Choosing a new lineup of technologies is an important part of enabling positive logistics transformation. These devices have to fit the needs of the warehouse: that means there is a lack of space for desktop PC workstations, and connectivity must often be handled wirelessly. Furthermore, the equipment should be rugged enough to survive the tough environment and not require time-consuming and workflow-breaking software installation.
Fortunately, by deploying devices such as Brother's line of portable thermal printers, today's organisations can modernise their operations in a way that will meet their many requirements. The goals that can be achieved through these deployments include:
- Quicker creation and application of labels in the warehouse
- Less downtime due to long printer life and rugged design
- Software that enables high-quality labelling and legal compliance
- Reduced costs for deploying new hardware, in both money and time
Below you can explore this new approach to warehouse operations in greater detail and determine how these new deployments would fit into and enhance your logistics workflows.
Easy Thermal Label Printing in the Warehouse
Brother's thermal printers have a small footprint and can be deployed wherever they're needed, providing inventory and shipping labels, barcodes and shelf labelling to ease every step of the logistics process. Logistics personnel gain new capabilities, including:
- Unbroken workflows, with the printers able to move where they are needed instead of having goods picked and brought to a single printing area for labelling
- Support for paperless warehouse operations, with label printing and barcode scanning taking the place of some paper documents
- Versatility regarding the shapes and sizes of labels produced, allowing one printer to fulfill multiple roles in the warehouse
Reliable, Long-Lasting Technology for Logistics Users
Logistics users rely on technologies that aren’t prone to breakdowns and can keep pace with a fast-moving warehouse environment. This is where Brother's reliable industrial label printers shine in a warehouse setting. Here are some benefits of a Brother industrial label printer:
- Drop in, connect and print labels through seamless integration and customise select devices with optional accessories, including dual Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, peelers and cutters
- Titan industrial range features a suite of connectivity options, including USB 2.0, serial and Ethernet, while also supported by Software Development Kits (SDKs) and various printer command languages, including ZPL2 emulation
- High quality and fast speeds, with printers working at up to 8 ips at a quality of 300 or 203 dpi
Flexible, Industry-Friendly Software Tools
The software powering a printer can be as important to its overall effectiveness as the hardware. This is why users should focus on technology tools that come with flexible and effective systems, accessible through mobile devices and integrated with their warehouse management systems and other essential platforms. Benefits of Brother's accompanying software deployments include:
- The ability to reformat labels from the warehouse floor, enabling users to add elements that abide by compliance requirements in sectors such as food production
- Connectivity with databases, enabling the immediate creation of barcodes that act as key components in inventory management and help organisations reduce their dependence on paper record keeping
- Interoperability with many applications and platforms for seamless integration into existing warehouse workflows, no matter the preferred software provider for your organisation
Painless Deployment and Update Processes
One of the keys to smooth logistics processes is ensuring there are no breaks in the workflow. Delays and disruptions can lead to extensive backlogs and lost productivity. This is why it's so important to find printing solutions that are simple to deploy and update. Brother's offerings connect seamlessly to networks and receive updates without extensive downtime. The advantages of this type of deployment include:
- The security and efficiency that come with updated firmware and system software, without the need to manually deploy the latest versions to each device manually
- Quick and simple expansion of printing capacity, either adding new facilities or additional devices at existing locations, with a minimum of downtime
- Integration into not just current workflows but also the next generation of warehouse operations
