Camera Barcode Scanner

NOTE

The Camera barcode scanner content element is a paid add-on. If you would like to use it, reach out to your Sana Commerce representative for more information.

A barcode is a machine-readable code which is visually represented by an image consisting of parallel black bars and white spaces of varying width. Barcodes are applied to products as a means of quick identification. There are different types of scanners that can be used to read the code. Sana Commerce supports camera barcode scanning and bluetooth barcode scanning. In this article you will learn how to configure the Camera barcode scanner content element, so that a camera barcode scanner could be used to add products to the shopping cart.

Usage of barcodes can bring a lot of benefits to your ecommerce business. Some of them are:

  • Entering the data manually can lead to a number of errors. With barcodes data entry is fully automated which limits the amount of errors that are made and data processed by barcode is far more accurate.

  • Barcodes can increase data collection speed. The data is available in real time.

  • Barcoding ensures better control of inventory and makes the inventory management easy.

If you have a high volume of sales, the process of adding products to the shopping cart manually can be prohibitively time-consuming. A barcode scanner can save you a significant amount of time if your products have a barcode.

Camera-based barcode scanners work by using a camera on mobile device to take a picture of a barcode image. Then, the device uses the image processing techniques to decode the barcode pattern and present the information to a user. Camera barcode scanners can easily read barcodes which are not ideally presented or aligned. Besides, in comparison to other readers they can scan more data-robust code.

Camera-based barcode scanning is easy to use, cost effective and scalable. Camera barcode scanning can make it easier for you to conduct business.

Requirements

  • Barcodes must be added to products and product variants in the ERP system.

  • Barcodes added to products in ERP must match barcodes printed on physical products.

  • The barcode formats which you use for the products you sell must be selected in the settings of the Camera barcode scanner content element.

For more information about how to configure barcodes in different ERP systems see:

Microsoft Dynamics NAV: Bar Codes
Microsoft Dynamics AX: Bar Codes
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Bar Codes
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations: Bar Codes
SAP Business One: Bar Codes
SAP ERP: Bar Codes
SAP S/4HANA: Bar Codes

Configure Camera Barcode Scanner Content Element

Camera barcode scanner is a content element which is used to add a button to the web pages (content pages, product and product list pages) and system pages of the Sana web store. This is just a button that activates the camera barcode scanning mode. Using the Camera barcode scanner content element, you can scan the product barcodes and quickly add them to the shopping cart.

If a product is out of stock and the option Availability depends on stock is enabled in Sana Admin, then this product cannot be added to the shopping cart using the camera barcode scanner.

Note that if you have product quantities configured in your ERP system, then the product quantities will be considered when products are scanned in the Sana web store.

For more information about how to configure product quantities in different ERP systems see:

Microsoft Dynamics NAV: Item Quantity
Microsoft Dynamics AX: Product Quantities
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Item Quantity
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations: Product Quantities
Microsoft Dynamics GP: Item Quantity
SAP Business One: Product Quantity
SAP ERP: Material Quantity
SAP S/4HANA: Material Quantity

To add products to the shopping cart by scanning barcodes with a camera, the webstore must have access to the camera.

Content Tab

The table below provides description of the Camera barcode scanner content element settings on the Content tab.

Field

Description

Button

Button style

Use this setting to style the camera barcode scan button. Clicking on this button opens the pop-up where a product barcode can be scanned using camera.

The following options are available:

  • Show as button

  • Show as icon

  • Show as icon with text

Icon

Use this field to add the camera barcode scanner icon. If you leave this field empty the default icon will be shown.

Hover icon

Use this field to add the camera barcode scanner hover icon. When a user hovers over the icon in the Sana web store, the icon changes to the one specified in this field.

Actions

Action after successful scan

Use this field to specify whether a product should be added automatically to the shopping cart or manually after a user successfully scans a product barcode with a camera.

The following options are available:

  • Automatically add to cart - when a user scans a product barcode with a camera, a product is automatically added to the shopping cart with the default quantity and unit of measure.

  • Manually add to cart - when a user scans a product barcode with a camera, a product will be shown in the camera barcode scanning window. A user can select the necessary quantity and unit of measure before adding a product to the shopping cart.

Action link

Use this field to control the behavior of the link shown in the pop-up. The pop-up which is used for camera barcode scanning opens when a user clicks on the camera barcode scanner button in the Sana web store.

The following options are available:

  • No action – the link is not shown in the pop-up. You can use this option, in case you add the Camera barcode scanner content element to the Basket system page. In this case camera barcode scanning window will be opened in the shopping cart and when a user scans product barcodes using camera, the products will be automatically added to the shopping cart. After all the necessary products are added a user just needs to close the window.

  • Continue to shopping cart – by clicking on the link a user will be redirected to the shopping cart.

  • Continue to checkout – by clicking on the link a user will be redirected to the checkout.

Duplicate forget time

Enter the duplicate forget time.

This is the interval of time which should pass before the same barcode can be scanned again.

It is useful to specify the duplicate forget time to avoid the barcode to be scanned several times by mistake.

Sound after successful scan

Enable this option if you need a mobile device to produce a sound after a barcode is successfully scanned.

The sound will work only if it is supported by the mobile device and it is enabled in the settings of the mobile device.

Vibration after successful scan

Enable this option if you need a mobile device to vibrate after a barcode is successfully scanned.

The vibration will work only if it is supported by the mobile device and it is enabled in the settings of the mobile device.

1D Barcodes / 2D Barcodes

Select the barcode formats which you use for the products you sell.

Advanced Tab

On the Advanced tab of the Camera barcode scanner content element, you can configure height, width and spacing settings.

For more information about advanced settings, see Content Elements.