Using barcodes/RFID and scanner to help organize?

[Strouty]

I know that most people have a regular sized garage, but there are some of us that have a ridiculous amount of stuff and oversized (overstuffed in my case) garages. I am interested in trying to get things organized and I have lots of bins and stuff. I have a rather large stockroom as well as two large storage boxes and then my regular equipment and tools in the utility truck. I have been investigating warehouse type wireless barcode scanners and also RFID scanners. Some of my safety gear has RFID in the tags. I have spreadsheets with serial numbers for some items, but a lot is just a mess. Has anyone gone this route, if so what did you use? Also anyone work somewhere that uses either of these methods?

I really like the idea of having a location ID with a barcode. This would allow using the same container or shelf label over and over, just change the contents in the spread sheet. It could also help cut down buying things that are not needed. Especially if they have a shelf life. I know this can get pricey quick, but time and sanity are worth something.

 

[darkk]

We just bought a bunch of 35 gallon Rubbermaid Rough Neck bins with latching covers. Just the right size to fit the pallet rack we have. Going to number the bins and make a ledger with a list of what's in each bin. I lose so much ****, I can't afford it anymore, it's driving me crazy!

 

[Strouty]

I tried that, but the ledger gets messy quick and then I got confused and it was all over. I tried labeling them (bins) but the larger covered ones hold so much, that you can have 20 different things inside and never really know what is in them until you open it up and dig. My biggest problem is that I will rotate stuff from storage that is outside to inside and then things really get lost. I also tried clear bins, but they do not hold up to colder temps and heavier items. They work great for lighter things, but I don't have too many light things.

 

[koditten]

One of my dutys' is to use a program to do just this. Our corperation uses a program called Intelatrac. Once the program is up an running it is pretty slick. Scan the bar code and do the inventory and record the number. If the level is below a predetermined level, you are instructed to order the needed supplies. This info is sent wirelessly to the server, you can see all the data obtained from a PC.

We use the program to record equipment data as well as monitor inventory. I don't know prices because I'm just the programmer and one of the maintanance operators of the system. I'm sure there are other systems out their as well.

I've often thought this would work great for small buisiness and personal use.

KO

 

[hifi_hokie]

I've tried to get $16M operations to go this route, with no luck

Barcodes are great, if you're disciplined enough to keep up with the scanning. Forget to, and they're no better than a simple Excel table, Access DB, greasy clipboard, etc

 

[my58]

Strouty,

I find that barcodes are perfect for us hobbyists that have our projects sometimes interrupted by life or lack of funds.

I have done car restorations that have gone on for a long periods of time. Sometimes I worked on them every day for weeks other times months or longer could go by without me touching it because I was coaching little league or had house projects or family and work commitments.

Nothing is worse than when you purchase an expensive part more than once because you either forgot you already purchased it or you cannot find it.

My solution was pretty simple.

I have a label printer (started with a cheapy and have kept moving up till I now have one that prints indestructible labels like car rental dealerships use to mark their vehicles.) I have locations (bins, drawers, shelves etc) and each unique area has a bar code label easily accessible.

I have a small database that has a field :
with a drop down that Identifies if the item is for a specific project
the item name
the amount I paid
the date entered
a note field for entering info like where I purchased or whom I purchased from
a field for type of item (electrical, mechanical, upholstery, chrome, etc)
and a field for storage location.

(I also have other fields I have added over time to allow me to put priority on next purchase and other weird fields that allow me to also use the data for other things like a wish list or print a whats still needed before going to a car swap meet)

I have a cheap old laptop that has an old barcode gun attached and whenever I bring home a new item as I put it away I simply create a new record fill in a few fields it generates a new barcode label I put on the item and then I just shoot the shelf label of where I put it.

It only takes moments to do when you put an item away and a second to shoot when you remove the item to use at some later time.

It makes it easy to find any part, it's easy to print picklists of what Items you need to grab from places before the task of the weekend begins, you can run reports of what you have, what you paid, where you got things and even when you did a specific project because the database knows when you removed the item.

I even have created barcodes for suppliers I use like chrome shops or gauge rebuilders so when I send something to them I shoot a label over my workbench and it generates a shipping label and I know I have stuff at their shop.

This same set-up works well with tools if you often lend stuff to friends or other club members. Just put a barcode (or just enter item manually) and check it out to a specific name. This way when months go by and you need a tool but do not remember who has it, it is simple to locate.

You can do this with any database you want. There are many around like Microsoft access that is pretty much free or you can purchase anything from a few bucks to huge amounts.

I would be happy to share my code however the software I use needs a specific database engine and has a licensing fee that would not be justifiable to purchase for most people since they could do the same thing using free or nearly free programming environments.

If I can help you in anyway implement this in your garage please let me know.

 

[carhunter]

Great thread! I had similar thoughts but was afraid to start a thread LOL.
This might be the push I need to get something going, both for auto restorations and my personal ebay inventory.

One question is would be about barcode label sizing? I end up with a lot of little items to keep track of...maybe some sort of wire-on tag would work.

