Strategic answer to key enterprise labelling challenges

By Ken Moir, marketing director, NiceLabel.

As extended supply chains become more global and businesses strive for new levels of operational efficiency, labelling accuracy and data integrity has emerged as a key success factor. Enterprises are realising that legacy label management practices can't cope with demands of a modern agile supply chain. Challenges like label and brand consistency, data accuracy, regulatory compliance, customer responsiveness and counterfeiting can only be tackled by an all-inclusive enterprise labelling strategy. A strategy forged with next-generation labelling management solutions reduces total cost of ownership, streamlines supply chain operations and ensures business continuity.

Ken Moir.

Labelling and brand consistency

Enterprises with international locations often end up with inconsistent labelling systems. Decentralised systems expose companies to risks of human error and variation in label formats and structure between locations, which leads to expensive maintenance and compliance fines. Centrally managed labelling solutions help achieve labelling consistency, unified control and standardised branding. Next-generation label lifecycle management solutions simplify collaboration and global management of label templates.

Data accuracy is the cornerstone of operational excellence

Data accuracy eliminates product recalls and inherent damage to productivity, profitability, brand reputation and in some instances even customer safety. Enterprises ensure high levels of data accuracy by integrating their label production with their business systems, ensuring the integrity of data printed on their product, shipping and safety labelling. Using product master data in an ERP system as the single source of truth maintains data accuracy, eliminates errors and avoids duplication. Enterprises often avoid customising their existing business transactions as first-generation labelling methods require labour intensive 'work-arounds' and often costly changes to existing systems. Next-generation technologies introduce configuration without customised software coding and hence allow companies to leverage their existing business processes in the creation of process improvements in their label management.

Operational efficiency, lower costs and business continuity

Enterprises with multiple (often international) locations are moving to centralised control of labelling systems. Only centralised solutions put IT in control of mission-critical processes, reduce costs and ensure business continuity. Integrating labelling with enterprise applications simplifies maintenance, enables simultaneous mass changes and increases operational agility. Next-generation Web technology allows instant deployment of standardised labelling across the enterprise – and beyond to suppliers, too.

Customer and regulatory requirements

Evolving regulations, customer requests and globalisation are forcing companies to rethink their supply chain and labelling processes. To prevent compliance fines or loss of business, enterprises need a flexible and agile label lifecycle management (LLM) solution.

Next generation LLM solutions allow companies to improve their customer responsiveness and regulatory compliance while freeing up IT resources. Business users can easily create universal label templates without requiring the IT department to customise corporate systems. Modern LLM solutions use universal smart label templates that work across the complete printer population infrastructure and support multiple languages on the same label. The universal smart template reduces the number of label design variations to a few instead of thousands.

EU Food Allergens directive, GHS Chemical labelling standard, UDI medical devices label requirements, ePedigree and FDA/GxP (Pharmaceutical) are just some of the regulations that are driving the change of labelling processes. A centralised and more agile Enterprise Labelling Solution delivers easier and faster compliance resulting in more customers, optimised processes and lower costs.

Brand protection and avoiding counterfeiting

New Web-based labelling technologies have become a powerful tool for fighting against counterfeiting by some of the biggest global brands. Online centrally controlled label printing enables companies to control what, when and how many labels can be printed by suppliers. This real-time visibility and traceability of supplier label printing prevents production overruns and counterfeiting.

Centralised label lifecycle management

Label Lifecycle Management (LLM) software helps Enterprises manage versions, revisions and review/track changes. A secure central document repository, approval workflows with electronic signatures and printing traceability minimise risks and help comply with regulations. Design, audit and security features ensure control and consistent quality of all labelling. This is especially critical for regulated industries such as pharmaceutical, healthcare, food and beverage etc.

Rely on a trusted partner to implement your labelling strategy

The world's largest organisations rely on NiceLabel proven technology to implement best practices for their enterprise and supply chain labelling. The next generation technology provides you with a robust platform for standardising labelling across your extended supply chain.

The NiceLabel platform provides the fastest way to configure, deploy and manage a centrally controlled scalable enterprise labelling. First generation approaches limit your enterprise's need to adapt to changing customer and regulatory compliance requirements. NiceLabel's Enterprise Solution gives you the ability and agility to rapidly react to the changing environment and lower the total cost of ownership.

NiceLabel's platform is the most proven and trusted label technology available. Shipped by the world's largest printer manufacturers, proven in volume and used by the majority of Fortune 500 companies. NiceLabel's experienced Professional Services Group ensures best practices implementation, maximum uptime and responsive support and on-site services for your global deployments.

Improve operational efficiency, data accuracy and customer responsiveness by implementing an enterprise labelling strategy

Re-think your supply chain and implement an Enterprise-centric labelling strategy. Replace disparate and legacy labelling systems with a centralised configurable labelling platform to ensure a leaner supply chain and more responsive enterprise.