Manually searching for items by name or code in an inventory form takes time when the warehouse is busy. Contractors.es now supports barcode scanning through the mobile app in four areas of the inventory module: sales, transfers, stocktaking and usage.
Scanner in the mobile app
In each of these forms a “Scan barcode” action now appears in the browser. When tapped, the system opens the barcode scanner built into the Contractors.es mobile app — the same one the user already uses to sign in and navigate the system from a phone. The app activates the phone camera, reads the code and posts the result back to the form.
The scan action is only shown when the form is opened on a mobile device with the Contractors.es app installed or on a phone with a camera-aware browser. On a desktop computer the option is hidden, because a barcode reader connected to the computer acts as a keyboard and does not need any extra integration.
Sales and transfers
When creating an inventory sale or transfer document, the worker scans items one after another with the phone camera straight from the shelf. The code reaches the form, the inventory item is selected automatically — no need to type a name or scroll through a list. If the code is invalid or does not exist in the database, the system shows an “Invalid barcode” message without interrupting the workflow.
Stocktaking
During a stocktaking session the scanner adds scanned items to the list of rows. The warehouse worker walks between shelves with the phone, scans labels of successive cartons and the system builds the document on the fly. Stocktaking rows can still be corrected by hand where the actual state requires it.
Material usage
On the usage form for inventory on projects, crews on the construction site scan materials straight from the warehouse stock. Once the code is read, the system suggests the quantity based on availability, and the user can adjust it before the usage is posted to the project.
What this changes in practice
- The warehouse worker registers items with the phone camera instead of scrolling through lists in a desktop form.
- The warehouse manager sees faster document creation and fewer typos in item names.
- Crews on site return material usage by scanning the label, not by recalling the name from memory.
- Stocktaking moves at the pace of scanning, not at the pace of clicking on a computer.