My58, your system sounds great. I could imagine a system for ebay or small vendors that would be linked to both inventory and shipping. Perhaps it would be able to scan usps/fedex/ups barcodes and upload info...

 

[kbs2244]

You know, I spent 20 years having the bar code business pay the mortgage.
Customers ranged from John Deere to the local bakery.
I never thought of the hobbyist market.

my58 has it down.
But it does take discipline.

 

[Strouty]

My58 your solution sounds like what I am looking for. I guess I will have to start really investigating this subject. I know that I will need a wireless scanner due to the remote storage boxes outside of the shop. It seems like it will take some time to figure out the system, but am looking at having lots of time on my hands. kbs2244 do you know a good source for used scanners? I have been looking at Motorola symbol MC9090 series like this one on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SYMBOL-MC90...757?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53eeed687d

 

[brownbagg]

so you going have a barcode tell you that what you are holding is a 16 oz hammer, cant you just look at the hammer instead and tell its a 16 oz

 

[Strouty]

so you going have a barcode tell you that what you are holding is a 16 oz hammer, cant you just look at the hammer instead and tell its a 16 oz

I guess you are missing the point.

 

[EW57]

Motorola LS2208 barcode scanners can be had for around $20 on ebay and are fairly easy to setup. Code 39 fonts (with text) are available & can be used with Word/Open Office to print barcodes on Avery labels.

I like the 14 gallon Rubbermaid Roughnecks, the smaller size keeps me from putting to much junk in them & keeps them at a reasonable (full) weight.

 

[Higgins]

OK Gang............

I've got a PC, I purchase the Scanner, put labeles on all my stuff!

Now how does one find the tool your looking for that is under a car, on the lift, or your kids put it somewhere???

I need a beeper to press a button to find those tools!!!!

AL

 

[my58]

Now how does one find the tool your looking for that is under a car, on the lift, or your kids put it somewhere???
AL

Oh, that is the easy part I left out of my programming, years of practice training myself to put my stuff away were it belongs and years of teaching my kids to respect my tools and things in general and putting them back were they belong. LOL

 

[kbs2244]

I have been out of the day to day scanner business for about 5 years.
So I am not up to date on the latest model numbers.
New ones come out as fast as PC models.
My favorite brands were Symbol (now Motorola), Percon, then Intermec.
It used to be the big difference was portable to wired, and laser to CCD.
But the wired have become cordless with 30 foot range and even Bluetooth.
And the lasers have become as rugged as the CCD.
(The CCD have no moving parts, the lasers use a oscillating mirror.)

For home use I would look for a PC keyboard interface that matches your system.
(I have a Percon on my system.)
This lets you scan any barcode into a program expecting a keyboard input.
You can get the large round, the small round, or USB.

The only choice for a printer dedicated to printing bar code labels is a thermal of some kind.
Then the choice is between thermal direct and thermal transfer. Thermal direct uses a special, heat sensitive, paper. The printers are cheap, but the paper can be expensive, and it will fade in time. Many of the cash register receipt printers are thermal direct. The thermal transfer use a ribbon and give you a wide choice of paper/ribbon chemistry matches for durably.
For starters, I would go thermal direct. You can just put shipping tape over the label to protect it from physical damage, and the light in a garage shouldn’t fade it for at least a year.
(You can print on a typical PC printer from some word processing programs using a bar code symbology as a special font.)

The prices you can see on e-bay let you know why I am not very active in the market any more. There is just no money to made anymore. (If anyone is interested. I do have a RS232 interface scanner in my closet. Cheap.)

 

[Delta74]

I always thought one would be handy IF you had the software to go with the barcodes, lets see Insurance will not pay me for my movie collection, you got 3,000 movies, great which ones we need a list. you have what tools? ok need a list.

would be super fast to scan the existing bar codes that would give you the titles, scan that fancy new tool while you still have the box, or the car parts, scan them in, keep track of what was bought for the cars, and when.

not so worried about printing my own codes, but thought it would make life easy for insurance and Borrowed items.

 

[rodm1]

I would like one with a beeper and GPS sow I can tell my computer to find the **** I can't find.

 

[BigE]

Check out Ford's Crew Chief system. It uses RFID tags to inventory all your tools before you leave the jobsite. That way, you don't leave one behind. I don't know if its available from another vendor for a garage, but maybe.

 

[admactanium]

If you have a newer smart phone or an iPod Touch, there are apps that will scan bar codes and build a database.

 

[Strouty]

I don't know if the smartphone programs can do what I am looking for but it is definitely worth investigating. As far as the RFID, I think you can have a stationary sensor, maybe by the door so it would know when something is out of the stockroom. I need to have standalone wireless unit due to the distances that I will have to go. I think that I could get what I would like for about $1500 used. I know this sounds expensive, but it would be used for safety equipment and rigging so my business would benefit from it as well as me!

 

[Sureshot]

I looked into RFID once and it was very expensive. We wanted to "tag" a bunch of oilfield equipment for ID purposes. Does anyone know of a cheaper RFID system available?

