Many businesses using Exact Online still manage their inventory manually. Employees write down quantities on paper, enter data later via the desktop and hope everything is correct. The result? Inventory discrepancies, wrong deliveries and frustrated customers. In this article, we show you how to automate your inventory management in Exact Online with barcode scanning — and why it is a game changer for your warehouse.
Why manual inventory management fails
Manual inventory management seems simple at first glance: you receive goods, note the quantities and enter them in Exact Online. But in practice, things regularly go wrong. Employees forget bookings, make typos in item numbers or enter incorrect quantities. The larger your warehouse, the bigger the problem.
The consequences are significant. Inventory discrepancies lead to stockouts: you think an item is in stock, but when picking it turns out it is not there. Or the reverse: you order items that are already sitting in the warehouse. Both scenarios cost you money and damage your customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, manual data entry is slow. An employee who has to sit behind a computer to process bookings in Exact Online is not in the warehouse doing productive work. The delay between the physical goods movement and the administrative processing can be hours or even days — and during that time your stock levels in Exact Online are inaccurate.
The solution: barcode scanning for Exact Online
With the Barcode Scan App you fully automate your inventory management in Exact Online. Instead of manual data entry, your employees simply scan the barcode of each item. The app communicates directly with the Exact Online API and processes the booking in real-time.
This works for all key warehouse processes:
- Goods receipt: Scan the barcodes of incoming items and book them directly on your purchase order in Exact Online. Quantities are automatically checked against the order.
- Stock transfers: Move items between warehouses or locations by scanning. Exact Online is updated immediately, so you always know where each item is located.
- Outbound goods: Pick and deliver orders by scanning items. The app verifies that you are picking the correct item and books the delivery directly in Exact Online.
- Stock counting: Count your inventory by scanning items instead of writing them down manually. Differences are immediately visible in Exact Online.
Real-time stock levels in Exact Online
The greatest advantage of automated inventory management is that your stock levels in Exact Online are always up to date. As soon as an employee scans a barcode, the inventory is updated. There is no longer any delay between the physical action and the administration.
This has direct benefits for your entire organisation. The sales department can provide reliable delivery times because they see the actual stock. The purchasing department can order better because they know what is really in stock. And management has accurate reports in Exact Online for better decision-making.
Error-free operation with scan verification
The Barcode Scan App prevents errors because every scan is verified. When an employee scans an item while picking an order, the app checks whether the correct item is being picked. Does the employee scan the wrong item? The app immediately gives a warning. This prevents wrong deliveries and returns.
Verification also takes place during goods receipt. The app checks whether the scanned item is on the purchase order and whether the correct quantity is being received. This eliminates the errors that inevitably occur with manual data entry.
Faster warehouse operations
Barcode scanning is not only more accurate, but also significantly faster than manual data entry. Scanning a barcode takes less than a second. Compare that with looking up an item number, navigating through Exact Online and manually entering data — a process that easily takes a minute or more per booking.
In practice, this means employees can work up to 5 times faster. A goods receipt that previously took an hour is completed with scanning in ten minutes. Order picking is faster because employees no longer need to search: the app immediately shows the correct location from Exact Online.
How the Barcode Scan App connects to Exact Online
The Barcode Scan App is specifically developed for Exact Online. The app uses the official Exact Online API to exchange data. This means all item data, warehouses, locations, orders and stock levels are directly available in the app.
The connection works in both directions. Changes in Exact Online (such as new items or orders) are immediately visible in the app. And all scans from the app are processed directly in Exact Online. No intermediate software or manual synchronisation is needed.
The app works on any smartphone or tablet with a camera, and also supports Bluetooth and industrial barcode scanners. So you can start with your existing equipment and upgrade to dedicated scanners later as your volume grows.
Getting started with automated inventory management
The transition from manual to automated inventory management in Exact Online is easier than you think. The Barcode Scan App can be used immediately with your existing Exact Online environment. Nothing needs to be installed on your server or changed in Exact Online. Within an hour you can scan your first barcodes.
Try it yourself and experience how much more efficiently your warehouse can operate.