Scandit - Detailed Review
Fashion Tools
Scandit - Product Overview
Scandit Overview
Scandit is a leading provider of smart data capture solutions, and in the context of fashion retail, it offers a range of tools that significantly enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.Primary Function
Scandit’s primary function in the fashion industry is to turn smart devices, such as smartphones and tablets, into high-performance barcode scanners and data capture tools. This enables fashion retailers to automate various processes, including inventory management, product information retrieval, and customer engagement.Target Audience
The target audience for Scandit’s solutions in fashion includes retail store associates, inventory managers, and customers. Retailers benefit from improved operational efficiency, while customers enjoy a more seamless and personalized shopping experience.Key Features
Barcode Scanning and Data Capture
Scandit’s software converts smart devices into efficient barcode scanners, capable of scanning single or multiple barcodes quickly and accurately, even in challenging conditions such as low light or at awkward angles.Augmented Reality (AR) Capabilities
Scandit integrates AR technology to enhance the shopping experience. For example, customers can use their mobile devices to scan products and receive real-time information, reviews, and availability, making the shopping process more interactive and engaging.Omnichannel Retail Experience
Scandit’s solutions help fashion retailers create an omnichannel experience by connecting online and offline shopping. Store associates can use mobile devices to provide customers with instant product information, process sales on the spot using mobile point-of-sale (mPOS), and manage inventory efficiently.Inventory Management and Shelf Visibility
Scandit offers tools for real-time inventory management and shelf visibility, ensuring that retailers can keep track of their stock levels accurately and restock shelves promptly. This helps in maintaining a well-organized store environment and reducing stockouts.Customer Engagement and Loyalty
By integrating Scandit’s technology into shopping apps and loyalty programs, retailers can collect valuable customer data, offer personalized discounts and rewards, and increase customer loyalty. For instance, Nisa’s ‘Scan & Save’ voucher app, powered by Scandit, boosted sales significantly while delivering discounts to shoppers.Conclusion
Overall, Scandit’s solutions are geared towards making fashion retail more efficient, customer-centric, and technologically advanced. Scandit - User Interface and Experience
User Interface of Scandit
The user interface of Scandit, particularly in the context of its applications for fashion and retail, is crafted with a strong focus on ease of use and efficiency.
Intuitive Design
Scandit’s UI is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, especially for frontline workers such as store associates, warehouse workers, and delivery drivers. The interface resembles a smartphone camera, making it familiar and easy to use for most users.
Scanning Modes
The scanning interface offers various modes to cater to different needs:
- Accuracy Mode: This mode helps users select a specific barcode from multiple barcodes in the camera’s field of view, using augmented reality (AR) overlays to assist in targeting the correct barcode.
- Speed Mode: Allows users to scan multiple barcodes consecutively without the need to tap the screen repeatedly.
- Batch Mode: Ideal for high-volume scanning, this mode captures all visible barcodes instantly.
Feedback and Assistance
To enhance the user experience, Scandit includes several features such as aiming assist, visual, sound, and haptic feedback. These features reduce user workload and frustration, ensuring that the scanning process is smooth and accurate.
Augmented Reality (AR) Integration
Scandit’s UI incorporates AR features, such as the “Find” mode, which helps users instantly locate items using an AR interface. This is particularly useful in inventory management and product location tasks.
Continuous Scanning
Features like Scandit SparkScan’s continuous scanning mode eliminate the need for users to press a button repeatedly, making the scanning process more efficient. For example, a fashion retailer using iPads powered by Scandit was able to resolve issues with hard-to-reach buttons by implementing this continuous scanning mode.
Performance and Efficiency
The integration of Scandit’s Barcode Scanning SDK has shown significant improvements in operational efficiency. For instance, OK Corporation reduced their picking time from 5 seconds per item to 2 seconds and achieved a 0% picking error rate, which was previously at 6%.
User Experience
The overall user experience is enhanced by the simplicity and effectiveness of the interface. New workers can quickly adapt to using the app, achieving the same speed and accuracy as experienced workers. This ease of use contributes to a better customer experience, as seen in improved order fulfillment and reduced wait times for customers.
