Barcode Scanning Capabilities

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We are considering implementing a process where we can validate memberships at event registrations by scanning a barcode from the membership card. I would be interested in speaking to organizations who have used this type of process and learning how well it worked with RE. Thanks! -  Sherry C. Hudson
  • Posted Tue 04 Aug 2015

Comments

  • We scan membership barcodes at the front desk to validate memberships.

    It works well.  We used to have it set up so that a visit action would be automatically added to the constituents record. 

    That broke somehow and we haven't been able get it working again.  It might work for you!  You can set it up in the settings.

    Good luck!
  • Thank you, Lauren!  Does your process
    work solely with RE or with a POS product?  Also, have you
    scanned membership cards outside of the building?

     

    Sherry

     

    Sherry C. Hudson

    Annual Giving and Membership Manager

    Museum of
    the Shenandoah Valley

    901 Amherst Street

    Winchester, VA 22601

    1-888-556-5799

    540-662-1473 ext. 211 – Office

    540-305-6330 – Cell

     

    Support MSV Today!

     

     

    The
    information transmitted herewith is confidential, proprietary
    information for use only by the addressee to whom it was
    supplied.  This information is not to be disclosed to any
    person or entity not employed by the addressee company, and
    requiring the information to perform their job without the express
    written consent of the Museum of the Shenandoah
    Valley.

     

     

  • Do you use your scanner for scanning gifts also? I've heard of many organizations going this way to increase the speed of gift processing.
  • I'm curious about scanning gifts - how would that be setup?  Is there a barcode on your remit device or how exactly do you do that?  We've tried and failed to successfully implement barcode scanning in any form or fashion.  In fact, we still print our membership cards with barcodes, but my understanding is that we have limited success scanning them.  We use RE/PE and I believe most of our troubles lie in our integration.  We currently looking at other ticketing systems, so i don't know if this will be a moot point in the future or still something we should work towards.



    Thanks for opening up this conversation!
  • Hi Stephanie!



    Currently, we do not use the bar code for gift processing.  We want to be able to quickly scan a membership card to identify active members when they arrive for our community events.  The question is does the bar code scanning capability work outside of the office building?



    Thanks,

    Sherry
  • Marlena Mason:

    I'm curious about scanning gifts - how would that be setup?  Is there a barcode on your remit device or how exactly do you do that?  We've tried and failed to successfully implement barcode scanning in any form or fashion.  In fact, we still print our membership cards with barcodes, but my understanding is that we have limited success scanning them.  We use RE/PE and I believe most of our troubles lie in our integration.  We currently looking at other ticketing systems, so i don't know if this will be a moot point in the future or still something we should work towards.



    Thanks for opening up this conversation!

    We had the same limitations with membership card barcodes in RE. We were printing barcodes on the cards (and on our annual appeal reply cards) for years, but were never able to actually use them. We moved to Altru in March and I have to say that the barcode scanning functionality is working great for us now. We can easily scan a card and validate the membership at POS, plus we are learning when and how often members are visiting. Moving to Altru is not a solution for every organization, but it might be worth checking out.

  • Marlena Mason:

    I'm curious about scanning gifts - how would that be setup?  Is there a barcode on your remit device or how exactly do you do that?  We've tried and failed to successfully implement barcode scanning in any form or fashion.  In fact, we still print our membership cards with barcodes, but my understanding is that we have limited success scanning them.  We use RE/PE and I believe most of our troubles lie in our integration.  We currently looking at other ticketing systems, so i don't know if this will be a moot point in the future or still something we should work towards.



    Thanks for opening up this conversation!

    When I was at the Memphis Zoo we were pioneers in barcoding (before RE even supported it).  I put together information on what we did which you can read at http://zamtech.info/html/barcoding_menu.html.  I haven't updated it in ages, but most of the information still applies.

