Bluetooth disconnected when ipad goes to sleep.

My company has our own POS system that allowes our merchants to have a virtual store on their ipad so they can take CC transactions. In this package that we sell there is a bluetooth bar code scanner. We have so many merchants that are annoyed because when their ipad goes into sleep mode the bluetooth scanner disconnects and takes a few seconds for it to reconnect when ipad is awakened.

Besides turn OFF sleep mode in ipad which drains the battery, is there anything that I am unaware of that can fix this issue?

Thanks!