The ROI of Implementing an Automated Labeling System

The ROI of Implementing an Automated Labeling System

BY: CASEY SCIANO / DATE: 27/07/2023 / TOPICS: FOOD & BEVERAGE, MANUFACTURING, PHARMACEUTICAL, TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS, PRINT AUTOMATION

Connecting your labeling system with your current business systems, like an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system or warehouse management system (WMS), can boost your ROI without investing in a new system. By using what you already have and adding automated labeling, you can tap into your existing data to get a clearer view of operations. Integration makes it easier for teams to share information and simplifies processes with smoother workflows and single sign-on access.

“SENTINEL enables us to use our ERP system to print labels, which means labeling is no longer a bottleneck.” - Terry Kakavros, Director of Information Technology at Flex-Strut Inc.

With our print automation software, SENTINEL, you can completely automate label printing, print to unlimited printers across your entire enterprise, and initiate printing directly from any business system.

Learn more about SENTINEL

Expand ROI with integrated & automated solutions

The ROI of an automated labeling system varies depending on the specific business and application. The key benefits of automated labeling through integration include:

• Increased efficiency
• Improved accuracy
• Reduced costs
• Improved compliance

Saves time for print users, label designers, and admins

Using data from an existing business system to drive a printing interface eliminates manual entry of almost all data and prints all necessary labels in one step. When a labeling environment 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.

Eliminates manual data entry and errors

Quality is critical for barcode labeling—a bad label results in unexpected delays, rework, chargebacks, or a product recall. Leveraging ERP integrations to auto-populate labels will improve accuracy and protect your business from bad labels.

Creates efficiency, compliance, and accuracy

Because an existing business system already holds the necessary data needed to be printed on labels, integrating can systematically send the correct data to the right label template at the right time.

Integration increases efficiency, ensures compliance, and improves accuracy by automating parts of the labeling process. Here are some specific examples of how implementing an automated labeling system can expand ROI for businesses:

• A food and beverage company: The company implemented an automated labeling system that reduced the time it took to label products from 10 minutes to 1 minute. This resulted in a potential ROI of 300%.
• A pharmaceutical company: The company implemented an automated labeling system that helped it to follow government regulations. This saved the company $1 million per year in compliance costs.
• A logistics company: The company implemented an automated labeling system that helped it to track the number of labels it had in stock. This saved the company money on labels and other materials, and it also helped to improve the company's efficiency.

Realize ROI faster with commercial off-the-shelf solutions

Off-the-shelf solutions come with many features that you can easily turn on or off, and they often meet your needs at a much lower cost. This leads to faster ROI and saves you money on maintenance and development that custom solutions require. 

TEKLYNX automated label printing and enterprise label management solutions rely on universal integration. Your ERP system, WMS, or other business system simply adds a record to a database or generates a flat file with the information needed to print. The label printing system sees the new record or file and triggers the print job.

When it comes time to upgrade your ERP system, if it can continue to generate the flat file, your integrated barcode label printing software from TEKLYNX will continue to work seamlessly and won’t require costly ongoing maintenance and development.

Automated labeling system case study

Entertainment Earth is an online retailer and wholesaler that sells licensed collectibles like action figures, clothing, statues, games, vinyl figures, and toys. Before, their labeling process could take hours or even days just to design and print labels. With three employees managing thousands of different products, they needed a solution that could handle high volume while keeping their IT team small.

Entertainment Earth collaborated with TEKLYNX to determine that print automation solution, SENTINEL, would support their warehouse labeling needs, seamlessly integrate with their current labeling environment, and included industry-leading customer support before, during, and after implementation.

With 33,000 products to ship, Entertainment Earth couldn’t afford any downtime in label production. TEKLYNX worked closely with them during the implementation process and provided seamless integration with their current SQL database to prevent any disruptions.  

With their newly implemented CODESOFT and SENTINEL labeling solution, Entertainment Earth was able to cut the time from design to print by 75%, allowing employees to spend time on other tasks. Plus:

• Their IT team of three is better equipped to manage labels for 33,000 products
• They automated the entire printing process with a seamless integration with SQL
• Using the GridField feature in CODESOFT for printing work orders led to better ROI

Read the full case study

Assessing the ROI of an automated labeling system

Whether or not implementing an automated labeling system is worth the cost depends on several factors. The size and complexity of your business, the type of products you label, and your current labeling process all matter. Consider the following factors when evaluating the potential ROI of an automated labeling system:

• The cost of the system
• The cost of manual labeling
• The savings in labor costs
• The savings in materials costs
• The savings in compliance costs

In many cases, the benefit of automated labeling outweighs the costs, and the ROI of an automated labeling system can be realized within a few years. 

Ready to elevate your labeling process? Let’s discuss how an automated labeling system could transform your business. Contact us to discuss your unique needs or request a free demo of SENTINEL today to see how an automated labeling system can increase your ROI.

Get in touch