Conclusion
In summary, Scandit’s user interface is designed to be straightforward, efficient, and highly usable, making it an effective tool for various retail and fashion industry tasks.
Scandit - Key Features and Functionality
Scandit’s Fashion Retail Solutions
Scandit’s fashion retail solutions, powered by AI-driven computer vision, offer several key features that enhance operational efficiency, customer experience, and inventory management. Here are the main features and their benefits:
Smart Data Capture Platform
Scandit’s core product is the Smart Data Capture platform, which includes software-based barcode scanning, ID scanning, and text recognition. This platform uses proprietary computer vision algorithms to enable any smart device with a camera to become a mobile barcode scanner. This functionality can be integrated into third-party apps using the Scandit SDK.
Barcode Scanning
The platform allows for enterprise-grade barcode scanning, enabling store associates and customers to quickly scan barcodes using their smartphones. This feature is particularly useful for inventory management, order fulfillment, and in-store product information retrieval. The barcode scanning capability is highly efficient and can be implemented quickly without major disruption to operations.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Scandit integrates augmented reality (AR) overlays that provide real-time information about products. By pointing their smartphone cameras at shelves, store associates can instantly view stock levels, delivery dates, price validation, and expiry dates. This AR feature also helps customers get more information about the items they are looking at, enhancing their shopping experience.
MatrixScan
MatrixScan is a feature that allows the simultaneous capture and decoding of multiple barcodes. This is particularly useful for stock taking and inventory counting, making the process much faster and more accurate. It simplifies tasks such as receiving items and ensuring stores operate seamlessly.
ShelfView
ShelfView uses proprietary image recognition technology and AR for stock management. It helps retailers manage their inventory more effectively by providing real-time visibility of stock levels and other essential product information.
Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) and Clienteling
Scandit’s solutions support mobile point of sale (mPOS) and clienteling, which enable store associates to make sales on the spot and establish long-term relationships with customers based on their preferences. This enhances the customer experience and makes store operations more efficient.
Inventory Management and Order Fulfillment
Using smartphones equipped with Scandit’s technology, employees can update stock data in real-time, ensuring accurate inventory levels across all store locations. This is crucial for fulfilling online orders and maintaining real-time inventory accuracy. For example, a US fashion retail customer was able to launch a ship-from-store service in just six weeks using Scandit’s technology, which helped them handle pandemic demand more effectively.
Cost-Effectiveness and Ease of Use
Scandit’s use of smartphones as scanning devices is cost-effective compared to traditional hardware scanners. Since employees are already familiar with smartphones, the training requirements are minimal. This approach also allows for a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy, further reducing costs.
Integration and Support
The Scandit SDK can be integrated into various enterprise architectures and third-party apps, making it versatile and easy to implement. The platform offers easy integration, top scan performance even on lower-end devices, and enterprise-level support, ensuring that deploying the technology is not a headache.
These features collectively enhance the operational efficiency of fashion retailers, improve customer engagement, and ensure accurate inventory management, all while leveraging AI-driven computer vision technology.
Scandit - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
Scandit’s barcode scanning technology is highly performant, even in challenging environments. Here are some notable aspects:
- Scandit’s scanning engine can capture barcodes quickly and accurately, even in poorly lit stock rooms or on damaged labels. This ensures high efficiency in inventory management tasks.
- The technology allows for the scanning of multiple barcodes at once using MatrixScan, which significantly speeds up inventory counting and other tasks.
- Smartphones equipped with Scandit’s software can scan barcodes up to three times faster than dedicated scanners, making them a viable and efficient alternative.
Accuracy
Accuracy is a critical component of Scandit’s offerings:
- By integrating Scandit’s barcode scanning into smartphones, fashion retailers can achieve real-time inventory accuracy. This is particularly beneficial for tasks like stock taking, replenishment, and fulfilling online orders.
- One notable example is VF Corporation, which achieved 100% inventory accuracy for omnichannel orders by switching from legacy scanners to Scandit-enabled smartphones.
- The technology also includes features like augmented reality (AR) overlays, which can provide instant product information and help in identifying any discrepancies during stock receipt, thus enhancing accuracy.
