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Barcode / QR Code Scanner

Barcode scanning is at the heart of the Maxilist experience, designed to make your inventory management faster, more accurate, and more efficient. By using your device's built-in camera, you can bridge the gap between your physical items and their digital records in an instant.

This guide will walk you through the powerful ways scanning is integrated throughout the app to reduce manual entry, eliminate errors, and streamline your most common tasks.

Core Benefits of Scanning:

  • ⚡ Speed: Look up items or add them to a list as fast as you can point your camera.
  • 🎯 Accuracy: Eliminate typos and errors that come from manually entering long serial numbers or SKUs.
  • ⚙️ Efficiency: Drastically reduce the time it takes to perform stock takes, receive shipments, or prepare orders.

Three Core Ways to Use Scanning in Maxilist​

Maxilist integrates scanning into three primary workflows: finding items, entering data, and performing actions.

1. Instantly Find Any Item (Scan-to-Find)​

This is the fastest way to look up an existing item in your inventory. Using the Global Search scanner, you can pull up an item's full details in seconds.

How it works:

  1. From the main screen, navigate to the Scanner screen.
  2. Your device's camera will activate.
  3. Point the camera at any barcode or QR code that you've saved to an item in Maxilist.
  4. The app will instantly find the matching item and take you directly to its detail page.

Use Case: You're on the shop floor and a customer asks for the price of a product. Instead of searching by name, you simply scan the barcode on the box. The item's page appears instantly with the price, stock level, and any other details you track.

2. Assign Barcode or QR Codes to Items (Data Entry)​

When you're adding new items or want to associate an existing code with an item, you can scan directly into a Barcode / QR Code field.

How it works:

  1. Create or edit an item.
  2. Locate your Barcode / QR Code custom field.
  3. Tap the scan icon positioned right next to the field.
  4. The camera will open. Scan the barcode.
  5. The code is automatically captured and populated into the field.

Use Case: You're receiving a new shipment. For each new product, you create an item in Maxilist and use this feature to scan its UPC directly into the "Product Code" field, ensuring perfect accuracy from the start.

tip

You can also manually edit the value of scanned codes using the edit icon on the custom field.

3. Streamline Workflows with the Cart (Scan-to-Act)​

This is where scanning transforms your efficiency. You can use your camera to rapidly add multiple items to the cart, preparing them for a bulk operation.

How it works:

  1. Open the Cart from the main navigation.
  2. From the main screen, navigate to the Scanner screen.
  3. The camera will open in a continuous scanning mode.
  4. Point your camera at the barcode of each item you want to add. Once the item (or items) are recognized, click on the item to add it to the cart.
  5. Once you're done, you can perform a Bulk Operation on all items in the cart at once (e.g., adjust their stock, change their location, assign them to a project).

Use Case: You need to move 50 items from the "Receiving" area to "Warehouse A". Instead of manually selecting each one, you use the "Scan-to-Act" workflow to quickly scan all 50 items into the cart, then perform a single bulk edit to change their "Location" field.

Troubleshooting and Tips​

  • Good Lighting: Ensure the barcode is well-lit. The camera needs a clear image to read the code quickly.
  • Hold Steady: Give your camera a second to focus on the barcode for a successful read.
  • Damaged Codes: If a barcode is smudged, torn, or poorly printed, the scanner may struggle. In these cases, use manual entry as a backup.
  • Camera Permissions: Make sure you've granted Maxilist access to your device's camera in your phone's settings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)​

Do I need a special device to scan barcodes?​

No. Maxilist's scanning capabilities work out-of-the-box using the built-in camera on your existing iOS or Android smartphone or tablet.

Can I create my own barcodes and print them from Maxilist?​

Yes! Our Integrated Label Printing feature allows you to generate and print labels for your items, complete with a barcode or QR code based on the data in their fields.

What happens if I scan a barcode for an item that isn't in my inventory?​

The app will notify you that no match was found. This is a helpful way to identify new or unregistered stock.

Does scanning work offline?​

Yes. All scanning functionalities are designed to work perfectly offline. Any actions you perform while scanning will be saved to your device and synced with the cloud as soon as you reconnect to the internet.