SHOULD YOUR BARCODE LABELING SOLUTION BE FULLY INTEGRATED WITH YOUR BUSINESS SYSTEM?

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1 SHOULD YOUR BARCODE LABELING SOLUTION BE FULLY INTEGRATED WITH YOUR BUSINESS SYSTEM? B U S I N E S S T R A N S F O R M AT I O N T H R O U G H T O TA L S Y S T E M I N T E G R AT I O N TEKLYNX Americas 409 E. Silver Spring Drive Suite U12 Whitefish Bay, WI USA Tel: (414) Fax: (414)

2 E very day, businesses big and small take steps to improve their core processes through integration. Enterprise-wide business systems that are fully integrated allow these companies to capitalize on the ROI of their overarching solutions and gain efficiency in production and other key workflows. Typically, companies dedicate significant resources to selecting and implementing software applications to support financial data, supply chain management, human resources and customer relationship management, through a unified enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. But what about critical ancillary processes, like labeling? This is an integral part of production that is often overlooked, but can offer significant improvements to overall business results. WHAT IS INTEGRATION? Integration is the interconnection of disparate software applications to enhance overall functionality and improve results. The resulting solution shares a common database and user interface, allowing complete access to data across the organization. Output from one area of the system whether it be financial, inventory, production or other data can be imported into or embedded in another application. Complete system integration is particularly beneficial to the labeling process because the data that is typically Imagine this: an integrated enterprise barcode labeling solution that is tied to your core business system. All relevant data for the label is pulled from the database with minimal manual entry simply scanning a barcode on a work order or entering a PO number can trigger label printing. A simple user interface makes it easier for workers to print the finished label, with no risk of unauthorized changes to the design or erroneous printer selection. The number of label templates to manage is significantly reduced, as unique information is pulled in from the database to populate defined fields rather than manually setting up each design for each client or shipment. This scenario is a reality for many organizations that have transformed their business processes through total system integration. By integrating their label design and printing solutions with other key business systems, companies have seen significant results: included on a label comes from various areas of the business. Label designs can also include external data from client systems, or pull in data from hardware such as scales. A fully integrated labeling solution offers many benefits across the organization. SIMPLIFIED USE AND MAINTENANCE A centralized labeling solution helps simplify associated processes for various users within the organization. When your system is configured to pull variable data into a single label template, it simplifies the management of label files for administrators by reducing the number of files that are stored in the system. Accuracy of label data is also For a major food manufacturer, manual data entry took up to a minute per job. After integration, label creation and printing time was reduced to mere seconds. A high-volume global manufacturer of building materials and composites experienced a 75% reduction in label template development time and labor costs after implementing an SAP-integrated labeling solution that leveraged fewer templates. One of North America s largest independent manufacturers of plastic tubing completely eliminated manual labeling processes and saw a 50% reduction in labeling errors and associated customer returns, which significantly improved revenue. improved, as the information is pulled directly from other business systems rather than manually entered by a user. Integrated business systems reduce the number of databases that must be supported and maintained by your IT department, and a single system of record creates clear analytics to drive workflow improvements. Centralized file creation, logging and storage makes it easy to track versions and approvals in the event of an audit. By building your processes around an integrated business system, you can work from one version of the truth and Consider the impact that a fully integrated labeling solution could have on your business operations, productivity and revenue. reduce duplicate sets of data in multiple databases. 2

3 IMPROVED ROI ON EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY THROUGH AUTOMATION Your business has likely invested a significant amount The tenets of lean manufacturing are focused on improving of money into the implementation of an ERP or other productivity and creating value by eliminating extraneous overarching system. An integrated labeling solution helps tasks. A standard labeling process has significant room for expand the return on this investment by leveraging the improvement. Consider the number of resources across existing system, rather than spending additional budget on teams that are involved in label design and printing, the an entirely new solution that stands alone. number of workstations and applications that are used to generate accurate labels, and the amount of wasted label Building your labeling solution into your existing stock and returns that are generated when user error is infrastructure also allows you to leverage historical data to introduced into the process. create a broad picture of operations. In a fully integrated system, information sharing is seamless for disparate teams Integration helps increase efficiency and improve accuracy and daily usage can be simplified through unified workflows by allowing organizations to automate various aspects of and single sign-on technology. the labeling process. For example, print jobs can be automatically triggered through system activity like entering an order or initiating a production run. Automation completely eliminates the risk of data entry errors, a user choosing the wrong label file or printing to the wrong printer. 3

