Col. Jack Wayman, U.S. Army director for integration improvement initiatives, has said the branch wants to leverage mobile barcode readers to gather data and track equipment, FCW reported Wednesday.Colby Hochmuth writes Wayne told a recent panel discussion in Washington the Army’s goal is to shift away from the conventional bulky scanners to mobile scanning technology.
The Defense Department is developing unique identification standards for tangible personal property, an initiative that Wayne estimates will save the agency up to $5 billion a year once implemented.
He also believes that using mobile barcode scanning applications can reduce errors in the military’s data collection activity.
FCW reports that Wayne cited the example of a military unit that has cut down the processing time of quality control paperwork from four hours to five minutes by using wireless scanners.
He added the service needs to move away from manual processes “if we’re going to be able to compete for people to join the Army and help bring the Army into the 21st century.”
