Scanning labels
Every mobile screen starts with a scan. The app uses the phone’s rear camera as the scanner — no scanner gun needed — and reads both regular barcodes and QR codes. One scan button per screen; the app works out what you scanned and drops it into the right field.
Scanning a label
- Tap the scan button — its wording names what the screen expects, for example Scan part / location on Receive, Scan unit / work order on Issue, or Scan stock unit on Count and Photo.
- The camera view opens on screen. Point it at the label; the first time, the phone asks for camera permission — allow it.
- As soon as the code reads, the camera stops and the value lands in the matching field. Tap the scan button again for the next label.
- To close the camera without scanning, tap Stop.
Screen: A scan button (for example Scan part / location), which opens a live camera view with a Stop button while scanning. Underneath, a manual-entry row: a text field (“Or type part / location code”) with an Enter button beside it.
What a scan resolves to
APEX label codes carry a short prefix that tells the app what the code identifies. A code with no prefix — the typical manufacturer barcode on a box — is treated as a part number.
| The code reads | The app treats it as | Fills the field |
|---|---|---|
SU:… | A stock unit | Stock unit (Issue, Count, Photo) |
LOC:… | A bin location | Location (Receive) |
WO:… | A work order | Work order (Issue) |
PN:… | A part number | Part (Receive) |
SN:… | A serial number | Serial (Receive) |
| anything else | A part number | Part (Receive) |
The prefix is not case-sensitive, and stray spaces are trimmed. Because each screen has a single scanner that routes by prefix, you can scan the part label and the bin label back-to-back on Receive without switching fields.
One nuance: on Issue, Count, and Photo, a code that doesn’t match one of that screen’s other fields lands in the Stock unit field exactly as read — so a bare manufacturer barcode fills Stock unit there, not Part. Glance at the field after scanning.
The app does not check a code against your records at scan time — whatever reads (or whatever you type) is accepted on screen, and a wrong code only fails later, when the operation syncs. Glance at the field after each scan and make sure it matches the label. See Working offline for what a rejected operation looks like.
When the label won’t scan — manual entry
Damaged label, glare, no camera, or camera permission denied — every screen offers the same fallback:
- If the camera can’t start, the app shows “Camera unavailable — enter the code manually.”
- Type the code from the label into the “Or type … code” field, exactly as printed —
including the prefix if the label shows one (for example
LOC:A-01-03). - Tap Enter. The value routes into the same field a scan would have filled.
Tip: camera permission is per-browser. If scanning never starts, check the phone’s settings for the browser (or the installed APEX app) and re-allow camera access — manual entry works meanwhile.