Scanning 2D barcodes

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 06 Apr 2016, 16:44

Hicksville wrote:Tried scanning the 2D codes for the first time today.
100% failure with my PDA, had to get my mate to scan them with his PDA before we started a new loop
(that's for the ones that we know would go through the letterbox) Any we missed, I just gave up on.
My PDA does scan all other barcodes though, so it's obviously the PDA at fault.
PS, my mate had 62 items on his PDA when we finished

But it took no longer as the managers say it takes no longer probably believing the bullshit from above them they probably are not worth the 1.3% that royalmail are giving them.

GRS · Post by **GRS** » 06 Apr 2016, 18:36

Scanned the 2D barcodes Monday and Tuesday but today not one of them worked. Every time I scanned one it came up with a stack of info on the screen and then said that it wasn't recognised. Put it down to a software failure and scanned the 1D barcode if it had one. Bloody pain though as the pda was fluctuating between 0% and 7% for a lot of the duty.

robbertwhitton · Post by **robbertwhitton** » 06 Apr 2016, 18:54

Had the brief from the Dom on Monday ,when I got back from a weeks holiday in Vegas,got given a leaflet and a handout,got shown it on rmtv,tomorrow we have some geek telling us yet more about it!!! Ffs,,,! Think I'll give it a miss,

toomuchcoke · Post by **toomuchcoke** » 06 Apr 2016, 18:58

Chewster wrote:An air-evac out of RM territory doesn't sound like a bad idea.....

Take off and nuke the site from orbit? It's the only way to be sure ...

Red_van_man_ · Post by **Red_van_man_** » 07 Apr 2016, 15:37

Had a cupla 2d codes that wouldn't scan the other day
, what a surprise ,and they expect us to type in the numbers , which incidentally were printed badly and were pretty unreadable ... Forget it !! As with other threads here , we got told the day before and Dom isn't really sure what needs to be scanned and what dosent , letters ? Flats ? Pkts ? All 3 ?? Clear as mud ... Happy days

Chewster · Post by **Chewster** » 07 Apr 2016, 17:05

I've been told that it's everything with a 2D barcode, packets, letters, flats. But it doesn't matter anyway, none of them seem to be working now. They were working a while ago, but this week I haven't managed to get many to scan, and the ones that have scanned have come up saying the number wasn't valid.

GRS · Post by **GRS** » 07 Apr 2016, 17:44

Same again today - couldn't complete a single 2D scan. The screen came up with a load of info on it and then a message saying that it is not valid so you have to cancel it off the pda. Second day running I've had this with two different pda but others in my office aren't having any problems so god knows what's causing it.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 07 Apr 2016, 17:53

I've not had a single one fail yet. Must be lucky.

stan_lers · Post by **stan_lers** » 08 Apr 2016, 21:56

What is the extra data included in the barcodes? It would be really useful if it included the customer's name so you don't have to type it in, but that would be asking too much.

What other extra information do they need, when it already includes delivery status/reason for non-delivery, and GPS/time?

Chewster · Post by **Chewster** » 09 Apr 2016, 05:25

stan_lers wrote:What is the extra data included in the barcodes? It would be really useful if it included the customer's name so you don't have to type it in, but that would be asking too much.

What other extra information do they need, when it already includes delivery status/reason for non-delivery, and GPS/time?

The 2D barcodes do actually include the recipients name and address, but unfortunately scanning that doesn't fill in the name for you on the next screen lol. Not sure what other info they contain, or for what purpose, a bit of clarification would be handy there.

My manager has an app on his phone for scanning the 2D barcode and getting the address etc from it which has come in handy a few times for miss printed labels

ewancurze · Post by **ewancurze** » 09 Apr 2016, 17:35

Don't get water on the barcodes as that seems to knacker them,chucking it down with rain here today and most of my 2D's would not scan.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 09 Apr 2016, 22:53

ewancurze wrote:Don't get water on the barcodes as that seems to knacker them,chucking it down with rain here today and most of my 2D's would not scan.

They've probably been printed by an inkjet printer

CAMPINGBLUNDERER · Post by **CAMPINGBLUNDERER** » 10 Apr 2016, 07:00

It's the home printed eBay codes that seem to be the worse in my case , as you say inkjet and water do not mix ( well they do and that's the problem ) , you can bet that if the code is smeared then the letters / numbers will be also

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 10 Apr 2016, 07:12

CAMPINGBLUNDERER wrote:It's the home printed eBay codes that seem to be the worse in my case , as you say inkjet and water do not mix ( well they do and that's the problem ) , you can bet that if the code is smeared then the letters / numbers will be also

I don't know why people use inkjet printers at home, if you don't do much printing then laser printers are probably better, no worries about ink cartridges drying out when they're not being used

toomuchcoke · Post by **toomuchcoke** » 10 Apr 2016, 11:19

GRS wrote:Same again today - couldn't complete a single 2D scan. The screen came up with a load of info on it and then a message saying that it is not valid so you have to cancel it off the pda. Second day running I've had this with two different pda but others in my office aren't having any problems so god knows what's causing it.

There was a software update on the PDAs a while back I believe? Prior to that update the software would just display all the information contained in the 2D barcode and then say "Not a valid code", post the update the software extracts the barcode number from the rest of the information. Sounds like you have a PDA (or few) that have for whatever reason not received the update[1], report them to management would be my suggestion.

[1] I believe the PDAs can only receive updates whilst on the charging rail in the office? (Hence why the "power connector" has so many pins.) If the PDA(s) in question where not properly seated on the charger when the update came through then they might have missed it? And if your office is anything like mine, there's every chance that anyone who's discovered their PDA won't read 2D barcodes won't report it to management but will just swap the PDAs around and take someone else's!