Calling For Change: Time To Address The Overlooked Problem Of Data Capture

Boston, MA /PRNewswire/ - Personal mobile devices and digital tools for desk-based workers provide access to useful, real-time data, but frontline workers in businesses worldwide are suffering from a data experience gap, according to Scandit, the leader in smart data capture.

In Capture Value, Not Data, a resource launched today by Scandit, the company lays out how most businesses are struggling to accurately capture real-time data from tangible assets, leading to inefficiencies, a negative customer and employee experience, and poor decision making.

Instead, Scandit believes that companies should embrace smart data capture to collect, analyze and act on information from barcodes, text, IDs and objects, providing rich, actionable insights at the point of data collection and enabling real-time decision making, employee and customer engagement and workflow automation at scale.

"The way we capture data has not modernized or kept pace with other elements of data management, resulting in crazy scenarios where store associates hide in stock rooms to avoid engaging with customers, or warehouse workers repeatedly pick and scan items thousands of times a day. It doesn't have to be like this; data capture can be smarter," said Christian Floerkemeier, CTO and co-founder of Scandit. "Today's mobile computing and machine learning technology means opportunities are now available to unlock the next level of business efficiency and radically overhaul the customer and employee experience."

In an IDC Infobrief[1] sponsored by Scandit, IDC states that organizations which are effective in building data intelligence experience materially different business outcomes, with improvements in employee retention, customer experience and up to a 32% increase in revenue growth.

"The ability to accurately capture real-time product information is a transformative force for both customers and organizations. Supply chain applications will greatly benefit from enhanced insights into trailer, cube, and weight utilization rates, leading to optimized trailer loads and improved delivery efficiency. Smart data capture is a technology whose time has arrived," said Jeff Roster, Expert Advisor at Third Eye Advisory.

Heavy Reliance on Manual Processes Holding Businesses Back
Manual and pen-and-paper data capture, such as ticking off deliveries on a list or counting boxes, still play a large role in all businesses where physical assets must be quantified. Even businesses we think of as 'digital' still have a significant physical footprint. For example, from 2010 to 2019, Meta invested more than $16B in data center construction and operations in the United States alone.

Tools for frontline workers and customers are often slow to use and do not deliver instant, actionable insights. This means that data returned to the business in order to make decisions is inaccurate, incomplete and outdated. For example, if errors in retail inventory are corrected, companies can benefit from a 4%-8% increase in sales.

"Store associates are a retailer's most significant ongoing investment. By empowering them with smarter data, we can improve employee experience, productivity and efficiency in a single stroke," said Andrea Comi, Digital and Technology DTC Global Director, VF Corporation.

Calling for Change
In Capture Value, Not Data, Scandit calls for change, encouraging businesses to embrace smart data capture and improve business outcomes. Smart data capture delivers exponential productivity gains, richer business insights, increased employee satisfaction, enhanced customer loyalty, and ultimately profit and revenue growth.

To help enterprises benefit, Scandit has developed nine principles of a successful smart data capture strategy, and produced guidance for businesses on how they can follow a four-step strategic roadmap to implement changes and address the data experience gap.

Resources
Capture Value, Not Data

Video - Capture Value, Not Data

Why We Need to Capture Value, Not Just Data - Blog from Samuel Mueller, Scandit CEO and co-founder

What is GS1 Sunrise 2027? And Why It's Part of a Smart Data Capture Revolution - Blog

What is Smart Data Capture

About Scandit
We're the leader in smart data capture giving superpowers to workers, customers and businesses with unmatched speed, accuracy and intelligence. The Scandit Smart Data Capture platform enables smart devices, such as smartphones, drones, digital eyewear and robots to capture data from barcodes, text, IDs and objects to automate and provide insights for end-to-end processes.

Scandit accurately scans data up to three times faster than dedicated scanners in challenging light or at angles, on damaged labels, across multiple codes, with any smart device. Scandit enables innovation that delivers significant cost savings, increases employee retention and customer loyalty. We partner with customers at every step with trials, solution design, integration and customer success support included.

Visit scandit.com to learn why market leaders across retail, transport and logistics, healthcare and manufacturing like Instacart, Levi Strauss, Sephora, Hertz and FedEx trust us.