The target market for Stream Decks is live streamers but this device could just as easily be sold for warehouse packing stations. I'll mention the caveats and requirements briefly and then let you know how you can set up this device to streamline and simplify your shipping process. Finally, I'll share some resources and profiles you can use to set it up. (Links at the end of this article)
- Streamdeck does not run on Chromebooks. You'll need to use Windows or Mac.
- Streamdeck requires the software to run in the background on the workstation.
The software allows you to create multiple profiles which allow you to assign functions to each key. Each profile can have folders and navigation to additional pages of button assignments so while the regular keypad has 15 buttons there is no hard limit to the number of shortcuts that can be triggered.
The profiles, including the images, shortcuts, and all pages, can be saved to a profile and shared, so of course I'll share the shipping profiles that I've created below so you can use them as a starting point and can customize them as you like.
I found the software to be super intuitive and well-organized. There are a ton of great options and features that are easy to find but not in your way if you're keeping it simple and just creating a few shortcuts.
Let's look at the profile I set up and talk about some of the features I think you'll find useful.
Across the top are keys assigned to apps that your team may be using. The first key opens Chrome and three tabs.
This makes it possible to switch between the tabs using Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2 & Ctrl-3 so these are the shortcuts assigned to the 3 app keys.
Switching apps with a key press is easy for everyone to grasp even if they are not tech savvy.
You'll see that in the "multi-action" (aka macro) below ctrl-1 is used to switch to the first tab and close it since the browser will open its own tab before the other 3.
Another valid way to do this is by setting Chrome to open the set of pages you use each time a Chrome window is opened instead of remembering what was opened before.
Either way, they should be in the same position each time and the keys will be able to move between them.
You can easily add, remove or modify the apps that are opened or extend this in other ways.
If you're on Mac you'll need to swap out the Hotkeys so they use CMD rather than CTRL.
This is what a multi-action looks like:
In the next row, you'll find hotkeys for GroovePacker's scan and verify page. They send the Action Barcodes used to perform some common tasks. This might be preferable to scanning a barcode if your scanner is desk mounted.
The center key on this row navigates to the second page which has shortcuts related to editing the order.
The back arrow brings the user back to the first page.
All functions still require that the user have permission to perform these actions.
If the shipping label will be printed after scanning using the Create Shipping Label feature, the user can press the "Create Label" button on the main page to open shortcuts for package dimension presets and shipping method presets.
There are two versions of this page. The default shown here is best for flows where the weight of the package does not need to be updated for every shipment. Pressing one of the package types at the top triggers a dimension preset and then presses the enter key which refreshes the rates automatically.
The "Weight" key will highlight the weight field and change the page to a keypad that can be used to type in the weight.
After entering the weight, the "Enter" key will submit the weight, refresh the rates, and return the user to the shipping label key page.
(if a scale is connected that can send the weight you could let the scale enter instead)
When the weight and dimensions are set, pressing the "Enter" button will automatically choose the least expensive shipping method or the method pre-selected based on rules set in the order manager. The buttons for the methods allow the user to manually select a specific method if the circumstance calls for it.
When the shipping method is chosen, either with the Enter Key or by using a shipping method key, the label will be purchased. It will then be sent directly to the printer if the Direct Print method is being used. Otherwise, the label will be opened in a new tab and the Print key will execute a series of hotkeys which should print the label, close the new tab, and bring the keypad back to the main page.
If you're using the direct print method and you would like the keypad to return to the default screen automatically without needing to press the "Back" button, you can swap the "hotkey" function used for the shipping method with a "multi-action" function. The first step of the multi-action would be a hotkey for the shipping method, then I would add a short delay function, probably 500ms, and lastly a navigation back to page one.
Note: When you're adding a navigation within an action like this it seems the only navigation option is the "switch profile" function which includes the option to choose a page. I'm not sure why the "Go to Page" navigation function is not an option inside an action. This last paragraph must sound more complicated than it is because it is really simple once you open it up and experiment a bit.
I promised a "GroovePacker Default" setup file. You can Click Here to download it.
Importing the profile is easy peasy.
Importing a profile
1 Click the settings icon
2 Click the Profile tab
3 Click the dropdown arrow in the corner
4 Choose Import and select the profile you downloaded.
The Step-by-step Profile
If the weight will be entered manually or by a scale, for each shipment, the "step-by-step" profile below will highlight the weight field and display the keypad when the Create Label button is pressed. I've also included some verbal instructions on the 1,2,3 number keys. Unnecessary but fun, and you can easily swap them out for more shortcuts or even a folder of extra shortcuts.
You can download the step-by-step profile here.
I'm also attaching a zip with:
All keys that were used (plus others not used in the profiles)
A Figma .fig file you can use to add more keys and modify the ones with the blue gradient
A couple of PSDs with some elements I used previously
The sounds used in the profiles
The profiles themselves
(which should automatically include all elements & resources that are used within the profile)
You can download the full zip here.
If you are going to pick up some stream decks and want to "say thanks" for the share, feel free to use my affiliate link when you purchase them. Currently, there is an "original" and an MK.2 version. I have the original but both should be compatible with the profiles.