Integration and Ease of Use
Scandit’s solutions are designed to be user-friendly and easily integrable:
- The use of smartphones as scanning devices means employees are already familiar with the hardware, reducing training requirements. This ease of use contributes to higher adoption rates and fewer errors.
- Scandit’s Native and Web SDKs allow for quick and seamless integration into existing IT ecosystems, minimizing disruption to retail operations.
Cost-Effectiveness
From a financial perspective, Scandit offers several advantages:
- Using smartphones instead of dedicated hardware scanners is cost-effective. Additionally, a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach can further reduce costs.
- The flexibility and speed of Scandit’s scanning solutions can lead to significant time savings, as seen with OK Corporation, which reduced in-store picking time from 5 seconds to 2 seconds.
Limitations and Areas for Improvement
While Scandit’s technology is highly advanced, there are a few areas to consider:
- While Scandit’s solutions are highly adaptable, integrating them with legacy systems can sometimes be challenging. However, Scandit provides extensive support and consulting to help with this process.
- The success of Scandit’s solutions depends on the quality of the smartphones used. However, Scandit’s technology is designed to work effectively even on lower-end devices, ensuring broad applicability.
Conclusion
In summary, Scandit’s performance and accuracy in the fashion industry are highly commendable, with significant benefits in terms of efficiency, cost savings, and ease of use. While there may be some challenges in integrating with legacy systems, the overall benefits and support provided by Scandit make it a strong choice for fashion retailers looking to enhance their inventory management processes.
Scandit - Pricing and Plans
Pricing Model
Scandit’s pricing is based on several factors, including the specific product or add-ons, the support plan, and whether you are bundling products or use cases.
Plans and Tiers
- Professional/Employee Facing Apps: This plan is priced at $199 USD per month or $1,999 USD per year for up to 100 devices. This is not a per-device charge but a flat rate for the specified number of devices.
- Consumer Facing Apps: For consumer-facing applications, the pricing is $399 USD per month or $3,999 USD per year for up to 50,000 devices. Again, this is a flat rate and not per individual device.
Features
- Barcode Scanning: Supports over 25 common barcode symbologies, including UPC, EAN, QR Code, Code 39, and PDF417. The software can scan damaged barcodes, in low light, or at long distances.
- ID Verification: Supports over 2,500 documents worldwide, including PDF417 barcodes, Machine Readable Zones (MRZ), Visual Inspection Zones (VIZ), and identity photos.
- Cross-Platform Support: Available for Native iOS, Native Android, JavaScript, Cordova, Xamarin, .NET, React Native, Flutter, Capacitor, Titanium, Linux/C, and Windows.
- Security: No data collection unless requested; all image processing is performed on the device to maintain confidentiality.
- Batch Scanning and Augmented Reality: Features include batch scanning mode, accuracy mode with augmented reality overlay, and speed mode for successive item scanning.
Free Options
- Free Trials: Scandit offers free trials for their SDKs and no-code apps. You can download full-featured free SDK trials for various platforms or try the Scandit Express no-code app for a 14-day period.
- Demo Apps: You can test Scandit’s SDK without coding by downloading their demo apps, which allow you to evaluate the solutions without signing up.
Additional Support
- Evaluation, Integration, and Rollout Support: Included in the pricing are support services for evaluation, integration, and rollout, along with regular software updates.
For more detailed and specific pricing, it is recommended to fill out the “Get a quote” form on Scandit’s pricing page or contact a Scandit representative directly.
Scandit - Integration and Compatibility
When integrating Scandit’s barcode scanning solutions
When integrating Scandit’s barcode scanning solutions into various systems and devices, particularly in the fashion retail sector, several key points highlight its compatibility and ease of integration.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Scandit’s SDKs are highly versatile and can be integrated into a wide range of operating systems, frameworks, and third-party systems. This includes native mobile applications on iOS and Android, as well as web apps, ensuring that the scanning capabilities can be deployed across different devices and platforms.
Native and Web SDKs
Scandit offers both native and web SDKs that enable enterprise-grade barcode scanning. The native SDK can be integrated into new or existing mobile apps, providing fast and accurate scanning even in challenging conditions such as damaged labels or low light environments. The web SDK allows for browser-based scanning, requiring no setup or app download by the end user, and can be integrated into web apps with just a few lines of code.