 

[Shadowdog500]

A friend hired a retired schoolteacher to help organize his shop. He bought tons of cabinets and racks and they took a lot of time figuring out where things go. After that she labled everything so others can find it. She also stops by a couple of times a week and puts everything away where it belongs so he can find it the next time. He claims his time is better put to use by jumping right to the next project and having her clean up an put things away than having to have down time between jobs doing it himself.

Chris

 

[Strouty]

I looked into RFID once and it was very expensive. We wanted to "tag" a bunch of oilfield equipment for ID purposes. Does anyone know of a cheaper RFID system available?

I found that the Zebra makes a printer that uses $15 rolls of paper (over 100 labels) to make your own RFID tags. They probably wouldn't hold up to oil field equipment, but you never know. I found the printer used for around $750. They also make a portable one that is a lot more expensive, but I could see advantages to using it. The cool part is that they can print the barcode too, so you have both RFID and barcode. I need to find out if I spend decent money on a scanner if RFID can be added later. It appears that the Motorola Symbol brand scanners have lots of add ons or quick change features.

 

[dladcock]

Not sure if this was mentioned. We snapped pictures of the container contents and laminated those to the lids of the storage containers. Makes it easier than opening every one to see what's inside.

dla

 

[Strouty]

Not sure if this was mentioned. We snapped pictures of the container contents and laminated those to the lids of the storage containers. Makes it easier than opening every one to see what's inside.

dla

That would work for permanent storage, but things rotate through my shop a lot. I tried numbering them and listing what was in bin number 1 on a spreadsheet. Every time you changed something you had to go to the computer, I feel the scanners that I am looking at will allow me to change on the fly, or at least at the source. I know that the hardest part of any system will be to stay dedicated to keeping it updated.

 

[Sureshot]

Isn't RFID Radio Frequency ID? So you have the small RF emitters and if you get close with a reciever it reads the signal. Like the pet tagging units.

 

[LSU]

Thanks for the posts. I've been thinking of something similar to track tools that get loaned out for church mission projects, etc. I never thought of using it to inventory the "parts/stuff" we have sitting around.

I'm not sure I'd use this for the "nuts & bolts" but I could sure see using this to show we had one white toilet seat and one kitchen facuet sitting in cabinet #3.

Usually after I've bought a part or something I find out that I already had what I needed sitting in a storage cabinet.

I think I could pay for this system in about a year and reduce my inventory of items/parts stored.

Keep the comments and suggestions coming.

Thanks.

 

[dladcock]

That would work for permanent storage, but things rotate through my shop a lot. I tried numbering them and listing what was in bin number 1 on a spreadsheet. Every time you changed something you had to go to the computer, I feel the scanners that I am looking at will allow me to change on the fly, or at least at the source. I know that the hardest part of any system will be to stay dedicated to keeping it updated.

Yes, the expanded model we tried was to list the stored items on a sheet, make two copies, leave one with the container and put the second in a notebook. We numbered the boxes, with corresponding pages in the book. The book has sections for categories, ie: household goods, her stuff, my stuff and so forth.

But, as you have pointed out, there is an investment of time, with any type of inventory control. The data must be updated. I would think that there are programs available to track inventory movement, although new items would need to be manually loaded the first time in the system.

The best thing we ever did was to donate, sell, give/throw away most of this "inventory". I realize you are working with a different scenario, and probably on a much larger scale than our little personal storage issues.

Here's a random link to a control software the integrates with Quick-Books. Might be a place to start your research.

http://www.fishbowlinventory.com/

dla

 

[Strouty]

Usually after I've bought a part or something I find out that I already had what I needed sitting in a storage cabinet.

I think I could pay for this system in about a year and reduce my inventory of items/parts stored.

This was my original intent and I agree that it would eventually pay for itself. I buy way too many duplicate items. I am working on cleaning up the storage area and the shop now, very slow going. I don't think I can get the scanner yet due to $$ but it is on my short list.

Yes, the expanded model we tried was to list the stored items on a sheet, make two copies, leave one with the container and put the second in a notebook. We numbered the boxes, with corresponding pages in the book. The book has sections for categories, ie: household goods, her stuff, my stuff and so forth.

But, as you have pointed out, there is an investment of time, with any type of inventory control. The data must be updated. I would think that there are programs available to track inventory movement, although new items would need to be manually loaded the first time in the system.

The best thing we ever did was to donate, sell, give/throw away most of this "inventory". I realize you are working with a different scenario, and probably on a much larger scale than our little personal storage issues.

Here's a random link to a control software the integrates with Quick-Books. Might be a place to start your research.

http://www.fishbowlinventory.com/

dla

Thanks for the link, I found some other options for very basic inventory that others may be interested in. I will get the links and post them.

 

[Strouty]

Here are some links:

http://www.homeinventorypro.com

http://www.intelliscanner.com/products/mini/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/garden/31hometech.html?pagewanted=all