As any manufacturer or producer knows, it seems that not only does the supply chain have to cope with time-varying or dynamic demands, increasing uncertainty has made the task of satisfying customers even more challenging. Notwithstanding this, all businesses know that efficiency in the production environment is critical for competitiveness and only by making proactive quantitative improvements to their process will they yield the returns needed to secure competitive advantage, as well consumer loyalty and long-term business success.
As flexible, fast reacting technology, laser coding delivers exceptional results for modern production environments that demand superior case coding quality, with minimal servicing and maintenance requirements.
Here are 5 reasons why laser coding & marking can improve supply chain efficiency:
Laser provides a fast and highly efficient method of applying variable information, such as barcodes, date & lot codes, QR codes, graphics and sequential batch numbers, onto corrugated boxes and shelf ready packaging (SRP).
The technology can be applied at the latest stage in the product supply chain, in other words, at the point of packing and filling, enabling the supply chain to be responsive and flexible to consumer demand without the additional waste and excessive SKUs this often brings. Each individual box can be printed according to language, regulatory, nutritional, brand or geographical needs, minimising packaging production, shipment and storage, therefore lowering the associated carbon footprint. SKU rationalisation brings multiple benefits to a supply chain in its own right including, improved manufacturing efficiency thanks to reduced changeovers; reduced costs through better inventory management; reduced warehousing and logistics requirements due to more accurate planning and forecasting; ultimately, an improved bottom line due to a reduction in operational costs.
Delivering high contrast, high quality, durable codes that do not smudge or rub off, laser technology means less product recall and rework required when delivered to the retail store and consistent product and packaging traceability in transit.
Laser coding improves Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) – the measurement of manufacturing productivity, quantified by analysing availability, performance and quality. The use of laser rather than ink ensures speed, consistency and reliability, maximising production line uptime and reducing both planned and unplanned downtime – label reels do not need to be changed and printing quality errors are virtually eliminated. Production capabilities are boosted as the technology has been specially designed to minimise maintenance and servicing.
The use of laser technology also has a positive impact on sustainability. By being a viable alternative to print and apply labels, high-resolution inkjet and waxjet solutions, use of the technology eliminates unnecessary waste and single use plastics from the supply chain.