Problem solved: barcode scanning when the label does not match

About this project

Month by month, how a logistics platform for a Toronto client went from a simple brief to a live, multi-company SaaS product.

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In short

Staff can scan a barcode, QR code, SKU or reference — and when nothing matches, the system helps them pick the right item instead of guessing. Stock records stay accurate.

The problem

Freight arrives with whatever labels the sender used: a barcode, a QR code, the client’s SKU, or a reference number written on a delivery note. Some labels do not scan at all. A receiving screen that only accepts one perfect barcode forces staff into workarounds — and workarounds are where stock goes missing.

The approach

The scan-to-receive screen accepts any of those identifiers in one field, from a scanner or the keyboard, and then:

• Matches the code against the items the job is expecting, not against the whole catalogue, which keeps matches fast and accurate.
• Shows the matched item’s details so staff can confirm it is really the right thing before saving.
• When nothing matches, says so plainly — “no matches found” — and lets staff search and pick the item by hand instead of guessing.
• Asks for the quantity actually received, which may differ from the quantity expected, so short deliveries are recorded honestly.
• Takes an optional bin location and notes, so the item can be found on the shelf later and any oddities are written down at the moment they are seen.

The same pattern everywhere

Once the receiving flow worked, the same scan-and-match pattern was reused for scanning goods in and out, and for distributors and vendors matching their own inventory. One well-tested pattern, used in four places, is much safer than four slightly different ones.

Lesson learned

Design for the label that will not scan. The happy path takes care of itself; the fallback decides whether stock records stay true.