Tips & Best Practices

This guide contains practical advice to help you and your team get the most out of Beam. Whether you are just getting started or have been using Beam for a while, these tips can help improve your workflow.

Efficient RFID scanning

• Move slowly and steadily Walking too fast can cause the reader to miss tags. A steady pace gives the reader time to detect every item.
• Adjust power level Use high power for scanning large open areas and low power when scanning a specific shelf or bin to avoid picking up tags from adjacent areas.
• Hold 30-50 cm distance For handheld readers, maintain a distance of 30 to 50 centimeters from the items for optimal read rates.
• Scan systematically Work aisle by aisle or zone by zone to ensure complete coverage and avoid accidentally scanning the same area twice.
• Use multi-scan for bulk operations Enable multi-scan mode when counting or processing many items. Use single-scan mode when you need to identify one specific item precisely.

Organizing warehouse locations

• Mirror your physical layout Set up your location hierarchy (maps, zones, spots, shelves) to match the actual layout of your space.
• Use clear, consistent naming Adopt a naming convention like "Aisle 3 Rack B Shelf 4" so anyone can find a location without a map.
• Set up the floorplan Take the time to configure the visual floorplan. It makes navigation much faster for your whole team.
• Use templates as a starting point Beam's floorplan templates save time. Start with one and customize it to your needs.
• Keep locations updated When your physical space changes, update your digital locations to match. Outdated location data leads to confusion and errors.

Best practices for stocktaking

• Schedule regular counts Perform Stock Takes monthly or quarterly to keep your data accurate. More frequent counts are better for high-turnover items.
• Use RFID for speed RFID scanning can count hundreds of items in minutes. Use it whenever possible for faster, more accurate Stock Takes.
• Count by zone Break large Stock Takes into smaller zone-based counts. This is more manageable and allows multiple team members to work in parallel.
• Compare results before finalizing Always review the discrepancy report before marking a Stock Take as complete. Investigate significant variances.
• Investigate discrepancies Do not just accept differences. Missing items may indicate theft, misplacement, or data entry errors that need to be addressed.

Managing large inventories

• Use categories effectively Organize items into meaningful categories and subcategories. This makes searching, filtering, and reporting much more efficient.
• Set up low stock alerts Configure minimum stock thresholds so you are notified when items need reordering.
• Use search, not scrolling With thousands of items, scrolling through lists is impractical. Use the search bar or Ctrl+K instant search to find items quickly.
• Keep images updated Item images help warehouse staff identify items visually, reducing errors during picking and packing.
• Use custom fields Take advantage of custom fields to store industry-specific data that matters to your workflow.

Working with multiple devices

• Name devices clearly Give each RFID reader, printer, and lamp a descriptive name like "Warehouse A Handheld 1" so everyone knows which device is which.
• Use different colors and icons Assign unique colors or icons to each device for quick visual identification in the device list.
• Test your network Make sure all devices are on the same WiFi network and can communicate reliably before starting operations.
• Coordinate scanning zones When multiple people are scanning simultaneously, assign each person a specific zone to avoid overlapping reads and duplicate counts.