6 Bar Code Scanner Features To Consider For Asset Tracking

By Brad Vinson, Business Developer, Wasp Barcode Technologies

Many government departments and offices are turning to bar code scanners to replace manual data entry. By utilizing bar code technology, a user can enter data nearly 20 times faster and do so about 20,000 times more accurately. These numbers can be extremely important when it comes to tracking valuable assets that are purchased with grants or assets that have a dollar value that determines that they must be tracked.  In most cases, once a grant is provided, the government office or department is tasked with tracking each item purchased by the grant in order to create accurate documentation to stay in compliance. In many cases when an audit turns out to be incorrect, it can result in lost grant opportunities or money owed.

One example of a government-owned department needing assistance with asset tracking was the City of Dallas. The City of Dallas’ Department of Intergovernmental Services manages and oversees the purchase of Department of Homeland Security equipment for several operational units throughout the city, including the bomb squad, urban search and rescue team, SWAT, the DPD Intelligence Unit, the water department, and information technology. Collectively, these units own and operate approximately 4,500 assets, including armored vehicles, laptops, handheld police radios, mobile GPS systems, specialized equipment, and helicopter parts. These grant-funded assets are valued at more than $15 million. The department found that using a scanner to track assets made it easier to create reports, especially faced with an audit. They also experience extreme time-savings in man hours.

Below are six features to look for when choosing the best scanner to track grant funding.

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