Barcoding - What BRM does and does not do

Barcoding - What BRM Does and Does Not Do

Here is what BRM does and doesn't do with barcodes.

(remember this is entirely optional - everything you can do in BRM using barcodes you can also do with keyboard and mouse data entry.  Nor are barcodes a silver bullet to make things run smoothly, they are simply a means of getting data into BRM quickly and without error )

First of all some examples and definitions;

example	data inside	notes
	MB12	this is a 1D barcode, great for simple ID's on inventory. Please note the MB12 written underneath is not part of the barcode it is an option so that humans can also read the code!
	https://us.bikerentalmanager.com/waivers/?shop=dstestthurs&kiosk_name=public	this is a 2D barcode, (or QR code) great for more complex data like a web URL (and great when the reading device is a tablet or mobile phone)

What BRM does do:

1. BRM prints 1D barcodes onto rental tickets - if you want it to.  If you're using EVO mode, this lets you tie together rental tickets with actual bikes.
2. BRM reads 1D barcodes from bikes to drive everyday operations like, maintenance, check-out, check-in, inventory taking.
3. BRM generates a QR (2D barcode) for each of your kiosks so that you (and your customers) can access a specific kiosk, on their chosen device instantly.

What BRM does NOT do:

1. BRM does not include barcode labels for putting onto your inventory.  Why?  Because we recommend you either buy your own label printer(which comes with software to print) or just purchase a pre-printed roll of labels.
2. BRM does not use QR codes for rental items (inventory).  Why?  Because they are not suited to bicycles.  We did extensive testing. They are too slow(er) to read, don't suit curved surfaces, and don't work in all lighting conditions, are more susceptible to damage that bike frames often sustain.

Related articles:

Introduction to Barcoding

kiosks overview 

handsfree mode