicator lets you know when a battery change is going to be needed, and you can just swap in a freshly charged battery for continuous power.

Zebra has also introduced a new series of healthcare companion scanners with its CS60-HC device. It’s lightweight and ultra-compact scanner that delivers corded, cordless, and hands-free presentation scanning wherever you need it.

Like the CS4070-HC, the CS60-HC pairs easily with other mobile devices with the tap of a button and foolproof Bluetooth and NFC technology. It also has a high-resolution megapixel sensor and Zebra’s exclusive PRZM Intelligent Imaging for incredibly fast and accurate decoding of barcodes on patient wristbands, medical vials, IV bags, specimen trays and more.

You can tuck the CS60-HC in a scrub pocket, wear it on a lanyard, or use it as a hands-free presentation scanner on a mobile cart or an in-room workstation. It delivers total mobile freedom with cordless and tether-free scanning, plus the ability to use a USB converter for corded operation when desired.

The CS60-HC also features an enhanced design for even better safety, with specialized disinfectant-ready plastics, improved IP65 sealing, a monocoque design, and inductive touch buttons to eliminate places where germs can hide. It also enables safe wipe-downs with the widest selection of aggressive healthcare disinfectants.

Also, thanks to a highly visible and green LED aimer for safety, the CS60-HC can be used in clinical areas where laser aimers aren’t advised.

Either one of the Zebra’s companion scanners is a great, convenient and effective tool to help streamline and improve nursing and laboratory workflows. It all depends on the level of scanning or imaging capabilities you need, as well as the safety features and flexibility you might prefer for your use case.

Our healthcare customers who use these devices rave about them and just how compact, reliable and durable they are for their nurses and staff. So, we certainly give Zebra’s companion scanners our highest recommendation.

To learn more about these devices and get full specs, a price quote and more details, contact our team at Tri-State Business Systems now, and we’ll be happy to help.

Warehouses and manufacturing plants are always under pressure to maximize efficiency and minimize costs, but today’s labor shortages, cost issues, and fulfillment demands are making it tougher than ever before.

However, many warehouses and plants can easily make some major efficiency and cost gains by looking in the right places, and that includes processes that are often taken for granted or overlooked.

A good example is any process where you’re doing data capture, whether it’s through barcode scanning or by manually entering data from paper forms or other documents.

Normally, if we’re using barcode labels and scanners to manage inventory, pick and pack orders, and track shipments or work-in-process, we might think we’ve already automated the streamlined the process.

If we’re dealing with printed documents or other paperwork, especially from third parties, it can seem like there’s no other option than to manually re-enter the data we need from those documents so we can get that information into our systems.

But that’s where many warehouses and manufacturing plants are missing out on some easy efficiency and productivity gains. Here are five ways that new advances in barcode scanning and imaging technology are enabling a much faster, less labor-intensive and less costly way to get things done.

Multi-Code Scanning

Let’s start by taking a look at barcode scanning, where we might need to scan a number of different barcode labels on a pallet or even on a single product or shipping box in order to track and manage inventory, inbound items in receiving, or outbound shipments.

Instead of having to scan all of those barcodes individually, one by one, newer barcode scanners such as Zebra’s 3600 Series Ultra-Rugged Scanners have built-in multi-scan capabilities that allow you to scan up to 20 barcodes with single trigger pull. You can use your scanner like a “wand” and simply move it across the face of a pallet or wave it around different sides of a box, and all the barcodes you need to scan are captured flawlessly.

Each time you use this multi-code functionality, you can shave seconds or minutes off typical scanning processes, and when you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of inventory items, assets or shipments, it adds up quickly to a lot of time and effort saved.

Form Field and Signature Capture

Another big advantage of Zebra’s new scanners and imaging technology is that you can use it to automatically read and capture data from form fields and even scan signatures from shipping documents or other paperwork. Instead of having to manually enter or re-enter that data into your systems, Zebra’s devices can capture and parse it directly from documents and even selectively scan and transmit data based on your preferred targets and configuration.

This way, you can choose what you want to scan and what you want to ignore, and it reliably and instantaneously captures that information and gets it into your warehouse management, ERP or other business systems. Since you can also use the same capabilities to capture images of signatures, it’s also a great way for importing signature verifications into your systems as well.

Long-Range Scanning

Yet another way to boost efficiency and reduce time and labor is with scanning inventory or assets from longer ranges. In many warehouses, for example, palleted goods or inventory may be located high on warehouse shelves, and when it’s time to pick and verify individual items or entire pallets, that can mean having to use a ladder to get up high or use a forklift to bring down the pallet so you can scan the right barcodes.

However, Zebra’s latest industrial barcode scanners can eliminate these steps by allowing you to scan barcodes from as far away as 70 feet, even through shrink wrap. This represents a 30% increase in scanning range compared to previous devices, and it’s helpful for any process that can benefit from not having to get within close range of barcodes in order to capture them. It’s also great for worker safety because it helps minimize some of the ladder use and forklift traffic in the warehouse.

Uninterrupted Scanning

To round out some of the easy wins you can get from newer scanning technology, another big help comes from improvements to battery capacity and performance.

For example, Zebra’s 3600 Series Ultra-Rugged Scanners have 50% more battery capacity than other devices on the market, so you can get 50% more scans per charge. That means fewer trips to a charging station and fewer interruptions to your scanning processes, which adds up to more efficiency and labor savings over time.

