While retailers use barcodes to handle crucial inventory control activities, manufacturers use barcoding to keep tabs on their products and parts through the production, shipping and warehousing processes. As many national chains and federal regulators require manufacturers to apply durable labels to their products according to precise specifications, it is more important than ever for manufacturers to understand the important part barcodes play in their daily operations.
Data is obtained quickly and accurately
What are the precise costs associated with data entry or reading errors? While one small error may not seem consequential, compounded over time with others, manufacturers may loose large amounts of revenue and time correcting their mistakes. For manufacturers operating on strict deadlines or in highly competitive industries, even one lost customer because of misplaced orders or delayed delivery process can be catastrophic.
In a company white paper, Plex, a manufacturing ERP software provider, reported that the usual rate for human data entry error is 1 in 300, while barcode scanners offer an accuracy rate of around 1 in 36 trillion characters. While your manufacturing organization may have moved past manual product identification entry years ago, your labels could be fading during the manufacturing process or running due to extensive moisture or heat exposure. Maybe you use barcode labels, but find they become illegible throughout the production cycle or fall off because they are not applied properly?
Whatever the reason, in order to make the most of your labeling applications, you must choose long-lasting thermal transfer labels that remain intact throughout the manufacturing process. When data is acquired quickly and accurately, you are able to make fully informed business and operational decisions, thus saving you time and money along the way.
Barcodes directly promote better decision making
What does it mean to promote better decision making in manufacturing? Consider that one of your products' parts damages easily. Maybe it cannot withstand high temperatures or exposure to the elements. Regardless, your team needs to track down the precise shipment these defected products are on, along with the affected parts. If your products are equipped with durable, thermal transfer labels, you can easily pinpoint the problem and move the products out of the supply chain.
"You need to access data quickly and reliably."
Essentially, a barcode system can gather necessary information that would be difficult to obtain otherwise. Instead of being blind during the production process, workers can scan parts or products, sending vital data to the internal system. Managers can then easily access this information and make informed decisions about what to do at each step of the process.
Furthermore, if manufacturers can use this information to make better decisions regarding customer orders and relations, they may see their consumer satisfaction rating rise. If this public opinion grows, so will a manufacturer's industry-wide respectability. Should this happen, companies may triumph over their competitors through delivering high-quality products in a reasonable time frame. Therefore, manufacturers are able to make smarter decisions and improve their market success.
At Stranco, we offer high-performance thermal transfer labels for manufacturers in a wide variety of industries. We understand that you need to access data quickly and reliably throughout the manufacturing and supply chain processes, which is why we are confident our label materials will not fail when faced with high temperatures or excessive moisture.
Speak with one of our representatives to learn more about our affordable pricing, quick shipping and low order minimums. Whether you are a large-scale manufacturer or a small startup organization, you need to invest in labels you can rely on. Contact us today!
