Moving Barcode Tracking to the Web

BellHawk is moving barcode tracking to the world-wide-web.

We have developed a web-browser based interface, named WebHawk®, to our proven BellHawk operations tracking and inventory management software. WebHawk enables users to interact with BellHawk using any web-browser-based PC, MAC, PDA, mobile computer or smart-phone. This interaction can be over the Internet, a wireless-LAN, or a cell-phone data network.

The WebHawk software is available as a no-cost add-on to our standard BellHawk Enterprise tracking software. Also, as of the end of January, we will be offering WebHawk + BellHawk on a software-as-a-service basis for as little as $1/day per scanning device or manager login. This on-line service relieves organizations of the need to buy or maintain their own tracking servers or to perform IT maintenance tasks, such as taking daily backups of their tracking database.

Some benefits of a web-browser based approach are:

1. There is no software to load on any of the devices – WebHawk simply needs a modern web-browser
2. Works with a wide range of mobile devices and operating systems
3. Can enter barcode tracking data from anywhere you have an internet connection – works in multiple facilities and in the field
4. Sales people can enter orders and check on their status from anywhere on the road using a smart-phone
5. Can extend KanBan tracking and reordering out to suppliers

Using our free Bell-Connector software, WebHawk based systems can also automatically exchange data with a wide-range of legacy and cloud-based ERP and accounting systems, thus avoiding duplicate data entry

Integrating Barcode Tracking into the Industrial Enterprise

Replacing the use of paper forms and manual keyboard data entry with barcode tracking would seem to be a no-brainer. It saves a lot of time, prevents mistakes and gives managers and supervisors a real-time view of the status of their inventory, jobs and customer orders. And all you need to do is to buy a few barcode scanners and mobile data collection computers and it will all work magically.

Of course that is not true. What you quickly find is that

Avoiding Duplicate Data Entry

Many externally hosted business software applications are becoming available “in the cloud” for a low monthly fee. Examples of this include sales force automation, accounting, MRP, barcode inventory and production tracking systems.

As a result, many organizations are moving away from their legacy ERP systems towards using some of their existing systems in combination with the “cloud-based” systems that best fits the needs of their business. This move usually results in significant savings on the cost of supporting their IT infrastructure as well as eliminating the cost of annual maintenance fees on their legacy ERP systems.

Welcome to the BellHawk Blog

Hi Everyone,

This blog covers a wide range of topics of interest to managers, supervisors, engineers and IT staff in industrial organizations that make, convert, transform, test and repair materials.

We will cover topics ranging from operational topics such as inventory &  production tracking and materials traceability to technology subjects such as barcode tracking and mobile data collection. We will also discuss how we integrate the industrial enterprise, especially in light of the movement to do more and more computing in the “Cloud”.

Best Wishes
Peter Green

Chief Technology Officer
Bellhawk Systems Corporation