Barcoding, Inc. has a new tool to provide usage data on the mobile devices employees use at stores and warehouses

Barcoding, Inc., provides devices to help companies keep track of inventory and transactions in warehouses and retail stores. With a new software application, the Baltimore-based company is providing a way for companies to keep track of the devices themselves.

The Southeast Baltimore company is rolling out a new mobile application this week that’s designed to provide insight into the usage of the devices. Built for the ruggedized mobile computers with barcode scanners that the company provides in settings such as retail stores and warehouses, the Android application, called Get Smart, provides analytics to companies on when a device is being used, and who is using it. There are also features that can help find a device when it was misplaced, show data on whether it was dropped and record where it was taken.

“It’s giving a whole bunch more information about how assets are being used, which is informing them going forward on how many assets they need, where they need them located and so forth,” said Barcoding Vice President of Client Solutions Greg Henry.

Henry said Get Smart could be used on any Android device with Lollipop or higher. The application is built so all of its capabilities can be offered together, or a client could pick certain components.

Get Smart on a mobile device. (Photo courtesy of Barcoding)

The move toward developing a new application began by identifying how the product could improve upon current offerings. Unlike a case where a company would provide laptops to specific employees, Henry said the devices that Barcoding supplies are often checked out each time they’re used at a store or warehouse.

There are tools to keep the technology consistent and updated across devices, but they didn’t provide usage data. Henry used the example of a retailer who is rolling out equipment across multiple stores. But after the companies deploy the technology, they lacked data showing how many were being used. So Get Smart allows companies to have its “device population more readily available when folks need it, and not have to over-invest in hardware,” Henry said.

After early development inside Barcoding, the project was pushed forward after the company heard from a pair of key customers that they were interested in using such a feature.

This week, Barcoding is at NRF 2019 in New York, which is a large expo and conference for retailers. The company is demoing alongside Zebra Technologies, the first manufacturer to support the application. Along with meeting customers, Henry said the conversations at the event are likely to provide more feedback to continue improving the application.