Using Barcode to Track Vehicle Inventory

[andwrig]

Is anybody using a barcode system to track vehicle inventory? If so, are you using a system provided by your DMS or by a third party company? If it's a third party company, does it integrate with your DMS?

 

[joe.pistell]

good thread. Hope it grows!

 

[Marc McGurren]

Definitely something I would love to incorporate as well - even on spare keys too!

 

[NLorenzo]

I would love the ability to utilize line barcodes (or even better, QR codes) for inventory management and tracking which cars need to be "taken over" for photos, nearly every one of my managers and salespeople (and our lot guys, actually) is using a smartphone, and tying all these things together would make it easier to track cars, print out lists of cars to get sent in for pictures, check availability...

vAuto just knocked out their Android app a little while back and there's some elements of barcode utility in there, but I haven't had a chance to toy with it very much. I wonder how many of my managers I can trick into being my guinea pigs for that one or if I'm going to be the weirdo waving his phone at cars on the lot to try it out.

Probably the latter.

 

[andwrig]

I would love the ability to utilize line barcodes (or even better, QR codes) for inventory management and tracking which cars need to be "taken over" for photos, nearly every one of my managers and salespeople (and our lot guys, actually) is using a smartphone, and tying all these things together would make it easier to track cars, print out lists of cars to get sent in for pictures, check availability...

vAuto just knocked out their Android app a little while back and there's some elements of barcode utility in there, but I haven't had a chance to toy with it very much. I wonder how many of my managers I can trick into being my guinea pigs for that one or if I'm going to be the weirdo waving his phone at cars on the lot to try it out.

Probably the latter.

The eCarlist iPhone app and barcode scanner is hands down the best we've seen and we've used vAuto and Auto-nique iPhone scanners/apps.

 

[Blake Arbogast]

Anyone have an Answer????

Is anybody using a barcode system to track vehicle inventory? If so, are you using a system provided by your DMS or by a third party company? If it's a third party company, does it integrate with your DMS?

 

[yagoparamo]

We are able to generate a barcode when we print the window labels for the dealers, both Lithia and Autonation use this feature with us. It is a pretty simple thing to implement and I'm sure if you ask your data/photo company they can so it.

I have recently implemented this even in our back end so dealers with a booking phone app can use their phones in a computer to automatically book a car without having to type any info. Again, I'm sure everyone else can implement this as it is pretty simple.

 

[joe.pistell]

We built a bar code system for inventory mngt inhouse. Heres what we found:

• Stickers on outside of glass for best/fastest scanning.
• Stickers must be waterproof
• Sun fading on aged units is a problem.

After we got all the bugs out, I tracked bar code use vs stock # use. Stock #'s won 4:1.

Bar Codes = DNF (Did Not Finish)

 

[joe.pistell]

Blake,

We wired the bar scanner to our mobile phone "Inventory Condition Reporting Tool". Here's a screen shot below.


Lot managers, vendors, service peeps and sales reps could bar code or key in stock #. In my test, stock numbers won by a landslide.

 

[Blake Arbogast]

I want to be able to know where my vehicles are at all times. Here is my plan:

1. Car is purchased, barcode is assigned and printed - Service is automatically notified car is in transit
2. Vehicle arrives, bar-coded and scanned - Automatically Placed in Service Queue
3. Every department scans the barcode...Bodyshop, Detail, Shuttle Drivers, etc.

Streamlined...