Tips & Best Practices

Practical advice to help you and your team get the most out of Beam. Useful whether you are new or have been using Beam for a while.

Efficient RFID scanning

• Move slowly and steadily: Walking too fast can cause the reader to miss tags. A steady pace gives it time to detect every item.
• Adjust power level: Use high power for large open areas, low power for a specific shelf or bin so you do not pick up tags from nearby areas.
• Hold 30-50 cm distance: For handheld readers, keep 30 to 50 cm from items for the best read rate.
• Scan systematically: Work aisle by aisle or zone by zone for full coverage and to avoid scanning the same area twice.
• Use multi-scan for bulk (when using the camera): Turn on multi-scan when counting or processing many items. Use single-scan when you need to identify one item precisely.

Organizing warehouse locations

• Mirror your physical layout: Set up your location hierarchy (maps, zones, spots, shelves) to match your actual space and configure the visual floorplan. Then the app reflects reality, staff can see where items are and tap to navigate, and new team members find their way without asking.
• Use clear, consistent naming: Use a convention like "Aisle 3 Rack B Shelf 4" so anyone can find a location without a map.
• Match labels on the floor: If you have signs or labels in the warehouse (aisle letters, rack numbers), use the same codes in Beam. Then what staff see in the app matches what they see on the shelves.
• Keep locations updated: When your space changes, update digital locations to match. Outdated data leads to confusion and errors.

Best practices for stocktaking

• Schedule regular counts: Do stock takes monthly or quarterly to keep data accurate. Use more frequent counts for high-turnover items.
• Use RFID for speed: RFID can count hundreds of items in minutes. Use it when you can for faster, more accurate counts.
• Count by zone: Split large stock takes into smaller zones. Easier to manage and lets several people work in parallel.
• Compare before finalizing: Always review the discrepancy report before marking a stock take complete. Investigate large variances.
• Investigate discrepancies: Do not ignore differences. Missing items can mean theft, misplacement, or data errors that need fixing.

Managing large inventories

• Use categories effectively: Put items in clear categories and subcategories. Searching and reporting become much easier.
• Set up low stock alerts: Configure minimum stock levels so you get notified when items need reordering.
• Use search, not scrolling: With many items, scrolling is slow. Use the search bar to find items quickly.
• Keep images updated: Item images help staff identify items and reduce errors during picking and packing.
• Use custom fields: Use custom fields for data that matters to your workflow.

Working with multiple devices

• Name devices clearly: Give each reader, printer, and lamp a clear name (e.g. "Warehouse A Handheld 1") so everyone knows which is which.
• Use different colors and icons: Assign each device a color or icon for quick identification in the device list.
• Test your network: Ensure all devices are on the same WiFi and can communicate before you start.
• Coordinate scanning zones: When several people scan at once, assign each person a zone to avoid overlapping reads and duplicate counts.