Subscribe

Tag: Brother

Assessment Tool Boosts Labelling Efficiency

Posted on by David Priestman

Business technology solutions provider Brother UK has launched a new labelling self-assessment tool designed to help warehouse and logistics customers identify opportunities to streamline processes and boost efficiency. The tool features 11 questions and takes just five minutes to complete. Once submitted, businesses instantly receive a comprehensive report outlining their strengths, areas for improvement and practical advice on enhancing labelling processes.

Customers will fall into one of four categories based on their responses: Labelling Expert, Almost Optimised, Exploring Efficiency or Just Getting Started. These categories help determine the most relevant next steps for improving labelling workflows and prioritising process optimisation in the warehouse. For customers that fall into the ‘Just Getting Started’ category, or those unsure of where to begin, Brother recommends conducting a labelling process audit. This helps map out current workflows, access equipment setup, identify pain points and highlight clear areas for improvement.

Those in the ‘Almost Optimised’ and ‘Exploring Efficiency’ categories may already have a solid foundation but still face challenges such as hardware downtime or mislabelling errors. In these cases, Brother recommends evaluating the current equipment setup to ensure it’s fit for purpose. This includes assessing whether there are enough print stations, mobile printing solutions or the right hardware to meet warehouse demands. Integrating solutions like on-body mobile printers, forklift-mounted devices or mobile workstations enables at-location label printing, reducing disruption and minimising error.

For businesses already operating at a high level of optimisation, Brother suggests levelling up by prioritising data monitoring, staying up to date with the latest industry developments, improving responses to warehouse downtime and drawing on expert advice to identify best-in-class labelling solutions tailored to specific needs. To support this, Brother offers a range of advanced labelling technologies designed to enhance operational efficiency.

The RJ mobile print range can be mounted to a forklift truck for at-location printing in the warehouse, saving workers time previously lost walking back and forth to a stationary printer. This type of optimisation can yield substantial cost savings over time, such as boosting the speed of picking, packing and delivering products.

Brother has also recently refreshed its TD-2D and TD-4D range of professional desktop label printers to help improve productivity and cost-efficiency. The compact mobile devices can be used on crowded packing benches and are compatible with accessories such as tablet holders, creating an end-to-end solution and improving workflow efficiencies. A battery pack and carry handle is also available to support on-the-go operations.

Brother’s TJ range of industrial label printers is built for purpose, backed by a market-leading 5-year warranty that ensures long-term reliability and support for operations with high-volume labelling requirements.

Simon Brennan, senior business manager (SPS) at Brother UK, said: “Labelling inconsistencies can cause serious issues for warehouse and logistics operations, from delivery mix-ups to lost time correcting errors. Research shows businesses lose up to £6,000 and 347 working hours per operator each year due to inefficient labelling, with every disruption costing up to 23 minutes in lost focus. Our new self-assessment tool helps businesses think about where they might be losing valuable time and money, and what steps they can take to improve. At Brother we live for the label and our experts are ready to support customers in finding labelling solutions that boost both efficiency and reliability.”

Resellers can direct their customers to the five minute assessment here, helping them find out where their labelling setup stands and how they can start unlocking new efficiencies in the warehouse.

similar news

New Mobile Printers From Brother

 

Industrial Labelling Support for Warehousing and Logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

Business technology solutions provider Brother UK has introduced a warranty on its TJ industrial label printers, to enhance its support for warehousing and logistics firms with high-volume labelling requirements.

The vendor has updated the warranty that’s offered as standard on its TJ devices from three years to an industry-leading five years. The longer warranty is part of Brother’s efforts to minimise potential downtime, particularly in industries where it can have significant knock-on effects on the supply chain. A Brother survey of warehouse managers found more than half (51%) had to take time out of their schedule to arrange repairs, while three in 10 (28%) spent a whole day without a machine available.

Brother’s TJ series can produce thousands of labels a day at speeds of up to 14 inches per second. Machines print at up to 300dpi and for a range of label. The models also support various command languages, including ZPL2, making it easier to integrate devices into existing networks.

The TJ series’ compatibility has also been boosted after leading warehouse management software (WMS) providers Clarus and Mintsoft accredited Brother devices. The endorsement means that Brother’s specialist labelling devices, which also includes its RJ line-up of mobile printers and range of TD desktop models, can easily be implemented into operations for businesses already using their WMS offerings.