4 BUILDING AN INTEGRATED BARCODE LABELING SOLUTION Whether you are just starting to investigate barcode labeling Tier 1, 2 and 3 Enterprise Resource Planning solutions or you already have a standalone application in (ERP) systems. This allows you to leverage a single place, it s never too late to think about improving your system of record for all of your operational tasks. business processes through system integration. Integration can include solutions from Oracle, SAP, JD Edwards and Epicor, along with basic database For many businesses, cost is a major consideration when assessing barcode labeling solutions. Subscription licensing tools like Microsoft Access. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). options allow companies to take advantage of the features Integration with a labeling solution can help track and and functionality of industry-leading labeling software at a identify materials as they are moved and stored within lower cost of entry. This model requires less of an upfront a warehouse. investment and allows the expense to be distributed over Supply Chain Management (SCM) solutions. time. Another way integrated barcode labeling solutions help Labeling integration helps track materials, lower costs and administrative overhead is by eliminating the work-in-progress inventory and finished goods as they need for individual workstation installations and the move throughout the supply chain. maintenance that comes along with them. Investigate Purchasing systems. Integration allows users to solutions that leverage web-based access to a centralized seamlessly pull data from invoices and purchase orders print interface to take advantage of these benefits. into label designs. Inventory tracking systems. A robust labeling It is also important to consider which business systems solution that includes barcoding and RFID helps will be integrated into your labeling process. Many increase the accuracy of your inventory tracking data. businesses focus on integrating their labeling solution with other enterprise systems, including: Hardware. By integrating your labeling solution with a scale, you can pull real-time measurements directly into the label template. Many companies also leverage custom databases and applications that were developed to manage various aspects of operations. These can also be integrated with the labeling process to improve accuracy and eliminate duplicate work. 4

5 CHOOSING THE RIGHT LABELING SOFTWARE PARTNER When choosing a barcode labeling software partner, there are several important traits to look for. The ideal software solution will be an off-the-shelf product that can be easily configured to align with your processes. This allows your company to benefit from features that are developed based on customer feedback and real business needs, while retaining the flexibility that comes from minor tweaks that align with your business unique processes. Off-the-shelf solutions can also be implemented more quickly than completely custom applications. Many organizations focus only on their immediate requirements and end up having to start over with a new solution in the face of global or product expansions. To prevent this, choose a scalable solution that can easily grow with your business and adjust to support new technology, such as printer drivers or operating systems. Be sure to consider the software vendor s certifications and technology partnerships as part of your review process. These certifications reinforce the expertise the development team has in working with different underlying database configurations, and partnering with other vendors keeps new features and compatibility enhancements in lockstep. A software company with extensive experience working with different business systems, varied workflows and diverse internal processes will be able to help your company get an integrated solution up and running quickly to drive immediate return on your investment. Established project management processes will help streamline implementation through clearly defined timelines, roles and expectations, so be sure to discuss how they work with their clients. Often, software vendors have an extended network of value-added resellers and technology partners who assist with the implementation process and provide ongoing support. Take advantage of these valuable resources, who can help you find the right combination of software and hardware and determine the best way to make all of your disparate systems fit together. THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY When choosing a barcode labeling software solution provider, it is important to understand their technology capabilities to ensure that your systems can be integrated effectively. There are many ways to create connections between software applications some of them more complex than others. Middleware applications can provide print automation functionality using out-of-the-box features. To support this, some software providers offer software solutions that monitor a directory for a flat file print request and trigger print jobs when these requests are initiated. This process allows you to create a clean handshake between your business systems and the print automation utility. Many companies need an end-to-end labeling solution, based on issues that arise from: Manual approval processes for label template design, resulting in production delays Many disparate local installs of designers and print engines, requiring significant IT attention and investment Manual, error-prone print processes that result in costly returns and wasted stock When reviewing potential solution providers, look for a software vendor that can address all of these issues with a single, configurable out-of-the-box product. For more basic integration, the barcode labeling software itself can include straightforward wizards that allow users to link systems and pull various variable data elements into label designs. For many businesses, this level of integration provides a solid starting point and allows users to experience the benefits of an integrated solution without excessive time or expense. ActiveX is built on Microsoft s legacy Component Object Model (COM) and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) technologies and allows direct integration between a labeling application and any other system using that platform. This type of integration requires internal or external resources that understand the technology and can make the connections. 5

6 ARE YOU READY TO GET STARTED? The process of evaluating your labeling system and choosing a vendor can seem overwhelming, but if you take the time to ask the right questions and come prepared with your requirements, you can quickly determine whether the software is the best fit for your business. Take the time to fully assess your existing processes and tools to determine where improvements can be made, and make sure that your chosen vendor can address your needs. If you are ready to take the next step, contact TEKLYNX for a risk-free, no cost, labeling assessment. Our team will review the key components of your current labeling process to identify where adjustments can be made to improve efficiencies and alleviate your pain points. ABOUT TEKLYNX INTERNATIONAL TEKLYNX International is the world s leading developer of barcode labeling software solutions. Its products feature the widest range of device and driver support in the industry. More than 600,000 companies in 120 countries rely on its integrated software solutions for supply chain automation, warehouse management, shipping and receiving, inventory control and asset management. TEKLYNX channel program helps educate and support its resellers, enabling them to provide a consistently superior end user experience. TEKLYNX is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Oracle Gold Partner, and has connectivity relationships with multiple Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software providers including Oracle and SAP. TEKLYNX is headquartered in France with operations in the United States, Europe, Japan, China and Singapore. More information on TEKLYNX International is available at Connect with us: 6