Integration Methods
There are multiple ways to integrate Scandit into fashion retail applications. For instance, you can integrate scanning into native mobile applications using the Barcode Scanner SDK, or add browser-based scanning to web apps. This flexibility ensures that the solution can fit seamlessly into existing systems, including legacy apps and various databases.
Compatibility with Hardware
In scenarios where hardware scanners are used, such as with Zebra devices, Scandit can coexist but with some considerations. For example, when using Scandit with DataWedge on Zebra devices, it is necessary to stop the Scandit scanning process to allow DataWedge to function, as both cannot use the camera or hardware scanner simultaneously.
Easy Integration and Updates
Scandit’s solutions are designed for rapid integration, often taking as little as four weeks for existing apps. The web-based solution allows for hassle-free updates, ensuring that all devices access the latest version upon login. This makes it easy for retail IT teams to deploy and maintain the scanning solution without significant disruption.
Support and Partnerships
Scandit provides extensive support and partners with various retail technology companies to ensure maximum simplicity and operability. This includes assistance during implementation and ongoing support to address any issues that may arise, making the integration process smooth and risk-free.
Conclusion
In summary, Scandit’s integration capabilities are highly flexible and compatible across a broad range of platforms and devices, making it an effective solution for fashion retail and other industries requiring robust barcode scanning functionalities.
Scandit - Customer Support and Resources
Scandit Customer Support Overview
Scandit offers a comprehensive suite of customer support options and additional resources, particularly beneficial for users in the fashion industry using their AI-driven products.Support Levels
Scandit provides various support levels to cater to different needs. This includes 24/7 emergency phone support and email support, ensuring that issues are addressed quickly and efficiently. Their support plans are aligned with the customer’s needs, offering flexibility and reliability.Enterprise-Level Success Team
Scandit’s Enterprise-Level Success Team engages with customers from the evaluation phase through to day-to-day operations. This team helps with trials, solution design, integration, and customer success. They provide guidance on identifying the necessary smart data capture capabilities and selecting the right hardware for the customer’s specific requirements.Technical Support
For existing customers, Scandit offers the option to submit a ticket, which is promptly addressed by their support team. This ensures that any issues are resolved quickly, helping customers meet their project goals ahead of schedule. Technical support includes consulting mobile developers, providing code samples, detailed documents, and tutorials.Regular Software Updates
Scandit releases regular software updates every three months, ensuring that customers have access to the latest performance and feature upgrades. This keeps the technology up-to-date and optimized for the customers’ needs.Hardware Selection Guidance
Scandit’s experts help customers choose the right devices and accessories, considering performance and total cost of ownership (TCO). They also provide testing and benchmarking to ensure the selected hardware meets the customer’s requirements.Implementation and Integration Support
Scandit offers end-to-end integration support, including help with implementing best practices for user experience (UX) and performance. Their Solution Consultants assist in removing risks from the project, ensuring better adoption and performance in the field.Additional Resources
Developer Documentation
Scandit provides a wealth of information in their developer documentation, which includes guides on getting started with their SDK, integrating it, and more.Demo Apps and Trials
Customers can test Scandit’s technology in their environment with demo apps and a free 30-day trial. This allows them to evaluate the most suitable smart data capture solution and smart device for their needs.Guides and Use Cases
Scandit offers detailed guides and use cases, such as the one on creating a smarter model for accurate fashion inventory data. These resources help customers understand how to implement and benefit from Scandit’s solutions in their specific industry.Customer Success
Scandit’s customer success program is designed to help customers realize their key performance indicators (KPIs) and get the most out of smart data capture. This support extends from onboarding to adoption and value creation, leveraging Scandit’s industry expertise. By providing these comprehensive support options and resources, Scandit ensures that their customers in the fashion industry can effectively integrate and benefit from their AI-driven data capture solutions. Scandit - Pros and Cons
Advantages of Scandit in the Fashion Retail Sector
Cost Efficiency
Using Scandit-enabled smartphones for scanning can significantly reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to traditional dedicated scanning devices. The TCO of Scandit software on smart devices is typically one-third that of traditional scanners, allowing retailers to equip every employee with a scanning-enabled device without incurring high hardware costs.