Simon Brennan, senior business manager – specialist printing solutions at Brother UK, said: “Labelling is a crucial part of picking, packing and delivering items, and as expectation for shorter delivery times grows, so does firms’ need for reliable and long-lasting devices.

“We live for the label, and this means providing extensive ongoing support for businesses long after they’ve purchased a device. Extending the warranty that comes as standard on our TJ models demonstrates our commitment to that. Importantly, it also gives warehouse and logistics managers greater certainty that they’ll minimise costly downtime and lapses in reliability, boosting their ability to provide the best service possible to their customers.

“Our growing partner network is also testament to how we’re bringing forward devices to be flexible to all firms’ needs. It’s essential that label printers integrate seamlessly with the existing WMS that day-to-day operations are built around, and this is another validation for us that we can deliver on warehouse, transportation and logistics businesses’ needs.”

similar news

New Mobile Printers From Brother

 

Labelling Range Upgraded to meet Linerless Demand

Posted on by David Priestman

Business technology solutions provider Brother UK has upgraded its range of professional desktop label printers to be compatible with linerless labels, helping partners to meet customers’ sustainability, productivity and cost-efficiency goals.

The new TD-4550D and TD-4420D models are compatible with linerless labelling media, which doesn’t use the non-recyclable glassine lining typically used to protect labelling medium, while offering the fastest print speed of its class at up to 8ips.

Linerless compatibility will help users of the TD-4 range, including food industry, warehousing and retail businesses, to boost sustainability by reducing waste to landfill from discarded backing.
Partners can also help businesses to gain new efficiencies with the upgraded TD-4 line’s linerless operability. The number of labels users can print from one roll increases with linerless, as the thickness of the label is effectively halved without backing paper. This enables users to save time replenishing rolls in devices, and to buy replacement rolls less frequently.

The new TD-4 models will help resellers supporting customers in the food industry with sustainable labelling solutions for applications such as nutrition and allergen labelling for food preparation and distribution, in compliance with legislation including Natasha’s Law.

The devices are also suited to help retailers, where labels are frequently removed and replaced such as with price markdowns. Warehousing and logistics operations can also use the TD-4 range to achieve a more sustainable way to manage Auto-ID systems. Linerless labels also improve health and safety by removing potential slip hazards by taking the backing out of the equation.

Other features include compatibility with the LabelSuite™ design software. The TD-4550D has 203dpi resolution, 8ips print speed and prints up to 104mm width, while the TD-4420D has a resolution of 300dpi, prints at 6ips and widths of up to 108mm. Both devices also have label width detection, auto cut feature and are USB, WiFi and Bluetooth compatible.

Ged Cairns, head of specialist printing solutions (SPS) at Brother UK said: “Many businesses across warehousing, retail and food service sectors are re-appraising their approach to labelling and looking at how they can invest in upgrading to linerless-enabled printing fleets. Our upgraded TD-4 range will help partners to tap into this demand, as businesses seek to enhance productivity, make sustainability gains, reduce waste, and improve health and safety.

“The TD-4 range delivers on linerless capability while offering the full suite of features expected by customers, including fast print speeds and convenient connection options. Continuously investing in, and advancing, our specialist labelling print technology demonstrates how we live for the label.”

read more

Linerless Industrial Printer Improves Productivity

 

Brother Expect Auto-ID Labelling Sales Rise

Posted on by David Priestman

Business and technology solutions provider Brother UK is expecting to double sales of its professional label printers over the next 12 months, on the back of significant investment to strengthen its proposition and growing market demand.

Over the last year, Brother UK has partnered with major Auto-ID resellers and vendors in the UK, as well as specialist partners BarcodeGenie and Planglow, to create new routes to market and develop tailored solutions for the retail and food hygiene markets respectively.

The technology provider has also upgraded two of its most popular label printing lines – the TD-2000 and the QL – to improve connectivity and security, introduce an auto-sleep mode as default to reduce operators’ energy use, and boost manufacturing capacity to service higher demand.

