LabelLogistics
AGuidetoChoosingtheRightLabelSupplierforYourBusiness
Labelshelppeople!
Labelshelpconsumerschooseproductswiselyandusethemsafely.Theyhelpcompaniesmove
productsfrommanufacturingtoconsumeruse,clearlydistinguishingtheirbrands.
Thisspecialreportprovidesinformationtohelpyouchoosetheideallabelsupplierforyour
company.Wedevelopedthisreportbecauseprospectswereaskingmanyofthesamequestions
overandover,strugglingtofindthecorrectsolutionstotheirlabelingproblems.Wedecidedifso
manypeopleinourcircleshadthesequestions,thenothersmustbestrugglingtofindtheright
answersaswell.Thisreportwillassistnewandexperiencedoperationspersonneltaskedwith
labelingprojects.
Labelsaremicro-manufactured,customizedproductcomponents.
Manycompaniesdonotunderstandtheimportanceofthelabelsusedontheirproducts.Whether
youaremakingheartpumps,medicine,consumerproductsorautoparts,labelsareakey
componentforproperproductidentificationinallphasesofproduction,marketingand
distribution.Ifthelabelfailstoperformproperly(i.e.,itdoesnotprintclearly,adherecorrectlyor
getappliedproperly),yourmanufacturinganddistributionprocesswillbecompromised.Alabel
suppliermustworkwithmanufacturingengineerstodevelopandcontinuallyimprovehighperformancelabelingapplications.Theymustresolveissuesinthefieldsoclientsavoiddowntime
andincreaseproductionoutputandefficiency.
Labelsareoftenthelastbutoneofthemostimportantcomponentsinanyfinishedproduct.
Nothingshipswithoutproperlabelidentification.
WhythisReportisImportanttoYourBusiness
Virtuallyallproductsrequirelabelsforbrandidentification,and,inmostcases,exactproduct
specification.Labelmaterials,adhesives,inktransferandabrasionresistanceandprintersetupare
someofthefactorsthatmustbecarefullyintegratedintothelabelingprocess.Compatibility
amongthesefactorsiscrucial.Issueswithlabelquality,printingorapplicationwillresultinlost
revenuesduetotheinterruptionofmanufacturinganddistributionprocesses.
LabelProcurement
Therearetwotypesoflabelsuppliers,thosewhodealinpre-printedstaticlabelsandthosewho
dealwithvariabledatalabels.Pre-printedlabelsareprintedatthevendorsiteandshippedtothe
customerforofflineapplication.Variabledatalabelsarerunthroughanon-sitethermaltransfer
printeratthecustomer’splaceofbusiness.Eachoftheselabeltechnologiesisvastlydifferentin
theirproductioncharacteristics.Labelingproblemscommonlyoccuratthepointwherepre-printed
labelsmeetwithrequiredon-sitevariableprinting.Wehavefoundavoidinthemarketplace
whereonelabelsuppliercaneffectivelyhandlebothpre-printedandvariabledatalabel
applicationswithaclearunderstandingofeachtechnology.
WhatisaLabelogistandwhyitisimportanttoknowone?
Wecoinedtheterms“Labelogy”and“Labelogist”becausethecomplexitiesofthelabelindustry
requireexpertsdevotedtothestudyandimprovementoflabelidentificationprocesses.The
introductionof“Labelogy”establishesaspecializedfieldofexpertisewhereoneisincreasingly
needed.
Labelogy:Thescienceofbrandmarking,accurateproductidentificationandefficientdistribution
throughlabelingsystemintegration.
Labelologist:AnexpertinallaspectsofLabelogyanditsbusinessapplications.
Withhundredsoffacestocksandadhesivestochoosefrom,itbecameapparentthatinorderto
getourcustomerstherightlabelmaterials,wehadtobecomeexpertsinthefieldofLabelogy.A
Labelogistdesignsidentificationsystemsforoptimaluseofpre-printedlabels,variabledatalabels
printedwiththermaltransferorlaserprinterandautomaticlabelapplication.
