Some warehouse work happens at a pick cart with a laptop, at a packing station, or at a counter. And anyone setting up, testing, or training on a mobile warehouse system needs a way to run it without a handheld in hand. The Warehouse Insight Windows app covers both situations for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central users.
What the Windows app is
The Windows app is a full Windows application built on the same code base as the app that runs on mobile devices. It looks and works the same way, so what workers see on a laptop matches what they see on a handheld. You can size the window to look like a scanner screen, or run it full screen on a Windows tablet or a laptop mounted on a pick cart. Add-ons, such as Counter Sales for point of sale, run inside it the same way they run on a mobile device. The app is distributed through the Microsoft Store.
Using a USB or Bluetooth scanner
Yes, you can use a USB scanner with the Windows app, and many customers already do. For a laptop on a pick cart or a Windows tablet at a workstation, a USB or Bluetooth scanner is the expected way to scan into the application. The scanner does need some setup: you typically configure a prefix and suffix on the scanner so Warehouse Insight can recognize scanned input. Once configured, scans flow into the application the same way they would on a handheld.
If the workstation will be a tablet rather than a laptop, an Android tablet running the standard mobile app is often the simpler choice.
Replacing the emulator
Before the Windows app, the usual way to run Warehouse Insight on a PC for testing or demos was an Android emulator. That worked, but it was not ideal. The Windows app removes the emulator from the picture and gives administrators, partners, and trainers a native application that behaves the same as production devices.
You can try the Windows app without upgrading Warehouse Insight in Business Central first. The Windows app is designed to run against existing Warehouse Insight installations, so you can connect it to the environment you already have. As with any change, test it against your own configuration before relying on it in production.
Barcode Simulator Power Tool
For testing and training without any scanner at all, the Barcode Simulator Power Tool is a companion app, also available from the Microsoft Store. You define the barcodes you want to use, then send one to Warehouse Insight with a click or a double-click. The app treats it as a real scan. That makes it easy to walk through a pick, receipt, or counter sale on a single screen during a demo or training session.
Bottom line
The Warehouse Insight Windows app works with USB and Bluetooth scanners once the scanner’s prefix and suffix are configured. It supports pick carts and workstations in production, replaces emulators for testing and demos, and runs against your existing Warehouse Insight installation in Business Central.