Cost-Saving Device Durability

Finally, while this next advantage isn’t about saving on labor costs, it’s about saving on your warehousing or manufacturing technology generally.

In the barcode scanning world, Zebra is already well-known for its unbeatable product durability, but its 3600 Series industrial scanners have taken ruggedness to an entirely new level, offering 23% greater durability than any other competing device.

These devices are virtually indestructible in the real-world use and abuse that we see every day in warehouses and on plant floors. They’re built to withstand drops to concrete from up to 8 feet and have survived tests involving 5,000 consecutive tumbles.

They also have IP65 and IP67 rated dust-proof and water-proof sealing, and they can handle a full-force hose down as well as submersion in water. They’re also engineered for extreme temperature resistance with corded models that can operate at temperatures of 122°F to -22°F, and cordless models that can withstand temperatures ranging from 122°F to -4°F.

All of this durability adds up to one simple benefit: instead of having to pay for expensive repairs or replacements for your damaged or broken devices, you’ll potentially save thousands of dollars on your IT budget and get extremely long life and the highest level of durability from any scanning device today.

Ultimately, these five ways to improve efficiency and minimize costs aren’t the only ways to improve warehouse and manufacturing operations with scanning technology. To learn about more the ways that you can create leaner and more cost-effective processes, connect with our team at Tri-State Business Systems, and we’ll be happy to set up a call to discuss more recommendations and potential solutions for your needs.

If you need to use barcode labels in your business, you always want a few basic things.

You want your label to stick, and you want it to be easily readable and scannable throughout the life of your application.

Those seem like pretty simple requirements, but they can become a lot harder to achieve if you don’t choose the right barcode label for your application. And that means picking the right label based on the environment where you’re applying it, how and where it’s going to be used, and specific challenges these factors might create.

This is why there are thousands of barcode labels to choose from, including many with specialized materials and matching ribbons to make sure your labels stick and remain readable and scannable for as long as you need.

But you can quickly narrow down your choices and find the right label by understanding the following key factors in label selection.

In this quick overview, our label experts at Tri-State Business Systems will walk you through the factors you should keep in mind, and provide some initial tips to help point you in the right direction. And once you have a good idea of what sort of label you might need, we can work with you to help select a specific solution from our selection of over 500+ stock Zebra labels and printing supplies products. Or we’ll connect you with Zebra and help you design a custom solution for your application.

For now, let’s jump into our quick guide to choosing the right barcode label and review the main factors to consider. 

Direct Thermal vs. Thermal Transfer

Direct thermal printing is designed for applications that require a shorter lifespan, such printing labels for office use or shipping.

Direct thermal printing doesn’t use ink, toner or ribbon. It creates the image directly on a paper label. But this means the image has limited durability.

If you need a long-lasting and durable label image and/or protection against temperatures, abrasion or chemicals, you need to use thermal transfer.

Thermal transfer uses a thermal printhead to apply heat to a printer ribbon. This melts ink onto the label, forming a much more durable image.

This process, combined with specialized label materials, can meet demanding application and environmental requirements. But you need to choose the right label and match it with the correct thermal transfer ribbon.

Thermal Transfer Ribbons

Wax Ribbons are for applications with little to no exposure to weak chemicals and/or moderate abrasion.

Wax/Resin Ribbons are for extreme chemical exposure and/or exposure to moderate abrasion, or where UL/cUL approval is required.

Resin Ribbons are for harsh to extreme chemical exposure and/or exposure to excessive abrasion, and UL/cUL approval.

Application Factors

Label Lifespan

If your label only requires readability for a limited time and doesn’t need resistance to chemicals, moisture, and/or abrasion, a direct thermal paper label will meet your needs. Otherwise, a specialty thermal transfer synthetic label is almost certainly required.

Surface

Different materials and adhesives may be required to adhere labels to curved or unusual surfaces.

Extreme Temperatures

Application temperature is the temperature at which you apply your label. Service temperature the range when your label is in use.

Standard label materials perform well when the application temperature is a minimum of 25°F, and service temperature ranges from -65°F to 200°F.

If you’re labeling outside these ranges, you need to use thermal transfer printing and labels, and probably a specialty adhesive.

Abrasion Resistance

If your label needs resistance to rubbing or scratching, use a ribbon with higher resin content.

Applicator Use

If you’ll be using a label applicator, the label must be cut differently so it peels off properly from the liner. Perforations aren’t recommended because they alter label stiffness, making it difficult to release from the liner.

Chemical Resistance

If your label will be exposed to moderate to extreme chemicals, use thermal transfer printing and labels. In the case of harsh and extreme chemicals, a high-durability resin ribbon is also recommended.

Indoor/Outdoor Use

If your label will be regularly exposed to outdoor conditions such as sun, rain or snow, it’s best to use a thermal transfer synthetic label.

Print Speed, Darkness and Dots Per Inch (DPI)

Certain label materials and ribbons will cause printing to be slower or faster, and some combinations will require higher print darkness and/or higher DPI. Synthetic labels may also be needed for proper printing. Keep these factors in mind and ask your label provider what you can expect.

Getting Help with Choosing Your Barcode Label

These guidelines should help you narrow down the barcode labels and printing supplies you’ll need to consider. But if you’d like to get expert advice, contact our team at Tri-State Business Systems to request our Zebra label and supplies selector guide, and get professional guidance.

We’ll walk you through the selection process and make sure you choose the right label, materials, and ribbon for your application.