WheretoStart
Defineyourproject.Thefirstthingweaskclientstodoisdefinetheirprojectorneed.The
followingsetofquestionswillhelpyoudevelopyourlabelsupplystrategy:
•
Whatisthelabel’spurpose?
•
Howsharpmusttheresolutionbe?
•
Doesitneedabarcode?
•
Doesitneedaserialnumberorotherindividualmarker?
•
Whatistheservicelifeofthelabel?
•
Doesithavetoberemovableorpermanent?
•
Whatistheapplicationandservicetemperaturerange?
-
Roomtemperature?
-
Ovenorfreezer?
-
Wind,water,ice,heatandUVresistant?
•
Areyourlabelspre-printedordotheyrunthroughathermaltransferorotherprinter?
•
Howarethelabelsappliedtotheproductorpackage?
•
Whatareyourvolumerequirements?
•
Howscalabledoesthelabelsolutionneedtobe?
•
Whataboutsystemsintegrationandsoftwarecompatibility?
Itisimportanttodefineyourlabel’svaluepriority.Areyourlabelsproductsthemselves?Doyou
wanttheleastexpensivelabelsufficientforyourneedsordoesthelabeloffersomeotherbenefits
likemulti-color,specialeffectgraphicsoraddeddurability?Askyourselfwhatismoreimportant,
costorprice?Thepriceiswhatyoupayupfront.Thecostbecomesevidentwhenproblemsarise.It
iswhatyoudealwitheverydayyourlabelisbeingused.
LabelFable
“ThefinestbourbonwithalousylabelispassedbyfortheonewithMaker’sMark.”
Inaseaofcompetinghighqualityproducts,brandingiseverything!Thecompanieswiththebest
brandstrategiesthatincludeexcellentpackagelabelingwillenjoywatchingtheirproductsflyoff
retailshelvesastheworthycompetitionwithpoorqualitylabelingdealswithreturnsorsluggish
sales.
Manufacturersandmarketerswhoinvestappropriatelyinwelldesignedproductlabeling,barcode
andRFIDsystemshaveseveralcompetitiveadvantages:
•
Superiorproductimagequality
•
Cleaner,moreattractivepackaging
•
Acceleratedmanufacturingprocessesandreduceddowntime
•
Moreefficientdistribution
TheTop5-Tips,Tricks&Tactics
HerearetheTOP5thingsanycompanyusinglabelscandorightnowtoreducecostsandimprove
operations.
1. Usenon-brandedorgenericsupplies.
2. Placeblanketorders.Committoanoverallquantityinagiventimespan,typically6months,
andpayfortheitemswhentheyship.Yougetquantitydiscountswithoutstockingexcessive
inventory.
3. Inquireaboutnewproductsonthemarketthatwouldsatisfyyourneedsandbemorecost
effective.Thisquestionisrarelyaskedandcouldsignificantlyreducecosts.
4. Multiplelocations?Makesureyourlabelsupplierhasdifferentlocationstoreduceshipping
costs.
5. Abird’seyeview.Yourlabelsuppliershouldhaveabird’seyeviewofyourentireprojectand
providelabelingrecommendationsfortodayaswellastomorrow.
Thankyouforreadingthroughthisreport!
Formoreinformation,pleasevisitwww.PaladinID.comorgiveusacallat603.527.0256.
Wewouldbegladtopersonallyansweranyquestionsyoumayhave.
AboutPaladinID
Wedevelopandsupporthigh-performancebarcodelabelingapplications.We
workwithyouto“MakeYourMark”byprovidingtheexpertiseandtools
necessarytodesignandimplementhighquality,efficientandcost-effective
labelingsolutions.Fromconcepttofinishedproduct,weareindustryleaders
anduseonlytrustedqualityproducts.Wehelpourcustomerssolvelabeling
andidentificationchallengestoassureaccuracy,increaseproductivity,
enhancebrandimageandkeeptheirproductsmoving–toalltherightplaces.