Introduction
YP Books (Youngpoong Bookstore) is Korea's leading bookstore chain operating 44 locations nationwide. In April 2023, the company transitioned from PC-based dedicated scanner workflows to a Samsung Galaxy smartphone-based mobile system, fundamentally transforming store operations. The system, named 'MY (Mobile Youngpoong)' through an employee naming contest, uses the Scandit SDK as its core scanning engine.
Challenge
At YP Books' 44 locations, staff had to carry new shipments to in-store PCs to scan barcodes with dedicated scanners, then transport books back to shelves. This PC-dependent workflow caused unnecessary movement and wasted time. Training new employees took several hours, and the expensive dedicated scanners were limited in quantity, preventing multiple staff from working simultaneously. Barcode recognition failures were frequent depending on angle and condition.
Solution
YP Books developed the 'MY (Mobile Youngpoong)' mobile work system — named through an internal employee contest — and equipped Samsung Galaxy smartphones with Scandit Barcode Scanner SDK. Staff can now handle receiving, inventory management, book orders, location updates, and price management directly from their work smartphones on the shop floor. Customer-facing price lookup stations were installed at the Yeouido and Gimpo locations, allowing customers to scan book barcodes to check prices and availability.
Why SCANDIT
Scandit delivers high recognition rates regardless of barcode angle, damage, or lighting conditions, proving that a smartphone camera can fully replace dedicated scanners. The multi-barcode simultaneous scanning capability and scanning speed were so fast that intentional delays had to be added to match human processing speed — a testament to the exceptional performance that drove the adoption decision.
"After developing the MY system, we can immediately scan and shelf incoming books via mobile. Smartphone scanning enabled location flexibility and drastically reduced training needs for new staff. Product management time has been reduced by over 60%."
— Kim Kyung-hwan, CEO, YP Books
Impact
After deploying the MY system, YP Books can now handle the entire workflow from receiving to shelving on the spot, eliminating unnecessary movement. New employee training time dropped from several hours to just 30 minutes. CEO Kim Kyung-hwan shared that an employee personally thanked him, saying the system made their work significantly easier. The company plans to expand into unmanned POS, customer interest data analytics, and personalized marketing.