Case study · Warehousing
Fewer picking errors, one scan at a time
When a warehouse picks from printed lists, errors and missing stock are part of daily life. This is how we added barcode scanning and bin management to Business Central, so every receipt, putaway, pick and count is confirmed by a scan.
Project overview
Barcode-driven warehouse processes in Business Central.
- Industry
- Warehousing & distribution
- Client
- Confidential
- Solution
- Warehouse scanning
- Platform
- Business Central
- Timeline
- 8–14 weeks
- Team
- 3 people
- Devices
- Rugged handhelds
- Labels
- Item, bin and shipping labels
- Deployment
- Business Central online
Expected business outcomes
What the client set out to achieve
Scanning pays back through accuracy first and speed second.
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60–90%
Fewer picking errors
A pick is confirmed only when the right item and bin are scanned.
Target range; depends on labelling coverage
-
15–30%
Faster picking
Pick routes follow bin order and paperwork disappears.
Target range after staff are used to the devices
-
Continuous
Stock counts instead of annual
Cycle counts replace the yearly shutdown count.
Where cycle counting is scheduled weekly
Business challenges
How the warehouse worked before
The system knows what should be in stock; the warehouse knows where it actually is.
Receiving
Deliveries are checked against a printed order and keyed in later.
Locations
Stock has no bin locations in the system, so pickers rely on memory.
Picking
Pick lists are printed in order sequence, not walking sequence.
Counting
A full count once a year, with the warehouse closed for a day or two.
Customers
Wrong items shipped lead to returns, credits and unhappy customers.
Proposed solution
What the scanning build covers
Business Central's warehouse features with a mobile scanning app on top.
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Guided receiving
Scan the delivery against the purchase order, with label printing for anything unlabelled.
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Bins and putaway
Every item in a bin, with putaway suggested by rules and confirmed by scanning.
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Pick and pack
Picks sorted by walking route, confirmed per line by scanning item and bin.
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Cycle counting
Scheduled counts by bin or item class, done during the working day.
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Labels
Item, bin, pallet and shipping labels printed from the system.
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Warehouse reporting
Pick rates, errors and stock accuracy per picker and zone.
Project requirements
What the client asked us for
The request was fewer mis-picks. The foundation is bins: once every item has a place in the system, scanning can confirm it.
We involve pickers early. The app screens are tested on the warehouse floor with gloves and poor lighting, not in an office.
What the project had to deliver
- 01Every pick confirmed by a scan
- 02Every item in a known bin
- 03Counts without closing the warehouse
- 04Paperless receiving
Key challenges & considerations
What made it harder, and what we did
-
Items without barcodes from suppliers
What we did
Unbarcoded items were labelled in-house at goods-in, before they reached a bin.
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Wi-Fi dead spots in racking
What we did
Wi-Fi coverage was surveyed in the racking and the gaps fixed before the scanners went live.
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Temporary overflow locations
What we did
Overflow areas were set up as real locations with their own labels, so stock there stayed visible.
-
Peak season staff who need to learn fast
What we did
The scanning screens were kept simple enough for a temporary worker to learn in a single shift.
What we watched for
- Label everything before go-live
- Test the app on the floor, not in the office
- Fix Wi-Fi gaps early
- Start with one zone
Development process
Bins first, then scanning
The warehouse is mapped and labelled before any scanner arrives.
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Warehouse mapping
Zones, bins and putaway rules designed with the warehouse manager.
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Labelling
Bins and unlabelled items labelled, and label templates agreed.
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Devices and app
Handhelds configured and the scanning app set up for receiving and picking.
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Pilot zone
One zone goes live first so problems are found on a small scale.
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Full rollout
All zones live, cycle counts scheduled and supervisors trained on the reports.
Technology stack
Business Central warehouse, plus mobile
Standard warehouse management with a proven scanning app and label printing.
ERP
- Business Central warehouse
- Bins and zones
- Cycle counting
Mobile
- Scanning app
- Rugged Android handhelds
Labels
- Label printers
- Label templates
Reporting
- Pick performance
- Stock accuracy
Quality assurance & deployment
Proved on the client's own data before go-live
An ERP is trusted when the numbers agree. Configuration and extensions were tested in a sandbox on the client's own data, and finance signed off the figures before cut-over.
- Sandbox testing of every process on the client's own data
- User acceptance testing with key users, by scenario
- Migration rehearsals, reconciled to the old system
- Automated tests for extensions, run before each release
- Permission sets checked role by role
Deployment
- 01Pilot zoneOne zone goes live first so problems are found on a small scale.
- 02Full rolloutAll zones live, cycle counts scheduled and supervisors trained on the reports.
- 03Cut-over planA rehearsed cut-over with a checklist, opening balances signed off by finance, and a rollback point.
- 04Hypercare and warrantyConsultants on hand through the first month-end, and six months of free bug fixing.
Final deliverables
A warehouse the system can see
Every movement is confirmed by a scan, so the stock figure in Business Central matches the shelf and the wrong item rarely leaves the building.
The annual count is replaced by small daily counts, and supervisors can see pick rates and errors by zone to decide where to help.
- Scan-confirmed picks
- Bins for every item
- Daily cycle counts
- Warehouse performance reporting
Handed over to the client
- 01Configured Business CentralProduction and sandbox environments
- 02ExtensionsSource code and documentation
- 03Migrated dataReconciled and signed off
- 04Key-user trainingWith process guides
- 05Six-month warrantyFree bug fixing after delivery
Success metrics
How success is measured
| Measure | Outcome | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer picking errors | 60–90% | Target range; depends on labelling coverage |
| Faster picking | 15–30% | Target range after staff are used to the devices |
| Stock counts instead of annual | Continuous | Where cycle counting is scheduled weekly |
Verified reviews
What clients say about our Dynamics work
Verified reviews from our clients on the same kind of work, published on Clutch.
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