The business says that an increasing demand for thermal labelling devices across retail, supply chain and hospitality will also help to drive the growth as more firms look to digitise and unlock new operational efficiencies. Forecasts from market research consultancy VDC reveal that the UK market for thermal labelling devices is set to grow by 44% to $137.9m by 2026, compared to 2021.

Ged Cairns (pictured), head of SPS business category at Brother UK, said: “We have built a strong proposition to take advantage of a buoyant market as more firms, specifically across supply chain, retail and hospitality, digitise their day-to-day operations. Labelling systems form a central part of those functions and we have the right range of devices, from our mobile RJ series to the TJ desktop range for high-volume label printing, to support reseller partners in delivering the products and solutions that their customers need. Combining our updated product range, new routes to market, focus on tech integration and customer support, from industry-leading warranties to on-site visits and next-day replacements, we are positioned well to grow quickly.”

Over 100 years of innovation have gone into making Brother the global business solutions provider that it is today. Founded in Japan in 1908, and now operating in 44 countries around the world, Brother has continually adapted to thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. From managed print services through to printers and scanners, Brother’s products and services are designed to increase efficiency, boost productivity and encourage collaboration in the workplace.

Auto ID Labelling Limits Downtime

Posted on by David Priestman

The holiday season may be over, but with transport and logistics businesses shouldering the brunt of Christmas chaos, Gary Morris (pictured), Senior End User Client Manager for Transport and Logistics at Brother UK, reflects on the priorities firms are focusing on to shore-up their labelling and Auto-ID systems as they begin to navigate 2023.

Logistics leaders faced a tough end to 2022, as they kept customers satisfied through one of the most demanding delivery fulfilment periods. Firms faced high demand while sector capacity was sapped by perennial skills shortages alongside strike action in the last half of the year. In such arduous conditions, sub-optimal tech anywhere in their operation is the last thing logistics leaders need. Reliable auto-ID systems are essential to keep operations running smoothly and efficiently to help firms maximise throughput and prevent backlogs.

But research shows that inefficient labelling systems are creating unnecessary burdens. More than 60% of firms experience at least a week of downtime every year due to poor-quality labelling – one in seven experience a month or more of lost time. To tackle this, we’re seeing businesses set three core priorities when it comes to labelling.

Create labels that are clear and scannable

A major issue firms are reporting is problems with delivering parcels due to unreadable barcodes. More than half of companies (53%) in our research estimate that this is costing them between £1,000 to £3,000 per year as businesses pay out to reprocess and redispatch goods.

Labelling systems with high resolutions equipped with the best matched media and ribbons, ensure barcodes are always clear and readable. A good portable label printer can deliver a 200dpi resolution, while desktop or industrial label printers will often provide firms with the best resolution for the sharpest print outs, offering 300dpi – or even up to 600dpi. A trusted technology supplier will also be able to advise the best matched media to the hardware, making sure firms are using the right labels or the best label and ribbon combination.

Ensure seamless integration

We know that many businesses (62%) across the sector are looking to improve the integration across their labelling systems to boost their productivity and find new efficiencies. The result is a focus on hardware and software that is designed with integration in mind and can easily connect with existing systems and those made by other vendors and suppliers.

So, the focus is on devices that feature industry mainstays such as SAP, and printer command languages including ZPL2 emulation, to support seamless integration. This will help to promote change for those that may not want to re-invent their operational wheel. But for those that do, a supporting vendor can advise on how firms can gain efficiency in their printer workflows to fit within their operation, including products designed with the software and system integration businesses desire.

Get access to reliable repair services

Naturally, transport and logistics operations never stop, so broken tech creates huge headaches. And when problems do occur, they need access to emergency repair services and replacements so they can get their operations back up and running. Services like our optional Brother ONSITE – a next day maintenance service for our TJ range of industrial label printers – are in high demand and a three-year warranty on equipment, sometimes with extensions of up to four or five years, is now seen as the expected standard.

Labelling that delivers

There is little time to pause for thought in a sector that never stops, but the productivity, reliability and connectivity of labelling systems should never be overlooked. There are often significant gains that can be made that can support broader business goals, from increasing capacity to cutting cost. Partnering with a supplier that takes the time to make sure every line, delivery note and warehouse location label is printed with precision, can help firms to concentrate on their operations, while minimising the downtime they can seldom afford.

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.