Improved Productivity
Scandit-powered smartphones enable employees to perform multiple tasks with a single device, boosting productivity. This includes assisting customers, picking items for online orders, and conducting inventory checks, all without the need to carry multiple devices. For example, a large French retailer saved 11,000 employee hours per day by automating manual tasks with Scandit-enabled smartphones.
Enhanced Inventory Accuracy
Scandit’s barcode scanning technology ensures real-time inventory updates, significantly improving inventory accuracy. With every scan, inventory data is updated in real-time, achieving accuracy levels of up to 98.5% in-store and 99.99% online. This helps retailers make informed decisions and reduce the impact of overstocks.
Flexibility and Scalability
Scandit supports over 20,000 device types, making it ideal for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) models. This allows temporary staff to use their personal smartphones, reducing hardware costs for the retailer and minimizing training time since employees are already familiar with their devices.
Health and Safety
Using personal or assigned smartphones reduces the risk of infection associated with shared devices, which is particularly important in the current health climate.
Advanced Scanning Capabilities
Scandit’s technology offers high-performance scanning, even in challenging conditions such as dark stock rooms or damaged labels. It also supports multiple barcode scanning and augmented reality overlays, making tasks like inventory counting and shelf management more efficient.
Quick Implementation
Scandit’s solutions can be implemented quickly without major disruption to existing operations. For instance, a US fashion retailer was able to launch a new in-store fulfillment app in just six weeks using Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK.
Disadvantages of Scandit in the Fashion Retail Sector
Dependence on Technology
While Scandit’s technology is highly reliable, it still depends on the quality and functionality of the smartphones being used. Lower-end devices might not perform as well, although Scandit’s software is designed to work effectively even on these devices.
Integration Challenges
Although Scandit’s solutions are generally easy to implement, integrating them with legacy systems can sometimes be troublesome. However, Scandit’s support and consulting services are available to help with this process.
Training Requirements
While minimal, there may still be some training required for employees to fully utilize the advanced features of Scandit’s scanning technology. However, since employees are often already familiar with smartphones, this is typically not a significant issue.
In summary, Scandit offers a range of benefits that can significantly enhance the operational efficiency, inventory accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of fashion retailers. While there are some potential drawbacks, such as dependence on device quality and integration challenges, these are generally manageable with the right support.
Scandit - Comparison with Competitors
When Comparing Scandit with Other AI-Driven Tools in the Fashion Industry
Several key differences and unique features become apparent.Scandit’s Unique Features
Scandit specializes in smart data capture, focusing on barcode scanning, text, object, and ID recognition. Here are some of its standout features:Smart Data Capture
Scandit enables store associates to capture data using mobile devices, which can be integrated into various store operations such as inventory management, product information sharing, and mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) transactions.Omnichannel Retail
Scandit enhances the omnichannel retail experience by allowing customers to access real-time product information, reviews, and availability both online and in-store. This creates a seamless shopping experience across different channels.Inventory Management and Shelf Visibility
Scandit’s solutions provide real-time insights into inventory levels and shelf visibility, helping retailers manage stock more efficiently and reduce inventory distortion.Alternatives and Comparisons
FASHWire
FASHWire is more focused on market intelligence and trend forecasting. It analyzes global market data, consumer behavior, and historical patterns to help fashion brands make data-driven decisions. Unlike Scandit, FASHWire does not deal with data capture or inventory management but rather with refining collections and maximizing appeal through trend analysis.StyleSage
StyleSage provides comprehensive market intelligence, particularly in competitive pricing analysis. It tracks pricing, discounts, and consumer trends from thousands of online stores. While StyleSage is about market analysis, Scandit is more about operational efficiency and customer experience enhancement through data capture.YesPlz
YesPlz is an AI-powered tool that revolutionizes eCommerce product discovery with its interactive visual discovery feature and personalization engine. It focuses on providing personalized style recommendations and enhancing the online shopping experience. Unlike Scandit, YesPlz does not involve data capture or inventory management but is centered around customer engagement and product recommendations.VisualHound
VisualHound excels in product categorization, customer trend analysis, and visual search. It simplifies inventory management by automatically tagging and categorizing products. While VisualHound shares some similarities with Scandit in terms of inventory management, it is more focused on product categorization and visual search, whereas Scandit is broader in its application, including barcode scanning and ID recognition.Optitex
Optitex is focused on digital pattern making and virtual fitting. It uses AI for automated grading and marker making, reducing material waste and speeding up production. This tool is more specific to the design and production phase of fashion, unlike Scandit which is more about retail operations and customer experience.Conclusion
In summary, Scandit stands out for its smart data capture capabilities and its role in enhancing omnichannel retail experiences. While other tools like FASHWire, StyleSage, YesPlz, and VisualHound offer valuable insights and functionalities in different aspects of the fashion industry, they do not overlap significantly with Scandit’s core features. Each tool serves distinct needs within the fashion sector, making them complementary rather than direct competitors. Scandit - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Scandit in Fashion Retail Solutions
What is Scandit and how does it benefit fashion retailers?
