Snapshot
Do it Center is the leader in hardware and home improvement in Panama. With over 28 physical stores across the country, the company needed to make it easier for customers to find inventory of the products they need for their projects. A previous barcode reader had simply failed to perform in retail conditions. Scanning needed to be fast and consistent regardless of worn, dirty or awkwardly placed barcode labels and the glare of in-store lighting. Using Dynamsoft Barcode Reader, customers and reps can now scan an item or shelf label and instantly see inventory levels and locations. The result is a vastly improved customer experience and faster access to products needed to complete projects.
Introduction
Do it Center is the leading retailer in Panama, selling everything from hardware and tools to plants and pets across 28 ‘brick and mortar’ stores. The company invests heavily in technology and automation and has the largest eCommerce platform in the country. Customers are contractors or DIY enthusiasts who typically want to know where they can find inventory of a specific product across the company’s retail locations. The objective was to implement a barcode lookup system that would enable customers to locate inventory in real-time.
Challenge
Contractors needing larger quantities of tools or construction products were having to search the website to identify the correct product, which could be time consuming, especially with numerous variations in product dimensions and specifications. They would then be able to find inventory locations and either order online or visit the store for pickup. Do it Center wanted to enable their customers to simply scan a product in-store and see immediately what inventory was available and where. They also wanted to provide fast lookup of product information to equip store reps with product knowledge.
Do it Center had implemented an open source barcode library which simply did not function. Staff were wasting time attempting to scan items and failing. To scan successfully, the barcode needed to be crisp and clear, and easily accessible, which is very often not the case in a typical retail environment. The company needed a robust barcode reader that would scan every time, in the real-world conditions of a warehouse style retail store. Ease of use and reliability was key.
Dynamsoft Barcode Reader works flawlessly in our retail store environment.
– Ricardo Acevedo, Director eCommerce, Do it Center
Solution
Do it Center had moved to a new eCommerce platform based on Adobe Commerce. The team wanted a barcode reader that would work seamlessly with Adobe Commerce and just scan effortlessly, every time. They evaluated 3 barcode readers and opted for Dynamsoft based on performance and reputation among their developers.
Integrating the Dynamsoft libraries was rapid. The only development issues were some wrinkles due to the age of phones and internet connectivity issues in Panama rather than with the barcode reader itself. Phones in Panama are often older, Android models with low resolution displays and cameras, which are not usually supported by Adobe Commerce. Development took about a month.
Our previous barcode reader simply didn’t work in real-world conditions. Dynamsoft scans every time.
– Ricardo Acevedo, Director eCommerce, Do it Center
Impact
Previously, to get inventory details, customers had to find the product on the website, which could be frustrating and time consuming, given the volume and many variations of products. Now customers or reps can simply scan the item or shelf barcode and get instant product information and real-time inventory data across the 28 physical stores. The previous barcode reader simply did not work consistently. Now, scanning works reliably every time.
Store reps cannot possibly have knowledge on the vast selection of products stocked by Do it Center. Scanning the barcode means that they are now equipped with knowledge about the product to guide customer choice.
Products may run out of stock in-store, leaving the customer unable to view or buy them. Now customers or reps can simply scan the shelf barcode to pull up images and descriptions of a missing item and locate stock in another store. Similarly, when items are misplaced and dropped in the wrong aisle, the item barcode can be scanned, and the item returned to the correct aisle.
Products have dual barcodes: a Do it Center SKU barcode on the shelf, with pricing and stock details and a product barcode printed on the product itself. Scanning either will lead to the full item details on the Adobe Commerce platform.
Do it Center expects customers and store reps to scan 50,000 products within the first year, dramatically improving customer experience.
About Dynamsoft Barcode Reader SDK
Dynamsoft Barcode Reader is a premier SDK designed to deliver high accuracy and speed, even under challenging scanning conditions. By leveraging cutting-edge algorithms, developers can easily integrate robust barcode scanning into their solutions. The SDK’s flexible integration options also make it an ideal solution for applications requiring swift and precise barcode reading without the need for extensive development work.