  • Thank you both!
  • I seem to remember PaperSave having some type of bar code scanning ability for gifts.
  • I have successfully implemented Gift barcode scanning at two or three organizations. In order to use this feature, you have to approach your appeal process differently. You need to use the Mail function, select Appeal Cards, create a custom file, on the Fields to include tab, pull over the Gift Barcode (Scannable). Not sure what the Translation feature is, it wasn't available last I used it. Maybe it takes all of the vertical scan lines and displays them as numerics? What the heck, pull it over and export it along with all of the other data you need. It used to have to be coded as font 3 of 9 barcode to be rescanned by RE. You'll need to purchase a USB scanner for about $75 bucks for everyone who will use this feature to enter gifts. The end result can be the automatic batch entry of Constituent ID, Fund ID, Appeal ID, and Package ID. Of course these all need to be tied together in RE previously. Short answer, it works well and does cut down on some manual gift entry. Contact me if you would like more detailed info or help with this. 813-209-1238
  • Darrel Spacone:

    I have successfully implemented Gift barcode scanning at two or three organizations. In order to use this feature, you have to approach your appeal process differently. You need to use the Mail function, select Appeal Cards, create a custom file, on the Fields to include tab, pull over the Gift Barcode (Scannable). Not sure what the Translation feature is, it wasn't available last I used it. Maybe it takes all of the vertical scan lines and displays them as numerics? What the heck, pull it over and export it along with all of the other data you need. It used to have to be coded as font 3 of 9 barcode to be rescanned by RE. You'll need to purchase a USB scanner for about $75 bucks for everyone who will use this feature to enter gifts. The end result can be the automatic batch entry of Constituent ID, Fund ID, Appeal ID, and Package ID. Of course these all need to be tied together in RE previously. Short answer, it works well and does cut down on some manual gift entry. Contact me if you would like more detailed info or help with this. 813-209-1238

    would this work if our mailhouse is doing the segmenting for us?

  • I don't think so. It has to leave your office already segmented and ready to go with the barcode created and embedded with the information. 
  • Daniel Kong:

    Darrel Spacone:

    I have successfully implemented Gift barcode scanning at two or three organizations. In order to use this feature, you have to approach your appeal process differently. You need to use the Mail function, select Appeal Cards, create a custom file, on the Fields to include tab, pull over the Gift Barcode (Scannable). Not sure what the Translation feature is, it wasn't available last I used it. Maybe it takes all of the vertical scan lines and displays them as numerics? What the heck, pull it over and export it along with all of the other data you need. It used to have to be coded as font 3 of 9 barcode to be rescanned by RE. You'll need to purchase a USB scanner for about $75 bucks for everyone who will use this feature to enter gifts. The end result can be the automatic batch entry of Constituent ID, Fund ID, Appeal ID, and Package ID. Of course these all need to be tied together in RE previously. Short answer, it works well and does cut down on some manual gift entry. Contact me if you would like more detailed info or help with this. 813-209-1238

    would this work if our mailhouse is doing the segmenting for us?

     

    I don't think so. It has to leave your office already segmented and ready to go with the barcode created and embedded with the information. 
  • Daniel Kong:

     

    Darrel Spacone:

    I have successfully implemented Gift barcode scanning at two or three organizations. In order to use this feature, you have to approach your appeal process differently. You need to use the Mail function, select Appeal Cards, create a custom file, on the Fields to include tab, pull over the Gift Barcode (Scannable). Not sure what the Translation feature is, it wasn't available last I used it. Maybe it takes all of the vertical scan lines and displays them as numerics? What the heck, pull it over and export it along with all of the other data you need. It used to have to be coded as font 3 of 9 barcode to be rescanned by RE. You'll need to purchase a USB scanner for about $75 bucks for everyone who will use this feature to enter gifts. The end result can be the automatic batch entry of Constituent ID, Fund ID, Appeal ID, and Package ID. Of course these all need to be tied together in RE previously. Short answer, it works well and does cut down on some manual gift entry. Contact me if you would like more detailed info or help with this. 813-209-1238

    would this work if our mailhouse is doing the segmenting for us?

     

    Your mailhouse might be able to create the barcode using this as a guide:  https://kb.blackbaud.com/articles/Article/41489.  Otherwise you'd need to have the segmenting done in RE to be able to Export the barcode.

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