A successful warehouse labeling ecosystem doesn’t happen overnight. There’s no way it could due to all the many moving parts involved across the warehouse enterprise. And it’s not like you have a person designated as a Warehouse Labeling Director to shepherd a warehouse labeling system successfully from start to finish.
In fact, many in-house warehouse workers don’t see the whole picture of warehouse labeling. The output, the printed labels themselves, is just a small piece of a much bigger puzzle. That’s because a successful warehouse label ecosystem features three key elements working in unison: software, hardware, and the facility itself.
The problem? Far too often those elements aren’t working in unison and that means just one small mistake can bring the entire warehouse labeling system crashing down.
Sure, you could continue not giving warehouse labeling the attention it deserves. But in doing so, your warehouse operation is losing a key competitive advantage.
In today’s world of direct fulfillment acceleration, maximizing efficiency in pick/pack/ship operations is contingent upon an up-to-date warehouse labeling system.
To help you best assess what a contemporary warehouse labeling system looks like, here are 5 signs you’ve got the right components in place …
Sign #1: Speed, Speed, and Even More Speed
A warehouse humming at top capacity always looks for ways to enhance speed, often in places and ways that may be overlooked.
The most obvious is the speed at which it takes a warehouse to pick, pack and ship.
Looking deeper, this means how fast you can pick, so when you receive an order, it can be ready quickly with delivery the same day or the next day.
That direct fulfillment, quick turnaround scenario goes sideways fast if there are visibility issues. In this example, with products in warehouses today often racked 30-45 feet high, can barcodes be read easily and correctly?
Fortunately, that answer is a yes with Imprint. Because in addition to managing the complete warehouse labeling process, we also provide the necessary barcode readers and scanners to help get the job done day in and day out.
Now there are also some speed enhancements possible that might not be within plain sight. Here’s one growing in importance and priority: the speed of data. In essence, large enterprises that leverage warehouse automation at the highest level possible.
Speed enhancements across the board like these are only possible when there is a proven warehouse labeling system and process in place.
To illustrate what this looks like consider a recent Imprint case study …
The client: one of the largest consumer product companies in the USA with a million square foot warehouse.
What Imprint did: from start to finish, this large-scale project was organized and executed in only three weeks. (And this included installing over a holiday weekend.) Multiple steps were involved, including but not limited to an overall assessment, detailed data validation, label study, production, and most importantly, installation. And through it all, Imprint made sure the labeling data was 100% accurate from beginning to end.
The results: the company hit its go-live date. As a result, this same consumer product company hired Imprint for future projects, seven more to be exact. Those warehouse labeling jobs generated over seven figures in revenue.
Sign #2: Efficiency from the Word Go
Efficiency and speed have a codependent relationship. You simply can’t have one without the other. At Imprint, we’ve found hundreds of ways to improve efficiency from the most micro of tasks to the macro of the entire operation.
Now, here’s something to think about: when you commit to an outside vendor for warehouse labeling, do you know exactly what you’re getting, people-wise?
With Imprint, our installers are employees and not contractors or temps. And with thousands of successful warehouse labeling projects under our belt, there’s a constant theme throughout. And that’s this: experienced teams complete the job in less time.
In short, Imprint can do in days what in-house operations can take weeks to complete. That way, warehouse personnel can focus on their core responsibilities and not be taken off normal assignments and forced to “play out of position.”
We’ve adopted several other best practices to maximize efficiency. Here’s a small sample:
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- Installations are scheduled around regular everyday functions
- Minimal disruption to your customer’s distribution environment
- All tools and equipment are brought in specifically for the project
So while others may claim to boost efficiency Imprint delivers it with every labeling project.
Sign #3: Safety First, Last, and Always
The last thing any successful warehouse manager needs is to unintentionally expose any worker to unnecessary risks. But that’s exactly what happens when warehouse employees are forced to perform uncommon and infrequently performed tasks. And warehouse labeling jobs are not without risk. Especially considering labels need to be applied to racks 3-4 stories off the ground.
At Imprint, we provide fully insured and trained installation teams. That means you’ll only see those familiar with the growing complexities of properly installing labels and signs within your facility. In so doing, you’ll also reduce the risk of damaging products by those less experienced with today’s warehouse label and sign installations.
Sign #4: Unrivaled Expertise
By now we hope you see the value in trusting the most experienced professionals for your warehouse labeling and signage. At Imprint, we’ve performed thousands of warehouse labeling projects.
Our proven three-step process (proposal preparation, pre-implementation, and implementation) assures you a successful warehouse labeling outcome. We are there to provide consultation and guidance throughout the total project.
We also have a depth of understanding of all the moving parts of labeling and signing a facility.
Warehouse operators choose Imprint because of our track record of delivering speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
There are other reasons Imprint is on the shortlist for even the most challenging warehouse labeling jobs. We offer a tremendous array of digital label and sign construction options to choose from. This includes full-color printing for enhanced visual appearance and efficiency as well as custom printed, cost-effective labels and signs.
Sign #5: It all Adds Up to Savings
Years ago there was a famous TV commercial for Fram oil filters. The ad featured a mechanic with the famous line, “you can pay me now or you can pay me later.” The “pay me now” referred to paying a little bit more for a quality oil filter from the get-go. The “pay me later” referred to the cost of a burned-out engine from a cheap oil filter alternative.
There’s a similarity to looking at the overall cost of a warehouse labeling project. The speculation may be that keeping the job in-house will save money. However, when things go wrong, and they will, the bottom line might be a lot more costly than you first imagined.
Why not get it right the first time with a quality provider like Imprint? We know warehouse labeling inside and out. You’ve seen as much from our first article in this series, 5 Reasons Why the Warehouse of the Future can’t depend on a Labeling System from the Past, We also shared an insightful way to spot trouble with our Warehouse Labeling Success Part 2: 3 Warning Signs That Could Sink Your Warehouse Operations article.
Bottom line, we want you to make an informed, knowledgeable choice with your warehouse labeling needs. And if you’re like thousands of other warehouse operators, you’ll choose Imprint.
Contact Imprint today to answer your most pressing questions about warehouse labeling. For more information contact sales@Imprint-E.com or call (855) 745-4464 today.