Scandit is a company that provides smart data capture solutions, which can significantly benefit fashion retailers. It enables store associates to access real-time product information, manage inventory, and complete sales using mobile devices. This enhances the shopping experience, making it more experiential and efficient for both employees and customers.How does Scandit’s smart data capture work?
Scandit’s smart data capture technology uses advanced image processing and machine learning to scan various types of barcodes, even in challenging conditions like low light or damaged labels. This technology can be integrated into smartphones, tablets, and other smart devices, turning them into powerful scanning tools. It supports barcode scanning, augmented reality, and ID scanning, making it versatile for different retail operations.What features does Scandit offer for in-store operations?
Scandit offers several features for in-store operations, including mobile point of sale (mPOS), clienteling, and self-scanning devices. Store associates can use their smartphones to view stock levels, delivery dates, price validation, and expiry dates by pointing their camera at shelves. This helps in inventory management and provides instant access to product information.How does Scandit enhance customer experience in fashion retail?
Scandit enhances customer experience by providing personalized and convenient shopping options. Customers can use their own smart devices to access product information, check availability, and make informed decisions. The technology also supports an “endless aisle” concept, where customers can browse and purchase products not available in-store.What kind of support does Scandit offer to its customers?
Scandit provides comprehensive support to its customers, including technical support, analytics, and integration services. They offer SLA-driven support plans, regular software updates, and customer success programs to ensure the successful adoption and use of their technology. Customers can submit tickets for support, and Scandit’s team is available to resolve issues quickly.Can Scandit be integrated with existing enterprise systems?
Yes, Scandit’s solutions can be integrated into existing enterprise systems. They offer end-to-end integration support, including consulting mobile developers, providing code samples, detailed documents, and tutorials. This ensures that the smart data capture technology can be seamlessly integrated into the retailer’s current workflows and systems.How does Scandit use augmented reality (AR) in retail?
Scandit uses augmented reality to overlay digital data onto the real-world environment. Store associates and customers can use their smartphone cameras to view additional information about products, such as stock levels, delivery dates, and price validation. This interactive approach enhances the shopping experience and streamlines store operations.What kind of hardware does Scandit support?
Scandit supports a variety of hardware, including smartphones, tablets, augmented reality glasses, drones, and robots for logistics management. They also provide guidance on selecting the right devices and accessories to meet specific performance and total cost of ownership requirements.How does Scandit help with inventory management?
Scandit helps with inventory management by enabling real-time tracking and updates. Store associates can scan barcodes to check stock levels, update inventory, and manage e-commerce fulfillment efficiently. This reduces friction and ensures that inventory information is always accurate and up-to-date.What is the clienteling feature offered by Scandit?
Clienteling is a technique used by retail sales associates to establish long-term relationships with key customers based on data about their preferences. Scandit’s tools support clienteling by providing sales associates with access to customer data and preferences, allowing them to offer personalized service and recommendations.How does Scandit ensure data accuracy and reliability?
Scandit ensures data accuracy and reliability through its advanced image processing and machine learning algorithms. These technologies enable the software to scan barcodes accurately even in challenging conditions, such as low light or damaged labels. This ensures that the data captured is reliable and accurate, which is crucial for inventory management and customer service.