The manufacturing industry is adapting cloud technology to protect business continuity, reduce IT overhead, and improve productivity, efficiency, and autonomy. According to Edge Delta, over 90% of companies worldwide already use cloud services. The number of cloud computing users will grow as the years go on.
Having your labeling software hosted via cloud technology allows print users to access a simple label printing interface while removing the burden of IT maintenance, such as server management, software upgrades, and local installations.
Learn more about cloud-enabled labeling
This blog will cover the differences in cloud services, the customer environments we frequently see leveraging cloud technology for enterprise labeling, and the benefits of cloud-enabled labeling.
If your IT strategy focuses on cloud solutions or you want to avoid the hassle of maintaining and updating systems, using cloud technology might be a good fit for your labeling needs. The cloud can mean different things for labeling—like printing labels using cloud data or hosting your label management software on a cloud server.
When people say cloud, the first thing we help them understand is the difference between public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and SaaS (software as a service).
Many of our large enterprise clients use TEKLYNX CENTRAL label management solution on a private cloud server with CODESOFT barcode label design software installed locally. Or sometimes, CODESOFT is also on a private cloud and label design users leverage RDP (remote desktop protocol) to access it. This enables secure label printing anywhere in the world. We also see people who integrate CODESOFT with cloud-based data source, like SAP HANA, to use data from the cloud on CODESOFT label templates.
It’s hard to know what’s best for your environment without discussing all the factors and assessing your current labeling processes, which is why we’re here to help. Lean on your technology partners to help determine your ideal cloud-enabled labeling solution based on your environment and goals.
Since there’s no one type of cloud-enabled labeling that’s right for everyone, how do you know if leveraging the cloud is right for your labeling environment? These scenarios are common use cases where a company could benefit from cloud-enabled labeling.
If you want to enable label printing for 10+ locations outside of your network. A browser-based label printing interface is interface is ideal. It helps companies standardize label printing at multiple locations, even if they’re not on the same network. Instead of installing labeling software on every workstation, browser-based printing lets you manage one or more web page label printing interfaces from one place, securely reaching users at all locations.
If you have contract manufacturers and suppliers. Your enterprise labeling software can be leveraged outside of your business by allowing contract manufacturers and suppliers to print accurate labels via a customized browser-based label printing interface. With contract manufacturers and suppliers, the value-add is taking away their ability to print incorrect labels. And you can quickly deploy label printing to contract manufacturers and suppliers, while still managing the process centrally.
If you have a small IT department. Deploying your label printing system in the cloud takes the burden off internal resources. Centralized label management controls help system administrators coordinate licensing. System-wide settings can be defined in a single location and rolled out across your entire global organization. Browser-based access eliminates the need for individual workstation installations.
There are some barriers to cloud-enabled labeling, including security, reliability, and compliance. With the development of technology, cloud solutions have improved their security, but the cloud is not 100% reliable or the best fit for some manufacturers – cloud servers go down, internet connections fail, and outages occur. And for highly regulated industries, there may be regulations that impact the use of cloud technology. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) doesn’t prohibit the storage of protected health information in the cloud, but it does require certain privacy and security protections be in place to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
Now, let’s get into the business benefits.
One of the biggest advantages of using the cloud for business continuity is that label data can be accessed from anywhere. This helps minimize downtime of critical business functions in the event of an outage, since employees can access data from virtually anywhere. Also, a reliable cloud service provider gives companies many ways to avoid data loss, including built-in redundancy, failover, backup, automatic logging, and monitoring – allowing for shorter recovery time compared with on-premises alternatives.
As a business, your main objective is to make a profit, and minimizing IT expenses helps your bottom line. With cloud-enabled labeling, you can skip the costs of buying or updating servers and hardware for your own data center. You also reduce the need for IT staff to manage your servers and lower the electricity costs of running an on-site server. If cutting IT expenses is your main goal, you can use a cloud-enabled labeling solution or cloud server, which TEKLYNX helps manage.
With cloud technology, you no longer need to purchase on-site systems, hardware, or individual software licenses, freeing up resources for other projects. If you're considering moving your labeling to the cloud, reach out to us. We’ll help you find the best software and hosting options for your business.
Casey Sciano is an Enterprise Executive at TEKLYNX. He uses his 15+ years of sales and technical experience and knowledge of the AIDC space to support enterprise label management clients. Casey strives to help clients "see the forest through the trees" by utilizing sound business strategies and sales techniques that impact the way they do business. When not working, he loves spending time with his dog Josie and cheering on the Brewers, Bucks, and Packers.
Seamlessly print your labels to multiple locations with cloud label printing options. This blog will go over four unique ways to leverage the cloud for label printing, answers to commonly asked questions about each option, and how using the cloud can benefit your labeling environment.
READ MORE
How many business systems – an ERP or WMS – have you heard are migrating to the cloud? In its report, the International Data Corporation (IDC) said “demand for cloud-based ERP applications continues to grow because of their ability to access and analyze massive amounts of data in near real time.” As more and more companies utilize cloud-based ERP systems, integrative software solutions need to be able to play nice with them.
READ MORE
What do you think? Leave us a comment.
Comments will be reviewed and are subject to TEKLYNX’ comment policy. Your email address will not be published publicly.